Google announces world’s largest AI and data hub in Visakhapatnam, to invest $15 bn in 5 years

In a major ’landmark development’, Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian on Tuesday (October 14, 2025) unveiled plans to establish the company’s largest artificial intelligence and data centre hub in Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam.

Google will invest $15 billion in India over the next five years to build a 1-gigawatt data centre campus in the coastal city, integrating AI infrastructure, renewable energy, and an expanded fibre network.

“It’s the largest AI hub that we are going to be investing in anywhere in the world outside of the US,” Kurian said at an event in Delhi to sign the formal agreement, adding that the centre could eventually “scale to multiple gigawatts.”

Pichai calls it a ’landmark development'

Google CEO Sundar Pichai called the upcoming Visakhapatnam project a “landmark development” that will combine gigawatt-scale compute capacity, a new international subsea gateway, and large-scale energy infrastructure.

“Great to speak with India PM @narendramodi @OfficialINDIAai to share our plans for the first-ever Google AI hub in Visakhapatnam, a landmark development,” Pichai posted on X.

The announcement was made at Bharat AI Shakti — Google’s flagship event in New Delhi — where the company detailed its $15 billion investment plan to build its largest AI and data centre hub outside the United States.

Visakhapatnam will be global hub for AI innovation

Kurian said the new centre would transform Visakhapatnam into a global hub for AI innovation, serving India and the broader Asia-Pacific region.

“This gigawatt-scale AI hub will house data locally and help power AI-driven solutions across sectors,” he said, adding that the investment underscores Google’s long-term commitment to India’s digital growth and sustainable infrastructure.

Strategic boost for Viksit Bharat 2047

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said the project supports Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of making India a developed nation by 2047.

“Prime Minister Modi was clear that Google has to come to India for this,” Naidu said. “We brought Microsoft to Hyderabad earlier, and today, Google is coming to Visakhapatnam. With this, we can achieve the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047 using AI.”

Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said Google’s investment would strengthen India’s AI Mission, promote skill development, and boost the digital economy. He also urged the company to explore new opportunities in the Andaman Islands, calling it a “strategic location” for undersea cable networks.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman described the partnership as “a reflection of harmony between progressive policymaking and dynamic governance,” adding that it highlights India’s readiness to lead the next wave of technological transformation.

Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh said the collaboration reflects India’s growing leadership in global innovation.

“What you see is India at its best. It shows that the state and the central government together can lead from the front,” he said. “At this juncture, I don’t see Andhra Pradesh playing an important role but India playing an important role in the global landscape.”

Anchor project for the AI City Vizag initiative

The agreement between Google and the Andhra Pradesh government serves as the anchor project for the AI City Vizag initiative, featuring a 1-gigawatt hyperscale data centre campus. The project will integrate clean energy and innovation ecosystems and is expected to create up to 1.8 lakh jobs, positioning Visakhapatnam as a key pillar of India’s AI-driven future.

Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Ashwini Vaishnaw, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, and state IT Minister Nara Lokesh attended the announcement.

Vaishnaw thanked Google for its investment, saying, “This digital infrastructure will go a long way in meeting goals of our India AI vision.”

Naidu called it a “very happy day,” while Lokesh described it as a “game-changing investment” after “a year of intense discussions and relentless effort.”

“It is a massive leap for our state’s digital future, innovation, and global standing,” Lokesh wrote on X, adding, “This is just the beginning.”

The move comes as tech giants race to expand their data infrastructure to meet surging global demand for AI. Microsoft and Amazon have already invested heavily in Indian data centres, while OpenAI plans to open an India office later this year as ChatGPT usage in the country has quadrupled in the past year.