In a historic announcement that solidifies India’s role in the global digital arena, Google has unveiled plans for a substantial artificial intelligence (AI) and data centre hub in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. This ambitious initiative, disclosed by Google Cloud Global CEO Thomas Kurian, will be the company’s most significant AI hub outside the United States, highlighting India’s increasing significance in the global technology scene. “We’re very pleased to announce a new gigawatt-scale AI hub in Visakhapatnam — the largest AI hub we are going to be investing in anywhere in the world outside of the United States,” Kurian stated.
“It represents a capital investment of $15 billion over the next five years and will scale to multiple gigawatts.” This facility is expected to be a vital addition to Google’s growing network of AI centres across 12 nations. Beyond serving as a data powerhouse, the Visakhapatnam hub will act as a major connectivity point, as Google intends to land its subsea cable infrastructure in the city, integrating it into its global digital network. Kurian stressed that the initiative goes beyond AI technology, stating, “We are not just bringing AI technology, but also building digital infrastructure through our subsea cable and network connectivity hub.” The Andhra Pradesh government has shown strong support for the project.
During the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Google and the state, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu praised it as a “landmark moment” for Andhra Pradesh’s digital future. “First of all, I have to thank the honourable prime minister. Our finance minister has done very well and our IT minister was very positive when I mooted the idea. Today, Google has come to Visakhapatnam, we are very happy. According to me, we are in an inspiring time,” Naidu remarked. Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh added to this by emphasizing the initiative’s scale, revealing that the first phase, covering one gigawatt, would involve an investment of $10 billion.
He described the partnership as the result of “a year of intense discussions and relentless effort,” noting that this is “just the beginning” of a long-term vision to enhance the state’s digital capabilities. This announcement supports Andhra Pradesh’s objective to achieve 6GW of data centre capacity by 2029, positioning Visakhapatnam as a key player in India’s digital transformation. The project is set to generate thousands of new jobs and establish the city as an international hub for AI development and network connectivity. On a global scale, Google’s initiative comes in response to the rising demand for AI-driven cloud infrastructure. The tech giant has recently increased its 2025 capital expenditure forecast to $85 billion and announced $25 billion in U.S.
AI investments earlier this year. With similar initiatives by Microsoft and AWS in progress, India has quickly become one of the most appealing destinations for large-scale data infrastructure development. Through its Indian subsidiary Raiden Infotech, Google intends to construct three campuses across Visakhapatnam, marking a pivotal moment in India’s rise as a digital superpower and firmly placing Andhra Pradesh at the forefront of the AI revolution.