New Delhi [India], October 14 (ANI): Google on Monday announced a massive investment of USD 15 billion over the next five years to establish one gigawatt-scale Artificial Intelligence (AI) hub in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, the company's largest AI hub outside the United States. The announcement came during 'Bharat AI Shakti', an event hosted by Google in New Delhi.

Speaking at the event, Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, said the new centre would make Visakhapatnam a global hub for AI innovation, serving not only India but also other parts of Asia and beyond. 'This gigawatt-scale AI hub will house data locally and help power AI-driven solutions across sectors,' he said. Kurian added that the investment reflects Google's long-term commitment to India's digital growth and its ambition to build sustainable, locally integrated data infrastructure.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu who also attended the event recalled the vision that brought global technology companies to India. 'Prime Minister Modi was clear that Google has to come to India for this,' he said. 'We brought Microsoft to Hyderabad earlier, and today, Google is coming to Visakhapatnam. With this, we can achieve the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047 using AI,' Naidu remarked.

Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw said Google's investment would play a crucial role in India's AI Mission. He said the Visakhapatnam AI hub is not only an investment but it would also support skill development for IT professionals and boost India's digital economy.

Vaishnaw also urged Google to explore new opportunities in the Andaman Islands, calling it a 'strategic location' for undersea cable networks that could ease the pressure on existing routes through Singapore and reach Australia, South-east Asia and other parts of the world.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman praised the collaboration, calling it 'a reflection of harmony between progressive policymaking and dynamic governance.' She said projects like this showcase India's readiness to lead the next wave of technological transformation.

Minister of IT, Electronics and Communications of Andhra Pradesh, Nara Lokesh, also echoed the Finance Minister, saying, 'What you see is India at its best. It shows that the state and the central government together can lead from the front. At this juncture, I don't see Andhra Pradesh playing an important role but India playing an important role in the global landscape'

The landmark agreement between the Andhra Pradesh government and Google anchors the ambitious AI City Vizag project, which includes a 1 GW hyperscale data centre campus. With the promise of clean energy integration, innovation, and up to 1.8 lakh new jobs, the project is set to make Visakhapatnam a cornerstone of India's AI future. (ANI)