Sundar Pichai Announces Google To Build India’s First Mega AI Hub With Airtel; PM Modi Reacts

Google is taking its AI plan in India to the next level. As part of its biggest India investment yet, the search giant is setting up a massive AI hub in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh – in partnership with Bharti Airtel. The project is part of Google’s broader global AI infrastructure push and marks a defining step for India’s role in that roadmap. Also Read: Forget ChatGPT And Gemini Nano Banana! Microsoft Launches MAI-Image-1 - The In House Text-To-Image Tool

The official announcement has confirmed that the AI hub will be Google’s first large-scale data and AI infrastructure centre in India. Backed by a $15 billion investment spread between 2026 and 2030, the facility aims to power everything from AI research and cloud computing to India-focused innovation. Also Read: Google’s New AI Tool Lets You See How Shoes Look On You Before Buying

“This hub combines gigawatt-scale compute capacity, a new international subsea gateway, and large-scale energy infrastructure. Through it, we will bring our industry-leading technology to enterprises and users in India, accelerating AI innovation and driving growth across the country,” Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in a post.  Also Read: Flipkart Big Festive Dhamaka Sale: Google Pixel 9 Gets Massive Rs 27,750 Price Cut

Google AI Hub

It will include a new subsea cable landing station connecting India to Google’s international cable network, as well as a purpose-built data centre campus featuring clean energy systems and high-speed fibre networks. Airtel, through its data subsidiary Nxtra and AdaniConneX, will handle the core infrastructure – including intra-city and inter-city fibre networks – to ensure low-latency, high-capacity connectivity across India.

The AI Hub is just an announcement so far. Once it’s up and running, the Visakhapatnam AI hub will be a crucial part of India’s growing AI ecosystem. Think of it as the foundation for everything – from startups building smart tools to research labs experimenting with next-gen models. The best part? All of it stays local, which means faster performance and better control over data. It also ties in neatly with the government’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision that focuses on AI-led growth and digital infrastructure built for the future.

PM Modi Reacted

While sharing his views, PM Narendra Modi said in a post on X, “Delighted by the launch of the Google AI Hub in the dynamic city of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. This multi-faceted investment that includes gigawatt-scale data centre infrastructure aligns with our vision to build a Viksit Bharat.” He further mentioned that it will be a powerful force in democratizing technology.