USD 15 bn Google data centre to transform Vizag into AI hub: Union Min Vaishnaw

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday highlighted Indias growing digital strength and said Visakhapatnam will emerge as an artificial intelligence hub with the upcoming USD 15 billion Google AI data centre. Indias growing digital strength is evident, and with the upcoming USD 15 billion Google AI data centre, Visakhapatnam is set to emerge as a major AI hub, he said.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday highlighted India's growing digital strength and said Visakhapatnam will emerge as an artificial intelligence hub with the upcoming USD 15 billion Google AI data centre. Speaking at the foundation laying ceremony of the Google Cloud India AI data centre at Tarluvada in Visakhapatnam, he said the initiative marks a major step in strengthening India's AI-driven digital infrastructure. ''India's growing digital strength is evident, and with the upcoming USD 15 billion Google AI data centre, Visakhapatnam is set to emerge as a major AI hub,'' he said. Stating that Visakhapatnam will transform into an AI city, the union minister lauded the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. He noted that artificial intelligence is driving transformation across sectors, including education, healthcare, aerospace, logistics and agriculture, with major services expected through the AI hub. Vaishnaw, who is the Minister for Railways, Electronics and Information Technology, as well as Information and Broadcasting, said the project has progressed rapidly since the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding and expressed confidence that the data centre will soon be inaugurated by the Prime Minister. Highlighting India's growth, he said the country has emerged as a leader in IT services, while also making significant progress in electronics and semiconductor manufacturing. He pointed out that India is now exporting mobile phones in large numbers and meeting nearly 50 per cent of its domestic electronics demand. The union minister further said efforts are on to establish India as a global hub for electronics design and manufacturing, including the Semiconductor Mission. He also urged technology companies to manufacture servers, Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) and chips within the country, and requested that this be conveyed to Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Vaishnaw thanked Google for laying subsea cables from Visakhapatnam, which will enhance global connectivity linking Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the United States. Further, he said Andhra Pradesh has seen significant infrastructure growth, including increased railway allocations, modernisation of stations and expansion of rail networks. Major projects such as the South Coast Railway Zone and proposed bullet train corridors will further boost connectivity in the state, he added.