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Tech giant Google has broken ground on its largest artificial intelligence hub outside the United States in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, marking a concrete step forward in a $15 billion commitment to India's digital infrastructure.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place Tuesday in Visakhapatnam—a southeastern port city of around 2 million people, commonly known as Vizag—where Google plans to build a gigawatt-scale data center campus designed to power AI services, including Gemini and Google Search.
The project, first announced in October 2025, represents one of the largest single-technology investments ever made in India and is set to unfold over five years.
'Full stack AI ecosystem'
Google's Vice President for Global Infrastructure Bikash Koley described the facility as a "full-stack AI ecosystem" at the ceremony, saying the campus is "purpose-built for the immense computational demand of the AI era."
"Today marks the first concrete milestone in Google's largest commitment to India's digital future," Koley said.
Andhra Pradesh's Information Technology Minister Nara Lokesh called the project "India's most coveted AI and deep-tech hub."
CEO of Google Cloud Thomas Kurian confirmed at the initial October announcement that the Visakhapatnam facility would be the largest AI hub Google is investing in worldwide, outside the U.S.
Subsea cables and fiber links
Beyond the data center itself, Google plans to position Vizag as an international subsea internet gateway, adding connectivity diversity to India's existing cable landing points in Mumbai and Chennai.
"By establishing Vizag as an international subsea gateway, we will add vital diversity from the existing landings, increasing the resilience of India's digital backbone and improving economic security," Koley said.
New fiber-optic routes will also connect India to global networks as part of the project.
India's booming data center sector
The investment arrives as India's data center industry undergoes rapid expansion. The country crossed the 1 gigawatt capacity mark in 2024, nearly tripling its 2019 levels, according to global professional services firm JLL.
Andhra Pradesh has actively courted global tech investment, offering subsidized land and electricity to attract major players. The state government has set a target of developing 6 gigawatts of data center capacity by 2029.
India's low data costs and rapidly growing internet user base have made it a preferred destination for expansion in cloud and AI among tech giants.
Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said the facility "will bring our industry-leading technology to enterprises and users in India, accelerating AI innovation and driving growth across the country."
The announcement comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has pressed American companies to prioritize domestic investment, making Google's overseas commitment to India a notable counterpoint in the broader conversation around Big Tech's global expansion strategy.
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