Google Cloud and Bharti Airtel prep $15bn AI hub in India

• Google Cloud has teamed up with Indian telco Bharti Airtel to develop a major AI datacentre in Andhra Pradesh
• The 1 gigawatt datacentre facility will be built over the next five years with a $15bn investment from the hyperscaler and network investments from Airtel

Google Cloud, with help from Indian telco Bharti Airtel, is to develop a major 1 gigawatt AI datacentre in Visakhapatnam on the east coast of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh that will be deployed over the next five years (2026-30) at a cost of $15bn. 

Google Cloud described the facility as its largest investment in India to date.

The deployment will “accelerate the adoption of AI across India, strengthen the country’s digital backbone and bring Google’s full AI-stack and consumer services closer to Indian businesses,” noted Airtel in this announcement.

Once completed, the facility “will join Google’s network of existing AI datacentres that spans 12 countries. It will benefit from technology developed by Google’s R&D centres in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune, including the design and development of crucial software and hardware innovations,” noted Google Cloud.

The facility will be supported by submarine network connectivity: Airtel and Google will jointly establish a cable landing station near Visakhapatnam “to host Google’s new international subsea cables that will join its extensive global terrestrial and subsea infrastructure”.

Google Cloud noted that the “new international subsea gateway, including multiple international subsea cables to land in Visakhapatnam” will connect to Google’s  existing 2 million miles of terrestrial and subsea cables. “This will establish Visakhapatnam as an AI and connectivity hub that not only serves India but the rest of the world,” noted the hyperscaler. 

“The gateway will help the country meet surging digital demands and provide route diversity to complement existing subsea cable landings in the Mumbai and Chennai areas,” added Google Cloud. “New high-capacity, low-latency pathways will deliver faster experiences to Google users and customers, increase the resilience and capacity of India’s digital backbone, as well as drive digital inclusivity and transformation across India, bringing the benefits of AI to more people and businesses nationwide.”

As well as international connectivity, the AI hub will also need in-country connectivity, so Airtel will roll out intra-city as well as inter-city fibre lines to support the data connectivity needs of the massive datacentre.  

Bharti Airtel managing director and vice chairman Gopal Vittal stated: “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 also 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,” he gushed. 

Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian added: “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.”

Earlier this year, Mumbai-based Tata Communications announced that it is to build an “advanced AI-ready network” for Amazon Web Services (AWS) that will connect the hyperscaler’s three main infrastructure facilities in India across 18,000km of fibre routes boasting network capacity of 7.2 Tbit/s – see Tata Comms lands ‘AI backbone’ deal from AWS.

- Ray Le Maistre, Editorial Director, TelecomTV