Google’s $15 bn Vizag AI hub to power India’s next tech leap
Pichai: India set for an ‘extraordinary’ leap; diversity, digital public infra ideal to democratise AI globally
image for illustrative purpose
New Delhi: Betting big on India’s artificial intelligence potential, Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, on Wednesday announced new subsea cable routes to strengthen AI connectivity between India and the US, alongside large-scale skilling initiatives covering public servants, students, and early-career professionals.
Speaking on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit 2026, Pichai said the recently announced USD 15 billion AI hub at Vizag in Andhra Pradesh will house a gigawatt-scale compute facility and an international subsea cable gateway.
“I believe India is going to have an extraordinary trajectory with AI, and we want to be a partner,” he said.
Pichai described AI as “the biggest platform shift of our lifetime,” noting that for countries like India it offers a chance to leapfrog structural gaps and unlock new opportunities across healthcare, education, agriculture, climate resilience, and governance. He highlighted India’s high adoption of AI-powered voice and visual search, calling it among the most optimistic markets globally.
Google announced the India–America Connect Initiative, a new series of subsea cable routes to boost AI-grade connectivity between the US, India, and multiple locations across the Southern Hemisphere. The infrastructure push builds on Google’s “full-stack” presence in India, spanning data centres, cloud, and connectivity.
A major focus was skilling. Google unveiled the Google AI Professional Certificate Programme for students and early-career professionals, a landmark partnership with Karma Yogi Bharat to train 20 million public servants across 800 districts in 18 languages, and generative AI support for over 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs, reaching 11 million students. On research, Google launched a USD 30 million AI for Science Impact Challenge, supporting global researchers using AI in areas such as quantum computing, climate modelling, and scientific discovery. Partnerships with Indian institutions, including IIT Madras, and the government through Google DeepMind aim to widen access to frontier AI tools.
Earlier, Pichai met Narendra Modi, discussing AI adoption across health, languages, startups, and agriculture. Modi said the meeting focused on how Google can work with India’s students and professionals to advance AI capabilities.
“Google has a full-stack commitment to India, and I have never been more excited about the future we are building together,” Pichai said.
