AWS, Azure and Google Cloud all run production workloads for Indian businesses — and all three have data centres in India (AWS and Azure in Mumbai and Hyderabad; GCP in Mumbai and Delhi). The choice between them is not about which is "best" in the abstract, but which is the best fit for your specific workload, team and compliance requirements.
AWS (Amazon Web Services)
AWS is the most mature cloud platform with the widest range of services. It has the largest ecosystem of third-party tools, the deepest set of managed services, and the most extensive documentation and community support. AWS is typically the right choice when:
- You need the widest service catalogue (particularly ML, data analytics, IoT)
- Your team already has AWS experience or certifications
- You're building greenfield applications and want the most options
- You need mature DevOps and CI/CD tooling (CodePipeline, CodeBuild)
Trade-off: AWS pricing is complex and cost management requires active attention. The console can be overwhelming for teams new to cloud.
Microsoft Azure
Azure is the natural fit for organisations already running Microsoft workloads. If you're using Microsoft 365, Active Directory, SQL Server or Visual Studio, Azure integrations are seamless and licensing can be consolidated. Azure is typically the right choice when:
- You're a Microsoft shop (Windows Server, SQL Server, .NET, Microsoft 365)
- You need strong hybrid cloud support (Azure Arc, Azure Stack)
- Compliance with Indian financial sector regulations is critical (Azure has the most RBI-compliant services)
- Your team has existing Microsoft certifications
Trade-off: Azure's non-Microsoft managed services are generally less mature than AWS equivalents.
Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
GCP is strongest in data analytics, machine learning and Kubernetes. Google's internal infrastructure expertise translates directly into GCP's networking performance and its BigQuery, Vertex AI and GKE offerings. GCP is typically the right choice when:
- Data analytics and ML/AI are core to your workload
- You're running containerised workloads at scale (GKE is the most mature managed Kubernetes)
- Network performance is critical — Google's global network is exceptional
- You're already using Google Workspace
Trade-off: GCP has fewer India-specific managed services and a smaller local partner ecosystem compared to AWS and Azure.
What most Indian businesses should do
For most Indian SMEs and mid-market companies, the decision comes down to: existing Microsoft investment → Azure; greenfield with no strong preference → AWS; data/AI-heavy workloads → GCP. Multi-cloud adds operational complexity that most teams aren't staffed to manage well — pick one and do it properly.
If you'd like a cloud assessment to determine which platform fits your workload, ITSolvez offers a free 90-minute cloud readiness review.