Google to invest $10B for data center in Visakhapatnam
What's the story
Google is planning to invest a whopping $10 billion (around ₹88,730 crore) to set up a 1GW data center cluster in Visakhapatnam, according to The Economic Times. This will be the tech giant's first investment of this kind in India. The facility will have three campuses near Visakhapatnam - at Adavivaram and Tarluvada villages in Visakhapatnam district, and Rambilli village in Anakapalli district.
Project details
Construction to be completed by July 2028
The construction of this massive data center cluster is expected to be completed by July 2028. The project will involve laying three high-capacity submarine cables, dedicated cable landing stations, metro fiber lines, and telecoms infrastructure. The deal is likely to be finalized between Google's top brass and Andhra Pradesh's IT & Electronics Minister Nara Lokesh in New Delhi on October 14.
Approval process
Largest data center cluster in Asia
The Andhra Pradesh State Investment Promotion Board, headed by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, is likely to approve the investment proposal today. This project will be Google's largest direct investment in India's digital economy. Google and its subsidiaries currently have data centers in 11 countries across 29 sites. The Visakhapatnam cluster will be the largest of its kind in Asia.
MoU details
MoU signed last year
Back in December 2024, Naidu had signed a memorandum of understanding with Google. The tech giant had laid down some requirements for the growth of data infrastructure. In May this year, Google's Asia Pacific team visited Visakhapatnam and inspected various sites on offer in the state under Lokesh's guidance.
AI hub
AI infrastructure hub in Andhra Pradesh
The data center cluster will be a part of India's first international AI Infrastructure Hub. This is a large digital infrastructure region developed within a concentrated geographical zone. It will provide leading digital capabilities to power Andhra Pradesh's and India's economy, accelerating advanced research and development.