American tech giant Google has broken ground on its landmark AI hub in Visakhapatnam, marking the start of construction on what will be its largest investment in India to date. The move reinforces the company’s long-term commitment to powering India’s digital growth while supporting economic and environmental resilience.
A $15 billion push towards Viksit Bharat
The groundbreaking is a key milestone in Google’s ambitious $15 billion investment plan for 2026–2030, aimed at building a comprehensive AI ecosystem aligned with India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.
First announced in October 2025, the project will house India’s first gigawatt-scale AI hub, comprising three large data centre campuses. Infrastructure development will be led by AdaniConnex and Nxtra by Airtel, enabling Google to deploy advanced AI capabilities and scale digital services nationwide.
The initiative also includes the America-India Connect programme to expand fibre-optic networks, alongside a long-term clean energy strategy that supports India’s goal of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030.
Building the backbone of India’s AI economy
Designed to deliver high-performance, low-latency computing, the AI hub will help enterprises, startups, and research institutions build and scale AI-led solutions. The infrastructure is expected to accelerate innovation, deepen R&D capabilities, and position India as a global AI powerhouse.
Beyond infrastructure: jobs, skills and community
Google is positioning the Vizag AI hub as more than just a tech project. The company has committed to long-term investments in local job creation, skill development, and community initiatives.
A detailed community impact assessment, based on local consultations, was conducted ahead of construction, underlining a “community-first” approach aimed at translating global investment into local opportunity.
Bharat AI Shakti Conclave: seeding an AI corridor
The groundbreaking coincided with the Bharat AI Shakti Conclave, organised in partnership with the Government of Andhra Pradesh. The event brought together suppliers, industry leaders, and infrastructure players to explore how Google’s anchor investment can catalyse a broader AI-driven economic corridor.
With a “local-first” procurement strategy and integration of SMEs into global operational frameworks, the project is expected to boost regional industry competitiveness and create a scalable value chain around AI infrastructure.
Important infrastructure
Union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said: “The India AI Hub and three subsea cables landing in Visakhapatnam will become very important infrastructure for the country’s journey forward. Thank you Google for your continued trust in India.”
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, said: “Google’s AI hub in Visakhapatnam will be a cornerstone of our growing tech corridor, driving innovation, creating high-value opportunities for our youth, and strengthening our position in the global digital economy.”
Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian said: “Today’s groundbreaking is a powerful realisation of our shared vision with the Indian government, and an inflection point for the country’s AI-native future. Together we are laying the foundation for Viksit Bharat, and opening new doors for economic opportunity nationwide. The Google AI hub will serve as a catalyst for growth built on deep community partnerships.”
Ensuring that India sets the pace for innovation
Bharti Airtel Executive Vice Chairman Gopal Vittal said: “Through our strategic partnership with Google and Adani to build this landmark AI hub, we will help advance India’s digital ambitions. With Visakhapatnam emerging as a new hub on the world’s AI map, we will ensure that India sets the pace for innovation, and sustainable growth, not just for our people, but for the whole world. Our full stack of best-in-class data centres, use of green power, pan-India ultra‐low latency fibre and a next‐gen cable landing station will enable large‐scale, world‐class AI infrastructure in Vizag.”
Adani Group Director Jeet Adani, said: “India’s AI moment will be defined by infrastructure. What we are building in Visakhapatnam, nearly 1 GW in a single location, signals that shift. When energy becomes more affordable and increasingly powered by clean sources, intelligence becomes more accessible and that is how India will lead the next phase of digital growth.”
The big picture
Google’s Vizag AI hub is not just a data centre project, it is a strategic bet on India’s emergence as a global AI leader. By combining infrastructure scale, clean energy, and ecosystem development, the initiative is set to anchor a new AI industrial corridor on India’s east coast.