AP gets Google’s $15-bn AI infra hub
Signs MoU with tech giant which will set up mega data centre with Adani in Vizag
Amaravati/New Delhi: In a landmark development that would propel Andhra Pradesh onto the global technology map, tech giant Google announced on Tuesday that it would invest a whopping $15 billion (nearly Rs 1.33 lakh crore) on setting up an AI infrastructure hub in Visakhapatnam, which would include a gigawatt-scale data centre in partnership with diversified Adani Group.
The game-changing project is likely to generate 5,000–6,000 direct jobs and 20,000–30,000 total jobs. The AI hub in the state’s coastal city will be Google's largest outside the US and will include a data centre fuelled by clean energy and a fiber-optic network. Adani Group’s AdaniConneX will partner with Google on the project, along with Bharti Airtel, India's second largest mobile operator. The mega investment will be made over the next five years (2026-2030). The facility is expected to be operational by 2029. "It's the largest AI hub that we are going to be investing in anywhere in the world outside of the US," Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian said after signing the formal agreement with the AP government at Bharat AI Shakti, a Google-hosted event, in New Delhi.
The historic agreement was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Ashwini Vaishnaw, and IT Minister Nara Lokesh.
The Google’s AI hub will serve as the foundation for what Chief Minister Naidu described as “India’s first AI City”, a massive ecosystem integrating cloud infrastructure, high speed connectivity, clean energy, and innovation hubs across key sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, manufacturing, and finance. The Visakhapatnam hub will also be linked via undersea cables to Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia, strengthening India’s global digital backbone.
Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony, Naidu called the agreement “a truly historic and auspicious day, marking one of the biggest technology milestones for Andhra Pradesh and India.” “Google’s investment will make Visakhapatnam the world’s next big digital powerhouse,” he said. “This centre will serve as the foundation for India’s first AI City and the largest AI and data hub outside the US. Additionally, Vizag will host Google’s cable landing station, bringing the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam alive as India connects the world,” he said.
Naidu thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Aswini Vaishnaw for their support, and credited IT Minister Nara Lokesh for his efforts in bringing the project to fruition. He revealed that Prime Minister Modi, during discussions, expressed interest in organizing a global AI conference in February 2026 in India, further positioning the nation as a global technology leader. “Our goal is to make AI accessible to every household,” Naidu said. “Through our One Family, One Entrepreneur mission, we aim to empower people with tools of innovation and data-driven governance.”
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman described the project as a “turning point” for India’s digital economy. “The establishment of both a sea cable landing center and a Google data centre in Visakhapatnam is a major step forward. Such visionary projects are possible only under dynamic leadership at the Centre and in Andhra Pradesh,” she said.
Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said Google’s investment reflects confidence in India’s technology policies. “This decision will change lives across the country. Andhra Pradesh’s proactive data center policy and tech-first governance make it the right place for such an investment,” he said, adding that India is expanding digital links to Southeast Asia and the Northeast through new submarine cable systems.
Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurien called Visakhapatnam a “rising global connectivity hub”.
Twelve countries will be connected from Visakhapatnam through Google’s sub-sea cable system, Kurien said. “The center will host our full AI stack, including Gemini-AI, and serve as a launchpad for India’s AI innovation. We see Visakhapatnam as a place that can produce world-class AI talent,” he added. The Visakhapatnam hub will “serve not just India, but much of the world,” he added.
