India expects discount Windows 10 upgrade for millions of users after WannaCry

India’s more than 50 million Windows users will soon be able to upgrade to Windows 10 at a discount, according to a government official. The Indian government requested a one-time discount scheme after the WannaCry ransomware attack.

The amount of the discount is not yet known, but Microsoft is ‘in principle’ in agreement, Gulshan Rai, who is responsible for IT security in India, reported to Reuters news agency. He says he is convinced that Microsoft will charge “less than a quarter of the price” for the upgrade in the one-time promotion.

The move is part of the Indian government’s strategy to upgrade as many systems in the country as possible to current OS versions to increase security. That effort was launched in mid-May after the attack with WannaCry ransomware. Reuters cites research by Counterpoint Research that shows that 96 percent of the estimated 57 million computers in India are running Windows. A small part of that concerns Windows 10 installations, which is a reason for the Indian government to negotiate with Microsoft.

Many systems are also vulnerable because they run pirated versions of Windows. For many citizens in the country, the license is too expensive. The suggested retail price of Windows 10 Home is 7999 rupees, converted 108 euros. the Pro version costs 14,999 rupees, or 203 euros. Rai hopes to report more details about the arrangement in a few days. It is not known whether more countries are urging the software maker for similar arrangements.