Google's $15 Billion Bet: AI Hub in Andhra Pradesh

Google announces a $15 billion investment to establish an AI data center in Andhra Pradesh, India. This initiative marks its largest AI hub investment outside the U.S., emphasizing the company's commitment amid a competitive tech landscape. This center will significantly boost data infrastructure in Asia.

Google is set to inject $15 billion into its latest venture: establishing a massive artificial intelligence hub in Andhra Pradesh, India, over the next five years. This investment marks one of the tech giant's most substantial commitments in the country to date, signaling a significant expansion of its global data center capabilities.

During an event in New Delhi, Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian highlighted the magnitude of this development, describing it as the largest AI hub investment outside the United States. Positioned in the bustling port city of Visakhapatnam, the initiative underscores the fiercely competitive environment within the tech industry as companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon race to accommodate the soaring demand for AI innovations.

The construction of the 1-gigawatt data center campus aligns with Google's ambitious $85 billion investment plan for this year alone, aimed at expanding data center infrastructure. This Indian hub will be the largest of its kind in Asia, supporting Google's comprehensive regional expansion strategy that also includes sites in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. State IT Minister Nara Lokesh aptly described data as "the new oil," advising that such initiatives distinctly position regions for strategic advantage.

(With inputs from agencies.)