Airtel Partners with Google for India's First Mega AI-Hub and Data Center in Visakhapatnam The initiative is set to 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.
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Bharti Airtel has announced a strategic partnership with Google to set up India's first Artificial Intelligence (AI) hub in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
The initiative is set to 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.
According to a press release, Google's AI hub in Visakhapatnam is a multi-faceted investment of approximately USD 15 billion, over five years (2026-2030), consisting of gigawatt-scale data center operations, supported by a subsea network and clean energy, to drive heavy AI workloads in India. According to Airtel, this will be brought to life in close collaboration with ecosystem partners, including Airtel and AdaniConneX.
Airtel and Google will jointly establish the purpose-built data center in Visakhapatnam, as well as a Cable Landing Station (CLS) to host Google's new international subsea cables that will join its extensive global terrestrial and subsea infrastructure. Airtel is also poised to create a robust intra-city as well as inter-city fibre network as a part of this project.
The high-capacity, low-latency network aims to 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.
Gopal Vittal, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Bharti Airtel Limited, said, "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 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."
Thomas Kurian, CEO, Google Cloud, said, "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."
