Massive AI investment aligns with India’s digital goals
Google has unveiled plans for a new $15 billion AI hub in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The announcement was made during Bharat AI Shakti in New Delhi, ahead of the India-AI Impact Summit 2026. The hub will combine cutting-edge AI infrastructure, data center capacity, new clean energy investments, and subsea cable connectivity in a single location.
It marks Google’s largest investment in India to date and is set to unfold between 2026 and 2030. The company says the hub supports India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision and will create significant economic benefits for both India and the United States. An Access Partnership analysis projects the hub will generate $15 billion in U.S. GDP over the same five-year period.
The project reflects a deepening AI and digital infrastructure partnership between India and the U.S., with a focus on cloud expansion, AI acceleration, and responsible innovation. Top Indian leaders, including ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and Nirmala Sitharaman, and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, were present at the launch alongside Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian.
Data center campus built for gigawatt-scale compute
At the core of the project is a purpose-built data center campus designed to deliver gigawatt-scale computing power. This facility will power both Google’s internal products — like Search, YouTube, and Workspace — and external AI workloads from Indian enterprises, developers, and researchers.
The infrastructure is being developed in partnership with AdaniConneX and Airtel. When complete, it will join Google’s global network of AI data centers across 12 countries and extend capabilities powered by R&D from Google’s offices in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune.
Thomas Kurian emphasized the importance of the hub, calling it a “landmark investment in India’s digital future” that will allow businesses to “innovate faster” and enable “inclusive growth.”
New subsea gateway boosts India’s global connectivity
A critical piece of the investment is a new international subsea gateway. Visakhapatnam will host multiple subsea cables connecting India’s east coast to Google’s extensive global network of over 2 million miles of terrestrial and subsea fiber.
This move is designed to ease pressure on India’s existing subsea landings in Mumbai and Chennai. The new gateway will offer increased resilience, low-latency connectivity, and digital route diversity, critical for both domestic and international data flows.
The hub will enhance India’s strategic position in global AI infrastructure, making Visakhapatnam a central point for regional data traffic and AI development.
Clean energy focus to meet rising power demands
Google said it remains committed to sustainable expansion and energy efficiency. The Visakhapatnam AI hub will be supported by new clean energy infrastructure, including transmission lines, energy storage systems, and renewable generation facilities built in partnership with local energy providers.
The initiative aims to strengthen Andhra Pradesh’s power grid and support AI-driven workloads that demand consistent, high-capacity energy. It also aligns with Google’s global efforts to run entirely on carbon-free energy by 2030.
Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw praised the investment, urging India’s tech sector to embrace AI services as a new growth category and commending Google for prioritizing reskilling and workforce development.
Implications for India’s AI and cloud ecosystem
The project positions India as a global AI powerhouse. The hub will support a new generation of startups, enterprises, and government agencies looking to harness AI for applications ranging from healthcare and education to logistics and fintech.
With world-class compute, enhanced connectivity, and green power, the hub is expected to drive innovation across sectors. The U.S. and Indian governments both view AI infrastructure as a cornerstone of economic security, making the hub a strategic asset beyond the tech world.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu called the initiative a “new chapter” in India’s digital transformation. He highlighted that Andhra Pradesh is proud to host the country’s first gigawatt-scale data center and play a central role in advancing AI adoption nationwide.
