Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday laid the foundation stone for the Google Cloud India AI Hub in Visakhapatnam, marking a major step towards building large-scale digital and artificial intelligence infrastructure in the state.
The ceremony was attended by Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, and Jeet Adani.
The Google Cloud India AI Hub is part of the Adani-Google-Airtel data centre project in Vizag,
Google had earlier announced an investment of USD 15 billion in the project, making it one of the largest foreign direct investments in India. The foundation stone laid on Tuesday forms part of that broader investment.
The AI data centre will have a planned capacity of 1 Gigawatt and will be developed across nearly 600 acres in Tharluwada, Adavivaram, and Rambilli. Key partners in the project include AdaniConneX and Airtel Nxtra.
The state government said the project has been facilitated by its proactive “speed of doing business” policy aimed at attracting large-scale investments. With upcoming subsea cable connectivity, Visakhapatnam is expected to gain direct digital links with multiple countries, enhancing its global connectivity.
India Must Lead in New Technology Cycle: Vaishnaw
Speaking at the event, Ashwini Vaishnaw said India must position itself as a global leader in the emerging technology cycle.
He noted that while India became a leader in IT services in the 1990s and early 2000s, it missed opportunities in manufacturing semiconductors, servers, and electronic hardware. However, he said the situation has changed over the past decade with initiatives like Make in India.
“From negligible electronic manufacturing, mobile phones have now become India’s largest exported commodity, surpassing sectors like gems and jewellery, textiles and petroleum products,” he said.
Vaishnaw added that in a world marked by geopolitical uncertainties, countries are looking for trusted partners where intellectual property rights are protected and security concerns are addressed. “This is possible in India,” he said.
He also urged global companies, including Google, to focus on manufacturing servers in India, noting that several domestic firms are already producing high-quality servers.
Boost to Connectivity and Digital Ecosystem
The minister highlighted the role of subsea cables in strengthening India’s digital infrastructure, stating that multiple cables landing in Visakhapatnam will connect the city to regions including the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Australia and Africa.
The data centre will provide large-scale data storage capacity along with advanced AI cloud infrastructure. Its coastal location makes Visakhapatnam suitable for an international submarine cable landing station, further strengthening its position as an emerging technology hub.
The Andhra Pradesh government has outlined a long-term vision to develop a multi-gigawatt digital ecosystem, targeting a total capacity of 6.5 Gigawatts across the state.
Employment and Industry Growth
Beyond infrastructure, the project is expected to generate significant employment opportunities, with thousands of jobs likely in areas such as artificial intelligence, cloud operations, cybersecurity, maintenance, and data science.
It is also expected to attract investments in allied sectors, including power systems, cooling technologies, server manufacturing, and networking, helping build a robust AI ecosystem in the state.
