Bharti Airtel has teamed up with Google to set up India’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI) hub in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, marking a significant milestone in the country’s digital journey. This strategic partnership aims to accelerate AI adoption across India, strengthen the national digital backbone, and bring Google’s AI services closer to Indian businesses.
The Visakhapatnam AI hub represents a $15 billion investment over five years (2026-2030), featuring gigawatt-scale data center operations, a robust subsea network, and clean energy solutions to handle India’s most demanding AI workloads. The project will be developed in collaboration with key ecosystem partners, including Airtel and AdaniConneX.
Under this initiative, Airtel and Google will jointly establish a state-of-the-art data center and a Cable Landing Station (CLS) to host Google’s international subsea cables. Airtel will also build a high-capacity, low-latency intra-city and inter-city fiber network. This infrastructure will enhance digital experiences for Google users, improve India’s connectivity resilience, and support nationwide AI-driven digital transformation.
Gopal Vittal, Vice Chairman and MD of Bharti Airtel, said, “This partnership with Google is a defining moment in India’s digital future. With Visakhapatnam becoming a new hub on the world’s AI map, India is poised to lead in innovation, digital inclusion, and economic growth.”
Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, added, “Meeting India’s AI ambitions requires cutting-edge infrastructure and connectivity. Together with Airtel, we aim to deliver next-generation AI services and build the digital backbone for inclusive growth across India.”
