Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Monday announced plans to set up the first-ever Google AI hub in Visakhapatnam, calling it 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 said in a post on X.
The announcement came during Bharat AI Shakti, a flagship event hosted by Google in New Delhi, where the company also unveiled a $15 billion investment plan over the next five years to build the Visakhapatnam hub — its largest AI facility outside the United States.
Global hub for AI innovation
Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, said the new centre would make Visakhapatnam a global hub for AI innovation, serving not just India but also other parts of Asia and beyond.
“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 its focus on sustainable, locally integrated data infrastructure.
Strategic boost for Viksit Bharat 2047
Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, present at the event, said the project aligned with the vision to make 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 Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw said Google’s investment would play a crucial role in India’s AI Mission, supporting skill development for IT professionals and boosting the digital economy. He also urged Google to explore new opportunities in the Andaman Islands, describing it as a “strategic location” for future undersea cable networks.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman called the collaboration “a reflection of harmony between progressive policymaking and dynamic governance.” She said projects like this underscore India’s readiness to lead the next wave of technological transformation.
Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh added that the partnership showcased India’s leadership potential on the global stage.
“What you see is India at its best. It shows that the state and the central government together can lead from the front. At this juncture, I don’t see Andhra Pradesh playing an important role but India playing an important role in the global landscape,” he said.
Anchor for AI City Vizag
The deal between Google and the Andhra Pradesh government is the anchor project for the AI City Vizag initiative, which includes a 1 GW hyperscale data centre campus. With clean energy integration, innovation ecosystems, and the creation of up to 1.8 lakh jobs, the project positions Visakhapatnam as a cornerstone of India’s AI-powered future.