The $15 billion investment provides a mega infrastructure push to anchor AI workloads, subsea connectivity, and clean energy transition.
Bharti Airtel has entered into a strategic partnership with Google to establish India’s first artificial intelligence (AI) hub and gigawatt-scale data centre in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The initiative, announced on Tuesday, marks a $15 billion investment over five years (2026-30) and is expected to accelerate AI adoption, strengthen India’s digital backbone, and expand global connectivity.
The AI hub will be developed in collaboration with ecosystem partners, including Airtel and AdaniConneX. It will feature a purpose-built data centre and a state-of-the-art cable landing station (CLS) to host Google’s new international subsea cables, linking India to its global terrestrial and subsea infrastructure.
Airtel will deploy a high-capacity, low-latency fibre network—both intra-city and inter-city—as part of the project. The network is designed to deliver faster experiences to Google users and customers, enhance the resilience of India’s digital infrastructure, and support inclusive digital transformation across sectors.
“This partnership with Google is a defining moment in India’s digital future,” said Gopal Vittal, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Bharti Airtel.
“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 of Google Cloud, said the partnership would help meet the demands of India’s AI Mission.
“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.”
The Visakhapatnam hub will be powered by clean energy and designed to handle the most demanding AI workloads. It is expected to play an important role in catalysing India’s ambitions in sovereign cloud, AI innovation, and digital infrastructure expansion.