In a landmark move, Google has announced plans to invest $15 billion over the next five years to establish a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI) data centre in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The investment marks Google’s largest-ever commitment in India and one of its most significant AI infrastructure projects globally.
Speaking at an event in New Delhi, Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, said, “This will be the largest AI hub we are investing in anywhere in the world outside the United States.” He added that the upcoming facility will be part of Google’s global network of AI centres across 12 countries.
The new data centre campus will start with a 1-gigawatt capacity, with plans to scale it to “multiple gigawatts” in the future, Kurian noted. According to earlier estimates by Andhra Pradesh officials, the project is expected to generate around 188,000 jobs in the region.
This massive investment forms part of Google’s broader global expansion strategy, as the company is allocating $85 billion this year to expand its data centre footprint worldwide. Major tech rivals such as Microsoft and Amazon have also been investing heavily in India’s rapidly growing digital infrastructure market.
India, home to nearly a billion internet users, represents a critical market for Google, whose Android OS powers most of the country’s smartphones, and YouTube enjoys the highest number of users globally.
Meanwhile, the tech giant continues to face antitrust challenges in India related to its business practices and a recent lawsuit from a Bollywood couple over YouTube’s AI policy.
Despite these hurdles, Google’s massive AI-focused investment underscores its long-term commitment to India’s digital growth and its ambition to make the country a key player in the global AI ecosystem.
Read More news: PrecedenceResearch.com