Google Launches Gigawatt AI Hub in Vizag as US‑India Subsea Network Expands
Updated (3 articles)
Google Unveils $15 B AI Infrastructure Plan for India On 19 February 2026 Sundar Pichai announced a full‑stack AI hub in Visakhapatnam, part of a $15 billion investment aimed at expanding AI access and creating jobs across India [1][2]. The facility will host gigawatt‑scale computing capacity and serve as a gateway for an international subsea cable network [1]. Google frames the project as a means to prevent a digital‑AI divide and to enable emerging economies to leapfrog legacy technology gaps [1].
Four America‑India Connect Subsea Fibre Systems to Link Continents Google will deploy four subsea fibre‑optic cable systems connecting the United States with India, forming the backbone of the Vizag hub’s connectivity [1]. Additional direct undersea links to Singapore, South Africa and Australia will further accelerate data flow for AI workloads [2]. These cables are positioned as a cornerstone of broader AI and digital‑infrastructure expansion in the region [1][2].
Nvidia and L&T Collaborate on India’s Largest Gigawatt‑Scale AI Factory Nvidia announced partnerships with three Indian cloud providers and engineering conglomerate L&T to build what L&T calls “India’s largest gigawatt‑scale AI factory” [2]. Yotta secured a $2 billion contract for 20,000 high‑end AI processors, expanding the hardware base for domestic AI training and inference [2]. The collaboration underscores a multi‑vendor approach to scaling India’s AI compute ecosystem [2].
India Targets Over $200 B AI Investment by 2028 IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated at the summit that the country expects more than $200 billion in AI‑related investments through 2028, with roughly $90 billion already pledged by foreign and domestic firms [2]. US tech leaders pledged billions for AI adoption in developing markets, including Microsoft’s $50 billion commitment for the decade [2]. The ambitious target reflects India’s rapid rise in global AI competitiveness, now ranked third worldwide [2].
World Leaders to Issue Joint AI Governance Statement at Summit Prime Minister Narendra Modi, French President Emmanuel Macron and Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will deliver a collective statement on AI risks and governance [2]. Futurum AI practice lead Nick Patience warned that non‑binding declarations may set tone but lack concrete guardrails [2]. The statement aims to balance rapid AI deployment with ethical and regulatory considerations [2].
Sources
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1.
The Hindu: Google to Build Full‑Stack AI Hub in Vizag, Part of $15 B India Plan: Details Sundar Pichai’s Feb 19 2026 announcement of a gigawatt‑scale AI hub in Visakhapatnam, its subsea cable gateway, and the broader $15 billion Indian AI investment strategy .
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The Hindu: US Tech Giants Unveil Major AI Infrastructure Deals in India at Summit: Covers additional subsea cable routes, Nvidia‑L&T AI factory partnership, $200 billion AI investment target, US tech commitments, and the upcoming joint AI governance statement by global leaders .
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Timeline
Dec 30, 2025 – The Principal Scientific Advisor releases a white‑paper urging open access to AI infrastructure, arguing that compute, high‑quality datasets and tools must be available beyond a few large firms and urban hubs, calls for integrating Aadhaar and UPI into AI systems, and warns that scaling data centres could need 45‑50 million sq ft and raise electricity use to nearly 3 % of India’s consumption by 2030 [3].
Oct 2025 – Google announces a $15 billion investment in India, pledging to build its largest AI data‑centre hub outside the United States in Visakhapatnam, featuring gigawatt‑scale compute and an international subsea‑cable gateway [1][2].
2025 – A Stanford University study ranks India third worldwide in AI competitiveness, overtaking South Korea and Japan, though the nation still trails the United States and China in infrastructure and innovation capacity [2].
Early 2026 – The IndiaAI Mission distributes thousands of GPUs to researchers and startups, creating a national GPU pool to broaden AI development ahead of the AI Impact Summit [3].
Feb 2026 (scheduled) – India hosts the AI Impact Summit, gathering global tech leaders to discuss AI adoption, governance and infrastructure, while the government projects more than $200 billion in AI‑related investments through 2028, with roughly $90 billion already pledged [2][3].
Feb 19, 2026 – Sundar Pichai announces Google will launch a full‑stack AI hub in Visakhapatnam, delivering gigawatt‑scale computing capacity and an international subsea‑cable gateway to expand connectivity and support AI workloads nationwide [1].
Feb 19, 2026 – Pichai warns against a digital‑AI divide, saying technology benefits must be universal, calls AI “hyper progress” that can help emerging economies leapfrog, and cites DeepMind’s AlphaFold as a transformative scientific breakthrough [1].
Feb 19, 2026 – Google commits to deploy four U.S.–India subsea fibre‑optic cable systems under the America‑India Connect initiative, linking the United States with India and enhancing global data flow for AI [1].
Feb 19, 2026 – Nvidia partners with three Indian cloud providers and L&T to build “India’s largest gigawatt‑scale AI factory,” while Yotta secures a $2 billion deal for 20,000 top‑end AI processors, expanding domestic AI training and inference hardware [2].
Feb 19, 2026 – US tech giants pledge billions for AI adoption in developing markets; Microsoft commits $50 billion this decade, and leaders including OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Meta AI chief Alexandr Wang and Bill Gates attend the summit, signaling major private‑sector investment [2].
Feb 19, 2026 – Prime Minister Narendra Modi, French President Emmanuel Macron and Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva plan to issue a joint AI governance statement, aiming to set a tone on AI risks despite skepticism about enforceability [2].
Feb 19, 2026 – India targets over $200 billion in AI‑related investments by 2028, with roughly $90 billion already pledged, underscoring an aggressive national strategy to become a global AI hub [2].