Google breaks ground on Vizag AI hub, begins gigawatt-scale data centre buildout in India

Project combines data centres, power, and connectivity as hyperscalers shift to infrastructure-led AI expansion.

Google has broken ground on its India AI hub in Visakhapatnam, marking the start of a large-scale data centre and infrastructure buildout as demand for AI workloads increases.

The company is developing the project with AdaniConneX and Nxtra by Airtel, which will build and operate the data centre campuses and supporting infrastructure.

The project forms part of Google’s $15 billion investment plan in India between 2026 and 2030 and signals a shift from incremental cloud expansion to full-stack infrastructure deployment.

The Vizag hub will include three data centre campuses with combined capacity approaching one gigawatt, placing it among the largest AI infrastructure projects announced in India.

AdaniConneX and Nxtra will lead construction, covering civil infrastructure, power systems, and connectivity integration, while Google will deploy AI and cloud workloads on top of this capacity.

Google Cloud’s CEO, Thomas Kurian, said, “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.”

The company is also expanding connectivity through new fiber routes under its America–India Connect initiative and subsea cable landings in Visakhapatnam.

The aim is to strengthen international bandwidth and enabling low-latency data movement required for AI training and inference workloads.

The scale of the project reflects a broader shift in hyperscaler strategy. Instead of adding capacity in smaller increments, companies are now building concentrated infrastructure clusters designed to handle high-density compute requirements.

This approach allows better control over power usage, cooling efficiency, and network performance, all of which are critical for AI systems operating at scale.

Power and connectivity become core constraints

The project places energy at the centre of infrastructure planning. Google is linking the hub to a long-term clean energy strategy that focuses on adding new renewable capacity to the grid rather than relying only on existing supply.

This aligns with India’s target of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030, but it also addresses a more immediate constraint: the rising power demand of AI workloads.

High-performance compute environments require stable, continuous power, and any disruption directly affects system performance and availability. By integrating energy sourcing into the design phase, Google and its partners are reducing dependency on external grid conditions and improving long-term operational reliability.

Connectivity is the second critical layer. Subsea cable landings in Visakhapatnam and expanded fiber networks are expected to improve global data routing and reduce latency for enterprise and cloud applications.

These upgrades are essential for workloads that depend on real-time data processing and cross-border data flows.

Together, power and connectivity define the operational limits of AI infrastructure. Their inclusion as core components reflects a shift from viewing data centres as standalone assets to treating them as part of a broader infrastructure stack.

Focus shifts to ecosystem and local capacity

Alongside infrastructure, Google is working to build a supporting ecosystem around the project.

The Bharat AI Shakti Conclave, held with the Andhra Pradesh government, focused on bringing suppliers, contractors, and industry stakeholders into the development process.

The approach includes integrating local small and medium enterprises into construction and operations, with an emphasis on meeting global execution and safety standards.

Google has also outlined workforce development programs linked to the hub. These include training initiatives for construction, welding, and facility operations roles, as well as programs in cloud computing and AI through partnerships with training organisations.

The aim is to create a local workforce capable of supporting both the build phase and long-term operations.

In parallel, the company has announced targeted community initiatives covering water management, coastal livelihoods, and local entrepreneurship. These include watershed development programs, support for fishing communities using digital tools, and funding for grassroots innovation through local grants.

Visakhapatnam is expected to emerge as a key data centre and connectivity hub as these investments scale. As AI adoption increases, the focus is moving beyond software platforms to the physical systems required to support them.

Bharti Airtel’s executive vice chairman, Gopal Vittal, said, “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,” Vittal added.

Power availability, network capacity, and local execution capability are becoming central to how quickly and effectively AI infrastructure can scale.