Reported by: Agande Richard Aondofa | Edited by: Henry Owen
Technology giant Google has announced plans to establish its largest Artificial Intelligence (AI) facility outside the United States, to be located in the port city of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The initiative is part of the company’s global expansion strategy, aimed at boosting AI innovation and cloud infrastructure across emerging markets.
The new AI hub, which will form part of Google’s worldwide network of research and data centres spanning 12 countries, represents a major vote of confidence in India’s rapidly evolving digital economy. According to Thomas Kurian, the CEO of Google Cloud, the project will be the company’s “largest AI hub investment globally, outside of the U.S.”, with funding spread over the next five years.
“This is the largest AI hub that we are going to be investing in anywhere in the world, outside of the United States,” Kurian announced during an event in New Delhi, emphasizing Google’s commitment to deepening its technological footprint in South Asia.
The announcement comes amid calls by U.S. President Donald Trump for American tech firms to prioritise domestic investment. However, Google’s expansion into India underscores the country’s increasing strategic relevance in the global digital economy — driven by low data costs, a young tech workforce, and a fast-growing internet user base.
Alphabet Inc. CEO Sundar Pichai, in a statement, said the facility will serve as a major accelerator for India’s AI ecosystem. “The centre will bring our industry-leading technology to enterprises and users in India, accelerating AI innovation and driving growth across the country,” Pichai said.
The Andhra Pradesh government confirmed that a formal agreement finalising the project would be signed on Tuesday, describing the deal as a landmark moment for the state’s economic and technological ambitions.
“It is a massive leap for our state’s digital future, innovation, and global standing,” said Nara Lokesh, the state’s Technology Minister, who praised the partnership as transformative for both public and private sectors in the region.
According to Bloomberg, the project will combine AI and cloud infrastructure with renewable energy systems and an expanded fibre-optic network to ensure sustainability and efficiency. It also aligns with Andhra Pradesh’s plan to develop 6 gigawatts (GW) of data centre capacity by 2029 — an initiative designed to position the state as a leading digital hub in South Asia.
Data centres play a pivotal role in the global digital ecosystem, serving as the physical backbone of the internet. They house servers, storage systems, and network equipment that enable the processing and distribution of massive volumes of information. In Andhra Pradesh, the government has been offering subsidised land and power incentives to attract multinational tech firms.
India’s data centre industry has witnessed remarkable growth over the past five years, surpassing 1GW of installed capacity in 2024, nearly tripling its 2019 level, according to the India Data Centre Market Dynamics 2024 report by JLL. Industry experts predict that with projects like Google’s Visakhapatnam AI hub, India will consolidate its position as one of the world’s fastest-growing digital economies.
As part of its global AI network, the new facility is expected to generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs, strengthen local innovation capacity, and enhance India’s competitiveness in emerging technologies such as machine learning, generative AI, and cloud computing.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com | ✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com
📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments