In what may be the biggest single foreign investment in India’s technology sector, Google has unveiled a $15 billion blueprint to develop an “AI-first digital hub” in Visakhapatnam. The five-year plan includes gigawatt-scale data infrastructure, next-gen subsea fiber links, and a global AI research campus that will serve as a key node in the company’s worldwide computing network.
Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, called the investment a “decisive step toward democratizing AI access in the world’s most promising innovation economy.” Speaking at a joint press conference with India’s Minister of Electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, he noted that the project will create more than 75,000 direct and indirect jobs, with training programs targeting rural youth and women-led digital entrepreneurs.
The hub is expected to power sectors beyond IT — including manufacturing, logistics, and energy — as India transitions into what the government calls the “AI-linked economy.” Google’s AI infrastructure will also integrate with the government’s Digital India initiative, providing open APIs for public institutions and startups.
Analysts suggest the move positions India as a serious contender in global AI hardware and software ecosystems — a space long dominated by the U.S. and China. “This marks a major shift from being the world’s back-office to becoming a co-creator in cutting-edge innovation,” said Rajeev Chandrashekhar, Minister of State for IT.
The announcement arrives at a strategic moment. As U.S.–China trade frictions intensify, India is seen as a stable and high-growth destination for AI and semiconductor investments. Already, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Amazon Web Services have announced parallel expansions in the region, signaling a clustering effect that could establish the country as Asia’s digital backbone.
Industry Insight – Industrial Front:
India’s rise as a global AI hub is not merely technological; it’s economic. This investment sets the stage for India’s manufacturing, coatings, and chemical sectors to adopt predictive analytics, energy-efficient systems, and process automation at unprecedented scales. Industrial Front sees this as a foundational shift that could transform traditional industries into smart, data-driven enterprises within the decade.