Google will invest $15 billion over the next five years to build a massive artificial intelligence (AI) data center in India’s southern state of Andhra Pradesh. This will be the tech giant’s largest-ever investment in the country.
The new data center campus, located in the port city of Visakhapatnam, will serve as one of Google’s main global AI hubs outside the United States. The facility will initially have a 1-gigawatt capacity, with plans to expand to “multiple gigawatts” in the future, according to Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud.
“It’s the largest AI hub that we are going to be investing in anywhere in the world outside of the United States,” Kurian said during an event in New Delhi. “It is a part of a global network of AI centers in 12 different countries.”
The $15 billion investment will be rolled out gradually over five years and is expected to generate over 188,000 jobs, according to state officials. Earlier estimates had pegged the total investment at around $10 billion, but Google’s latest commitment surpasses that figure significantly.
The announcement comes as Google ramps up global spending to expand its AI infrastructure. The company has pledged to spend $85 billion this year alone on data center expansion as tech firms compete to meet rising demand for AI-powered tools and services.
India has become a key market for major tech players such as Microsoft and Amazon, both of which have also invested heavily in data center projects across the country. Local business tycoons Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani have likewise announced plans to build large-scale data infrastructure to support the country’s growing digital economy.
AI models require vast computing power, driving demand for data centers capable of linking thousands of specialized chips together. Google says its new Indian hub will strengthen the global AI ecosystem, while supporting local innovation and job creation.
Google’s YouTube and Android platforms already dominate India’s digital landscape, with the country home to nearly one billion internet users. However, the company continues to face antitrust scrutiny in India over its business practices, and a lawsuit related to YouTube’s AI policies was recently filed by a Bollywood couple.
Despite these challenges, Google’s latest investment signals its long-term commitment to India’s digital future and its role as a global AI powerhouse.
