Google announced on Tuesday a $15 billion investment to establish a 1-gigawatt data center and artificial intelligence (AI) hub in Visakhapatnam, India. The investment, Google's largest in the country, is scheduled to roll out over the next five years, concluding in 2030. The initiative aims to position the port city in Andhra Pradesh as a significant global connectivity node.
This commitment follows Google's earlier $10 billion investment pledge to India in 2020. The expansion comes as the Indian government promotes its "swadeshi" (made in India) initiative, advocating for local technological alternatives to international platforms amidst trade policy shifts.
The Visakhapatnam facility will represent Google's largest AI hub outside of the United States. Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian indicated the hub is designed to scale to multiple gigawatts over time and is integrated into Google's global network of AI centers across 12 countries. As part of the development, Google plans to extend its subsea cable infrastructure to Visakhapatnam, transforming it into a global connectivity hub.
Partnerships have been established for the project, with Indian telecom provider Bharti Airtel collaborating on the data center and the subsea cable landing station. Additionally, Google has teamed with Adani Group-backed AdaniConneX for the data center's infrastructure. The hub is slated to provide a comprehensive suite of AI solutions, including custom Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), access to AI models like Gemini, and platforms for application development, supporting both local AI processing and broader consumer services such as Google Search and YouTube.
Indian IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw acknowledged the AI hub's potential contribution to India's AI mission goals, proposing further enhancements to the country's digital infrastructure. Vaishnaw suggested considering India's Andaman Islands for future global internet data transfer and connecting Visakhapatnam with Sittwe, Myanmar, to enhance connectivity in India's northeastern regions.
