AP govt to sign MoU with Google for investment in the state

In a significant development for the state of Andhra Pradesh, Google will sign an agreement with the state government today, October 14, to invest in the establishment of a ₹88,628 crore hyperscale data centre in Visakhapatnam. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) will outline plans for the 1 gigawatt facility, alongside the inauguration of the country's first artificial intelligence centre, named the "Google AI Hub," also in Visakhapatnam.

The MoU will be formalised at 10 am at the Taj Mansingh Hotel in Delhi, with representatives from the Andhra Pradesh government and a high-ranking delegation from Google present. Among those attending will be Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Minister Nara Lokesh, and Union Ministers Ashwini Vaishnav and Nirmala Sitharaman.

This strategic agreement aims to position Andhra Pradesh as a leader in AI-based innovations and digital transformation in India. Minister Lokesh initially proposed the project during discussions with Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurien in San Francisco on October 31 last year, during a visit to the United States. Subsequent negotiations with Google's representatives have now culminated in today's signing.

With an investment of approximately ₹88,628 crore over the next five years, this project represents one of Google's largest undertakings in Asia. It promises to create thousands of direct and indirect employment opportunities, with a focus on implementing AI skill development programmes for the youth of the state.