Andhra inks pact with Google for USD 15 bn AI hub in Vizag; CM calls it milestone

Amaravati, Oct 14 (PTI) The Andhra Pradesh government on Tuesday signed a mega deal with tech giant Google to set up a USD 15 billion gigawatt-scale Artificial Intelligence data centre in Visakhapatnam.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu called the pact the biggest technological milestone for the state and country.

The southern state and Google inked this mega deal in New Delhi in the presence of CM Naidu, Google Cloud chief executive Thomas Kurian, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and others.

"A truly historic and auspicious day, marking one of the biggest technology milestones for Andhra Pradesh and India! Today, Andhra Pradesh signed a landmark agreement with Google to set up a USD 15 billion, gigawatt-scale AI Data Centre in Visakhapatnam," said Naidu in a post on 'X'.

According to the CM, this centre will lay the foundation for India's first AI city and the "largest AI and data hub outside the United States".

Further, Naidu noted that this isn't just a Google project, but also Andhra Pradesh's, adding India's AI journey has begun and the state will lead it.

Additionally, Visakhapatnam will host Google's cable landing station, further strengthening our digital backbone, said the TDP supremo.

With this, India will now connect with the world, bringing the spirit of' 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' alive, he said.

"AI is key to addressing some of our most pressing challenges, from agriculture and manufacturing to healthcare and finance. It will transform critical sectors, bring far-reaching benefits to our people, enhance governance, empower businesses, and improve lives," Naidu said.

Further, the chief minister thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his visionary leadership in advancing futuristic technology in India.

He also thanked Sitharaman, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and others.

The AI hub at Visakhapatnam will be Google's largest outside the US and will include 1-gigawatt data centre campus, new large-scale energy sources, and an expanded fiber-optic network, the tech super giant said. PTI STH KH