Indian-Origin Jay Parikh Appointed to Lead Microsoft’s New AI Engineering Division

Microsoft has unveiled a new specialized engineering team, CoreAI – Platform and Tools, focused on advancing artificial intelligence. Jay Parikh, an Indian-origin leader who led Meta’s engineering efforts for over a decade, has been appointed executive vice president of this initiative. Reporting directly to CEO Satya Nadella, Parikh joins Microsoft’s senior leadership team and will oversee several top executives in AI infrastructure, developer platforms, and tools.

Parikh’s transition to Microsoft brings him back into the spotlight, with his extensive experience in large-scale engineering poised to drive the company’s AI platform ambitions. This is his first major role since joining Microsoft in October 2024.

The CoreAI division combines Microsoft’s existing developer division, AI platform teams, and parts of the Office of the CTO group. Its goal is to create advanced AI platforms and tools that help developers, businesses, and Microsoft’s internal teams build AI applications more efficiently.

Under Parikh’s leadership, the division will focus on key AI initiatives like GitHub Copilot, an AI coding assistant; Azure AI Foundry, a cloud infrastructure for AI; and VS Code, a widely-used developer tool enhanced with AI features. Microsoft considers these tools essential for developing new "agentic applications" that can adapt, take actions, and remember user preferences.

Satya Nadella has called the shift to AI a "once-in-a-generation opportunity," likening it to transformative technological milestones such as the advent of the internet or cloud computing. As AI is set to revolutionize software development, Nadella envisions Microsoft leading the way by creating what he refers to as an "AI-first app stack."

Parikh’s leadership is a strategic decision to equip Microsoft with the essential tools, platforms, and strategies needed to stay competitive in the fast-evolving industry. By prioritizing AI, Microsoft aims to help businesses develop innovative AI solutions while strengthening its own product ecosystem.