Google Pledges $15 Billion for Largest AI Hub Outside US, Centering on Visakhapatnam

NEW DELHI/VISAKHAPATNAM – Google has made a monumental commitment to India’s digital future, announcing a $15 billion investment over the next five years (2026-2030) to establish its first Artificial Intelligence (AI) hub in the country, centered in the port city of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The multi-faceted initiative, which will feature a gigawatt-scale data center campus and robust connectivity infrastructure, is slated to be the largest AI hub the tech giant has built outside the United States.

The Gigawatt Commitment and Global Strategy

The $15 billion capital outlay underscores Google’s belief in India’s surging digital demand and potential as a global AI powerhouse. According to Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian, the investment will deploy the company’s full AI stack, including dedicated Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) and Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), which are critical for deep learning, neural network training, and large-scale model inference. This facility is engineered to accelerate AI-driven transformation across key Indian sectors—from healthcare and finance to agriculture and logistics.

The infrastructure, designed for gigawatt-scale compute capacity, will not only cater to the domestic market but will also serve as a vital node in Google’s global network of AI centers, meeting international demand for specialized AI workloads. This scale is crucial for supporting advanced models like Google’s Gemini, ensuring data sovereignty compliance by housing Indian consumer data locally.

Strategic Partnerships and Connectivity

The landmark project is being realized through critical partnerships with local industry leaders. Google has collaborated with AdaniConneX (a joint venture between Adani Enterprises and EdgeConneX) to co-develop the core data center infrastructure and invest in sustainable energy. Crucially, the partners are committing to new clean energy generation, transmission lines, and energy storage systems in Andhra Pradesh to power the highly energy-intensive facility responsibly.

Simultaneously, Bharti Airtel has partnered with Google to establish a state-of-the-art Cable Landing Station (CLS) in Visakhapatnam. This development is key to creating a new international subsea gateway on India’s eastern coast, complementing existing cable landings in Mumbai and Chennai. This expanded fiber-optic network will significantly boost the resilience and capacity of India’s digital backbone, delivering high-capacity, low-latency connectivity to users and businesses nationwide.

Visakhapatnam: The New Global Gateway

Google’s choice of Visakhapatnam (Vizag) is highly strategic. The coastal city’s location is ideal for housing the new international subsea cable landing station, transforming it into a vital connectivity hub linking India to other global nodes across Southeast Asia and beyond. Furthermore, the selection reflects the Andhra Pradesh government’s proactive efforts and policies to attract major data center investments.

The project aligns directly with the Government of India’s ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ vision and has received endorsements from top national leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who described the investment as a “powerful force in democratizing technology” and ensuring “AI for All.” Officials estimate the entire ecosystem created by the AI hub and its supporting infrastructure could generate upwards of 180,000 direct and indirect jobs across technology, construction, and clean energy sectors over the coming years.

The investment confirms India’s position as a fiercely competitive market for AI expansion, where global giants like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon are racing to build next-generation computing infrastructure essential for the AI-driven era. Google’s $15 billion commitment marks a defining moment, solidifying India’s trajectory toward becoming a frontrunner in the global technology landscape.