In the wake of several cyber attacks, the Indian Government is pressing Microsoft to give citizens of the country a discount when upgrading to Windows 10. The decision was made due to several ransomware attacks that affected computers powered by Windows.

The affected computers were all running a version of Windows that’s older than Windows 10, and thus, lacks the necessary security features to stay ahead of hackers.

According to a report from Reuters, Microsoft officials agreed to the deal in principle, but it's not certain if a full agreement will ever take place.

Microsoft might not entirely agree because it could have some serious ramifications.

Other nations might require similar commitment

Should Microsoft decide to accept the discount deal with the Indian government in full, it’s possible other countries affected by ransomware attacks could request a commitment on similar terms.

Gulshan Rai, India's cyber security coordinator, says India began speaking with Microsoft after the most talked about WannaCry attack back in May. He noted that WannaCry and the latest, NotPetya, took advantage of vulnerabilities in the older version of Windows.

Rai added that he expects to get details about the price cut in the coming days. Furthermore, he believes the slash in price for updating to Windows 10 will be a temporary move for the entire country.

Still, the government needs Microsoft’s full approval before citizens can get the chance to purchase Windows 10 for a discounted price.

Indian government worked closely with banks

Most banks in the country use Windows Xp to power their ATMs. In fact, over 240,000 ATMs situated in India are driven by the ancient operating system or a version of it.

The government made sure 200,000 of these ATMs were quickly updated with the latest security patch from Microsoft. Nevertheless, this is merely a short-term solution because Windows XP, at heart, is still an old operating system

Windows 10 has a new architecture that makes for a more secure platform. Because of this, the software giant has long championed for users to upgrade.

In fact, there was a one-year period of which computer users had the chance to upgrade to Windows 10 for free, but many failed to accept.

Why have Indians failed to upgrade to Windows 10 in large numbers?

One might wonder why millions of people in India have been unable to purchase Windows 10. Well, it has everything to do with cost. Windows 10 Home cost 7,999 rupees, which is approximately $124. As for Windows 10 Pro, the price hits the ceiling at 14,999 rupees, which translates to $232.

For most Indian households, this is too much for them to afford, so a price cut could get the ball rolling. Still, a price cut would likely affect Microsoft’s earnings.