Jammu, April 28, 2026 — Today, Google officially broke ground on its landmark AI hub in Visakhapatnam (Vizag), Andhra Pradesh. This marks the start of construction on the company’s largest investment in India’s digital future to date, as well as reinforces Google’s commitment to being a long-term partner and catalyst for India’s economic and environmental resilience.
The groundbreaking ceremony, celebrated together with AdaniConneX and Nxtra by Airtel, took place at Tarluvada, Andhra Pradesh, with key dignitaries: Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Hon’ble Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India; Shri Nara Chandrababu Naidu, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh; Shri Nara Lokesh, Hon’ble Minister for Information Technology, Electronics and Communications, RTG and HRD, Government of Andhra Pradesh; Shri Bikash Koley, Vice President, Google Cloud; Shri Karan Adani, Director, Adani Group; Shri Jeet Adani, Director, Adani Group; and Shri Rakesh Mittal, Vice Chairman, Bharti Enterprises.
From L to R
● Shri. Nara Lokesh – Hon’ble Minister for HRD ITC&E and RTG, Government of Andhra Pradesh
● Shri. Jeet Adani Garu – Chairperson of Adani Group
● Shri. Karan Adani – Managing Director of Adani Ports & SEZ
● Shri. Ashwini Vaishnaw Sir – Hon’ble Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, Electronics and Information Technology, Govt. of India
● Shri. Nara Chandrababu Naidu – Hon’ble Chief Minister, Government of Andhra Pradesh
● Smt. Laura Williams Garu – U.S. Consulate General
● Shri. Bikash Koley Garu – Vice President of Google Global Infrastructure, Google Cloud
● Shri. Rakesh Mittal Garu – Vice-Chairman, Bharti Enterprises
Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Hon’ble IT Minister, Government of India: “The groundbreaking ceremony of India AI Hub in Visakhapatnam reflects Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji’s vision of making India a global leader in technology. Thanks to the support and commitment of Hon’ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N. Chandrababu Naidu Ji, in realising this vision.The India AI Hub and three subsea cables landing in Visakhapatnam will become very important infrastructure for the country’s journey forward.
Thank you Google for your continued trust in India.”
Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh: “Andhra Pradesh is emerging as India’s premier investment destination, powered by speed, trust, and ease of doing business. Google’s AI hub in Visakhapatnam will be a cornerstone of our growing tech corridor, driving innovation, creating high-value opportunities for our youth, and strengthening our position in the global digital economy. Our vision goes beyond attracting investment – we want local talent, startups, and enterprises to become active partners in this technology-driven growth story. With the strong support of the Central Government and in line with the vision of a developed India, this partnership with Google reflects our commitment to combining cutting-edge innovation with inclusive growth, ensuring opportunities reach every community across Andhra Pradesh.”
Thomas Kurian, CEO, Google Cloud: “Today’s groundbreaking is a powerful realization of our shared vision with the Indian government, and an inflection point for the country’s AI-native future. Together we are laying the foundation for Viksit Bharat, and opening new doors for economic opportunity nationwide. The Google AI hub will serve as a catalyst for growth built on deep community partnerships.”
Jeet Adani, Director, Adani Group: “India’s AI moment will be defined by infrastructure. What we are building in Visakhapatnam, nearly 1 GW in a single location, signals that shift. When energy becomes more affordable and increasingly powered by clean sources, intelligence becomes more accessible and that is how India will lead the next phase of digital growth.”
Gopal Vittal, Executive Vice Chairman, Bharti Airtel: “Through our strategic partnership with Google and Adani to build this landmark AI hub, we will help advance India’s digital ambitions. With Visakhapatnam emerging as a new hub on the world’s AI map, we will ensure that India sets the pace for innovation, and sustainable growth, not just for our people, but for the whole world. Our full stack of best-in-class data centers, use of green power, pan-India ultra-low latency fiber and a next-gen cable landing station will enable large-scale, world-class AI infrastructure in Vizag.”
A US$15 Billion Blueprint for “Viksit Bharat”
Today’s groundbreaking marks a significant milestone in Google’s $15 billion investment over five years (2026-2030) to establish a comprehensive AI ecosystem in India, designed to be an important contributor to the government’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.
First announced in October 2025, this project includes India’s first gigawatt-scale AI hub comprising three data center campuses. AdaniConnex and Nxtra by Airtel will lead the construction of the data center buildings and connecting infrastructure, enabling Google to deploy advanced AI capabilities and scale digital services across India.
The AI hub also comprises the America-India Connect initiative for an expanded fiber-optic network; and a long-term clean energy strategy that prioritizes bringing new clean energy supply to the electricity grid, accelerating India’s national goal of reaching 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030.
The AI hub will deliver the high-performance, low-latency services that businesses and organizations need to build and scale their own AI-powered solutions, accelerate research and development, and ultimately help India secure its place as a global leader in the AI-driven future.
Driving Multi-Generational Impact and Community Resilience
Beyond technical and industrial significance, the Google India AI hub represents a long-term investment in local job training, community projects, and the responsible stewardship of shared resources.
Everywhere it operates, Google takes a community-first approach that translates global investment into local opportunity. In Vizag, Google conducted a thorough community impact assessment based on community consultations to guide its investments well before beginning construction.
Today, Google announced a comprehensive set of community development initiatives to protect natural resources and economic security in Visakhapatnam:
● Securing Water Futures: In line with its commitment to water stewardship, Google is partnering with Sponge Collaborative to launch an integrated watershed management and community empowerment plan that addresses existing hydrological stress and coastal ecosystem sensitivities around its data center campuses. This will also link watershed restoration with community needs such as integrating clean drinking water systems like reverse osmosis plants and ‘Water ATMs,’ while enhancing resilient livelihood opportunities in local agriculture and fisheries.
● Modernizing Maritime Trades: Integrating traditional maritime practices into the digital economy is a vital step toward long-term economic security for coastal residents. Through a strategic partnership with the Sambhav Foundation, Google is launching a program to equip over 1,000 individuals from the fishing community with GPS navigation and weather-forecasting applications to enhance safety and operational efficiency, and provide training in cold-chain management and value-added processing. The program also aims to bridge the digital divide by facilitating
UPI-based financial literacy and streamlining enrollment in marine welfare schemes.
● Empowering Grassroots Innovation: Working with ChangeX, the Google Udaan India Fund provides direct grants to local schools and social enterprises to advance community projects in the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region. These projects include AI-led skilling labs, digital literacy programs, local entrepreneurship, and climate-focused interventions.
● Scaling Women-Led Enterprises: In collaboration with the Learning Links Foundation, Google is introducing the NARI Shakti program to support women from low-income backgrounds in building sustainable livelihoods and achieving long-term financial self-reliance. This incubator program focuses on transitioning home-based work into a stable source of income for 10,000+ existing and aspiring entrepreneurs. By providing targeted training in financial literacy, business planning, and digital tools, the initiative equips participants with the essential resources needed to successfully establish and grow their own micro-enterprises.
● Building a Future-Ready Workforce: As Visakhapatnam grows into a major digital hub, Google is introducing the Skills Trade and Readiness (STAR) program to create sustainable career paths for local talent while developing a homegrown workforce ready to drive India’s digital acceleration. With hands-on training in high-demand fields like construction, welding, and facility operations, the program aims to prepare more than 1,000 people in the local workforce for vital roles in developing the city’s digital infrastructure. To support long-term career success, the initiative integrates employability coaching and an AI Literacy Mission. In tandem, Google is partnering with ICT Academy to train 1,200+ local students and educators to gain access to specialized tracks in cloud computing and generative AI.
As development of the Google India AI hub progresses, these and other new community-centric programs will continue to scale in direct response to evolving regional needs. This commitment ensures localized investments transcend immediate infrastructure requirements to drive sustainable, generational impact across Andhra Pradesh.
Building India’s AI Industrial Corridor: The Bharat AI Shakti Conclave
The groundbreaking ceremony was accompanied by the Bharat AI Shakti Conclave, a first-of-its-kind conference organized in strategic partnership with the Government of Andhra Pradesh and the Hon’ble Minister Shri Nara Lokesh. The Conclave served as a unique platform for convening suppliers, industry partners, and infrastructure stakeholders to explore how to translate and accelerate Google’s anchor investment into a tangible economic value chain for the region.
Themed ‘Collaborating to Deliver India’s AI Corridor,’ the Conclave reflects a deliberate industrial strategy: Google’s investment in Visakhapatnam is designed not only to build world-class infrastructure, but to catalyze a broader technology ecosystem that multiplies the benefits to the local economy. From prioritizing a local-first procurement approach for vital infrastructure activities, to integrating local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) under Google’s global safety and operational frameworks, the project aims to facilitate capacity building and effectively raise the competitiveness of regional industry players for
future large-scale infrastructure work.
About Google
Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. Through products and platforms like Search, Maps, Android, Google Play, Chrome, YouTube, Google Workspace, and Google Cloud, Google plays a meaningful role in the daily lives of billions of people and has become one of the most widely-known companies in the world. Google is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc.
