Google To Invest $15 Billion In India, Establish Its First-Ever AI Hub And Gigawatt-Scale Data Centre In Visakhapatnam

Hyderabad: Google announced on Tuesday its plans to establish its first-ever AI hub in Visakhapatnam. The company will invest $15 billion over the next five years towards the effort, enabling Google to deploy its full AI stack to accelerate AI-driven transformation across India. The new AI hub will combine powerful AI infrastructure, data centre capacity, new large-scale energy sources and an expanded fibre-optic network, all in one place.

The foundational pillars of the AI hub include India's largest data centre and new green energy infrastructure in Visakhapatnam.

"The Google AI hub in Visakhapatnam will include a purpose-built data centre campus, adding gigawatt-scale compute capacity to help meet demand for digital services across India and around the world," Google said in a statement adding that the facility, developed in collaboration with leading partners AdaniConneX and Airtel, would incorporate the same advanced infrastructure used to power Google products such as Search, Workspace, and YouTube.

Once operational, the new data centre campus will join Google’s global network of AI data centres, which currently spans 12 countries. It will leverage technology developed at Google's R&D hubs in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune—contributing key software and hardware innovations to support its infrastructure.

"The AI hub will also deliver the high-performance and low-latency services that businesses and organisations need to build and scale their own AI-powered solutions, accelerate research and development, and ultimately help India secure its place as a global leader in the AI-driven future," Google said.

Speaking at Bharat AI Shakti, an event hosted by Google in New Delhi, Thomas Kurian, CEO, Google Cloud, said, "The Google AI hub in Visakhapatnam represents a landmark investment in India’s digital future. By delivering industry-leading AI infrastructure at scale, we are enabling businesses to innovate faster and creating meaningful opportunities for inclusive growth. This partnership reflects our shared commitment to the Indian and US governments to harness AI responsibly and drive transformative impact for society.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed delight over the development via a post on X. "This multi-faceted investment that includes gigawatt-scale data centre infrastructure, aligns with our vision to build a Viksit Bharat. It will be a powerful force in democratising technology. It will also ensure AI for All, delivering cutting-edge tools to our citizens, boosting our digital economy and securing India’s place as a global technology leader," Modi said.

The planned investment of approximately $15 billion over five years (2026–2030) is Google's largest commitment to India to date. Aligning with the Indian Government’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, it aims to accelerate the growth of AI-driven services across the country and also create substantial economic and societal opportunities for both India and the US, Google said.

Google Cloud Global Infrastructure and Capacity VP Bikash Koley, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman, AP CM N Chandrababu Naidu, AP IT Minister Nara Lokesh, Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian (Google)

“This significant investment in Andhra Pradesh marks a new chapter in India’s digital transformation journey. We are proud to host India’s first truly gigawatt-scale data center and Google’s first AI hub in India, which is a testament to our shared commitment to innovation, AI adoption, and long-term support for businesses and startups in the state," said Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who was present at the event alongside Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw and Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman.

Vaishnaw expressed gratitude to Google for announcing a $15 billion investment, noting that the resulting digital infrastructure would significantly contribute to achieving the objectives of the India AI mission. The minister urged the industry to prioritise re-skilling and upskilling IT professionals, and appreciated Google for making this a central part of their agenda.

"AI services are emerging as a totally new category in our digital economy, and we look forward to this new facility being used for developing our youth for AI services," he added.