Google Announces $15 Billion AI Hub in Visakhapatnam
Visakhapatnam – In a landmark commitment to India’s digital future, Google has announced a massive investment of approximately $15 billion (USD) over the next five years (2026-2030) to establish a major Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data centre hub in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian stated that this facility will be the company’s largest AI hub globally outside of the United States and will scale to “multiple gigawatts.”
The multi-faceted project, announced at the ‘Bharat AI Shakti’ event, is designed to bring Google’s full AI stack and consumer services closer to Indian enterprises and users, accelerating AI-driven transformation across the country.
Key Highlights of the Investment:
Largest AI Hub Outside US: The facility will serve as Google’s flagship AI centre outside America, joining a global network of AI centres spanning 12 countries.
Gigawatt-Scale Capacity: The hub will include a purpose-built data centre campus with gigawatt-scale compute capacity, crucial for running advanced AI workloads like deep learning and large-scale model inference.
Strategic Partnerships: Google will collaborate with major Indian partners:
AdaniConneX (a joint venture between Adani Enterprises and EdgeConneX) will co-develop the core AI data centre infrastructure and co-invest in new transmission lines, clean energy generation, and innovative energy storage systems in Andhra Pradesh.
Bharti Airtel will establish a state-of-the-art Cable Landing Station (CLS) in Visakhapatnam to host Google’s new international subsea cables, expanding global connectivity and providing high-capacity, low-latency networks across India.
Global Connectivity Gateway: The investment includes constructing a new international subsea gateway in Visakhapatnam, creating a new connectivity hub on India’s eastern coast and strengthening the resilience of the country’s digital backbone.
Economic Impact: The project is expected to generate tens of thousands of jobs and support the Government of India’s ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ vision.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his delight, calling the multi-faceted investment a key step that “aligns with our vision to build a Viksit Bharat.” The Prime Minister emphasised that the hub would be a “powerful force in democratising technology” and would ensure ‘AI for All,’ securing India’s place as a global technology leader. The project, which involves key partnerships with domestic players like AdaniConneX and Airtel, is a landmark development in India’s journey toward becoming a global AI powerhouse.
Building a Global Connectivity Gateway in Vizag
The Google AI Hub Visakhapatnam is more than just a large data centre; it is designed to become a critical node in the world’s digital infrastructure. The investment includes the construction of a major new international subsea gateway and Cable Landing Station (CLS) in Visakhapatnam.
By bringing multiple international subsea cables ashore on India’s eastern coast, Google is creating an essential connectivity hub that will link the facility to its global network of AI centres across 12 countries. This expansion will boost the resilience and capacity of India’s digital backbone, ensuring faster, low-latency services across the region and around the world.
The facility will be powered by Google’s proprietary hardware, including TPUs (Tensor Processing Units), which are specifically engineered for advanced AI workloads. Crucially, the hub will house data locally, helping meet sovereign AI requirements and enabling Indian enterprises, developers, and researchers to build and scale their own AI-powered solutions using models like Gemini, Imagine, and Veo.
Catalysing Economic Growth and Digital Inclusion
The establishment of the Google AI Hub Visakhapatnam is poised to be a major driver of economic growth in Andhra Pradesh and across India. State officials anticipate the project will generate tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs, with estimates reaching up to 180,000 new opportunities in the technology, construction, and clean energy sectors.
In line with the global focus on sustainability, Google is also co-investing with its partners to deliver new transmission lines, clean energy generation, and innovative energy storage systems in the region. This commitment to green power will not only ensure the sustainable operation of the data centre but also strengthen India’s electricity grid. The entire initiative underscores a strong commitment to developing digital infrastructure that drives both economic vitality and technological equity, making the benefits of advanced AI accessible to every citizen.
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