HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Oct 14: Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”) has entered into a strategic partnership with Google to set up India’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI) hub in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
The landmark initiative aims to accelerate AI adoption across India, strengthen the country’s digital backbone, and bring Google’s full AI stack and consumer services closer to Indian businesses.
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Google’s AI hub in Visakhapatnam represents a multi-faceted investment of approximately USD 15 billion over five years (2026–2030), comprising gigawatt-scale data centre operations supported by a robust subsea network and clean energy to power advanced AI workloads in India.
The project will be executed in collaboration with ecosystem partners including Airtel and AdaniConneX.
Airtel and Google will jointly develop the purpose-built data centre and a state-of-the-art Cable Landing Station (CLS) in Visakhapatnam to host Google’s new international subsea cables, linking India to Google’s global terrestrial and subsea infrastructure.
As part of the project, Airtel will build a high-capacity intra-city and inter-city fibre network to deliver faster user experiences, enhance the resilience and capacity of India’s digital backbone, and promote digital inclusivity and transformation nationwide.
Bharti Airtel Vice Chairman and Managing Director Gopal Vittal said, “This partnership with Google is a defining moment in India’s digital future. By combining world-class AI infrastructure with our nation’s extraordinary talent and expanding global connectivity, we are laying the foundation for India to become a leader in the AI-driven era. With Visakhapatnam becoming a new hub on the world’s AI map, we are ensuring that India has the opportunity to set the pace for innovation, digital inclusion and economic growth—not just for our people, but for the world.”
Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, said, “Meeting the demands of India’s AI Mission requires cutting-edge infrastructure, computational power and ubiquitous connectivity. Working with Airtel, we will deliver next-generation AI services and create the essential digital backbone required to power inclusive growth across India.”
