Google To Invest $15 Bn To Build Its AI Hub In Visakhapatnam

Tech giant Google plans on investing a total of $15 Bn (around INR 1.3 Lakh Cr) in Visakhapatnam over the next five years to build its first Indian AI data centre hub.

Google Cloud’s CEO Thomas Kurian announced the investment plan, which would serve as a key component of the tech giant’s global AI network spread. While the AI network would be spread across twelve countries, Google plans on establishing its largest centre outside the US in Visakhapatnam. 

“It is a part of a global network of AI centers in 12 different countries, but it is the largest one that we will be building anywhere in the world outside the US,” said Kurian. 

The data centre is expected to have a capacity of 1 GW and is also poised to become a landing station for its high-capacity submarine cables, part of its 32.2 Lakh kms existing terrestrial and subsea cables.

This will provide route diversity to Google’s existing subsea landings in Mumbai and Chennai. For context, Google announced the launch of the Raman Submarine Cable System in 2021 to connect Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, Oman and India. These fibre optic subsea cables were set up to enhance data transfer speed and Google’s digital services in India.

In a statement, the company said that the new AI hub will be a combination of powerful AI infrastructure, data centre, large-scale energy sources and an expanded fiber-optic network, all in one place.

Kurian said that the AI infrastructure in Visakhapatnam will support the company’s AI-led consumer products. Apart from fulfilling the internal needs of the company, the AI data centre will also help entrepreneurs, enterprises and commercial organisations in India. It is expected to support the growing demand of digital services in the country and around the world. 

When operational, the new data centre is also expected to benefit from technology developed by Google’s R&D centres in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune.

The data centre will be developed in collaboration with AdaniConneX and Airtel, and will be built on a powered infrastructure that powers Google products like Search, Workspace, and YouTube. 

Alongside Google, Meta is also trying to strengthen its subsea cable system in India. With its Waterworth project, Meta aims to connect India with the United States, Brazil, South Africa, and several other regions across five continents. Meta has reportedly chosen Mumbai and Visakhapatnam as their landing sites for the project. 

[With Inputs From Bhupendra Paintola]