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Google Launches Gigawatt‑Scale AI Hub in Vizag, Adds Subsea Cables to Expand India’s Digital Backbone

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Google Announces Full‑Stack AI Facility and Job Creation On 19 February 2026 Sundar Pichai unveiled a full‑stack AI hub in Visakhapatnam that will house gigawatt‑scale compute resources and serve as a subsea‑cable gateway, part of Google’s $15 billion India infrastructure plan aimed at widening AI access and generating thousands of jobs [1]. The hub is positioned as the company’s largest AI data‑centre outside the United States, integrating cloud, hardware, and AI services under one roof [1][2]. Google frames the project as a catalyst for “hyper progress,” enabling emerging economies to leapfrog legacy technology gaps [1].

Subsea Connectivity Strategy Shows Varying Details Google commits to deploying four America‑India Connect fibre‑optic systems linking the United States with India, according to the Vizag announcement [1]. Earlier summit coverage described three new undersea cables to Singapore, South Africa, and Australia, plus enhanced US links, while a third report mentioned three cables and four fiber routes [2][3]. The discrepancy reflects evolving rollout plans, but all sources agree the cables will boost network resilience and capacity for AI workloads across the Southern Hemisphere [2][3].

India Targets Over $200 Billion AI Investment by 2028 IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the country expects more than $200 billion in AI‑related investments through 2028, with roughly $90 billion already pledged by domestic and foreign firms [2]. Google’s Vizag hub, Nvidia’s partnership with L&T for a gigawatt‑scale AI factory, and Microsoft’s $50 billion decade‑long commitment to developing markets collectively illustrate the scale of capital flowing into India’s AI ecosystem [2][3]. Analysts note that despite India’s rise to third in global AI competitiveness, it still trails the United States and China in infrastructure depth [2].

Governance, Education, and Sectoral Adoption Highlighted at Summit Pichai warned of a digital‑AI divide and cited DeepMind’s AlphaFold as proof of AI’s scientific impact, urging universal technology benefits [1]. World leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pledged a joint AI governance statement, though experts cautioned its non‑binding nature [2]. The summit recorded a Guinness‑verified 250,946 student pledges for responsible AI and highlighted power‑sector calls for AI‑driven digital twins to improve grid stability [3].

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Timeline

Oct 2025 – Google announces a $15 billion investment in India to build AI infrastructure, including plans for its largest AI data‑centre hub outside the United States. [1][3]

Dec 30, 2025 – The Principal Scientific Advisor releases a white paper urging open access to foundational AI resources—compute, high‑quality data sets, and tools—to broaden participation beyond a few large firms and urban hubs, tying the call to the AI Impact Summit slated for Feb 2026 and noting the IndiaAI Mission’s GPU pool for researchers. [4]

Dec 30, 2025 – The white paper warns that scaling AI data centres could require 45–50 million sq ft of real estate by 2030 and could raise electricity use from about 0.5 % to nearly 3 % of India’s total consumption, highlighting energy and space implications of rapid AI expansion. [4]

Feb 18, 2026 – Galgotias University withdraws from the AI Summit expo after backlash over displaying a Chinese Unitree Go2 robot dog as its own invention, issuing an apology for the misinformation. [2]

Feb 18, 2026 – Sundar Pichai tells attendees that India’s high‑energy developer community and home‑grown startups such as Flipkart and Oyo can spawn world‑leading AI firms, signalling a “next Sundar” staying in India. [2]

Feb 18, 2026 – Nvidia’s Jensen Huang announces a partnership with L&T to build India’s largest gigawatt‑scale AI factory, laying the foundation for world‑class AI infrastructure and linking with Indian computing firms and OpenAI for education and research. [2]

Feb 18, 2026 – Google unveils plans to lay three subsea cables and four fiber routes linking India to Singapore, South Africa, Australia, and the United States, aiming to boost network resilience and capacity for AI workloads across the Southern Hemisphere. [2]

Feb 18, 2026 – Union Minister Pralhad Joshi promotes AI‑driven digital twins for grid stability, while Central Electricity Authority Chairman Ghanshyam Prasad warns the power sector must accelerate AI integration to avoid falling behind. [2]

Feb 18, 2026 – The summit sets a Guinness World Record with 250,946 student pledges for responsible AI, reflecting Prime Minister Modi’s push for ethical AI education in schools and colleges. [2]

Feb 19, 2026 – Google announces a full‑stack AI hub in Visakhapatnam featuring gigawatt‑scale compute and an international subsea cable gateway, part of the $15 bn India plan to expand AI access and create jobs nationwide. [1]

Feb 19, 2026 – Sundar Pichai warns of a digital‑AI divide, citing investments in compute and connectivity in India, Thailand, and Malaysia, and describes AI as “hyper progress” that can help emerging economies leapfrog legacy gaps. [1]

Feb 19, 2026 – Pichai highlights DeepMind’s AlphaFold as a showcase of AI’s scientific impact, noting its publicly available protein‑structure database used by millions worldwide. [1]

Feb 19, 2026 – Google commits to deploying four new U.S.–India subsea fibre systems under the America‑India Connect initiative, strengthening trans‑Pacific connectivity for AI workloads. [1]

Feb 19, 2026 – IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw states India targets over $200 bn of AI‑related investment by 2028, with roughly $90 bn already pledged by foreign and domestic firms. [3]

Feb 19, 2026 – Nvidia partners with three Indian cloud providers and L&T to supply AI processors, while Yotta secures a $2 bn deal for 20,000 top‑end AI chips, expanding domestic AI training and inference capacity. [3]

Feb 19, 2026 – Microsoft pledges $50 bn this decade to accelerate AI adoption in developing markets, joining OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Meta AI chief Alexandr Wang, and Bill Gates at the summit. [3]

Feb 19, 2026 – Prime Minister Narendra Modi, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva plan to issue a joint AI governance statement at the summit, though experts caution the non‑binding declaration may lack concrete guardrails. [3]

Feb 19, 2026 – A Stanford‑based study ranks India third globally in AI competitiveness, overtaking South Korea and Japan, underscoring rapid progress despite remaining infrastructure gaps. [3]

Feb 19, 2026 – Google’s announced subsea cables will directly connect India to Singapore, South Africa, and Australia, accelerating data flow for rising AI demand as part of the $15 bn investment. [3]

Feb 19, 2026 – The Vizag AI hub’s gigawatt‑scale compute and subsea gateway are slated for phased rollout over the next few years, positioning the facility as a central node for AI workloads across the region. [1]

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