In a groundbreaking development for India’s digital economy, AdaniConnex, a joint venture of Adani Enterprises, has partnered with Google to build India’s largest data centre campus in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. With a massive $15 billion investment planned over five years, the project aims to establish a gigawatt-scale AI hub, supported by clean energy and a robust subsea cable network.
This announcement marks a pivotal step in transforming India into a global hub for AI infrastructure and cloud computing.
Project Highlights: AI Meets Infrastructure
Gigawatt-Scale Data Capacity
- The data centre will initially operate at 1 gigawatt (GW) capacity, with plans to scale up to multiple gigawatts, according to Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian.
- The facility will become part of Google’s global network of AI hubs, spanning 12 countries, and will be the largest outside the United States.
Subsea Cables and Clean Energy
The campus will be supported by,
- A new international subsea cable gateway
- Investments in clean energy generation, including solar and storage systems
- Enhanced transmission infrastructure in Andhra Pradesh
- This will ensure reliable and sustainable energy for high-performance AI compute tasks, which require enormous power and cooling systems.
Strategic Collaboration and Vision
Google, AdaniConnex, and Airtel
- The data hub is a joint initiative between Google, AdaniConnex, and Airtel.
- Their combined expertise will enable the creation of a next-generation digital backbone for India, driving both cloud adoption and AI innovation.
- Google CEO Sundar Pichai called the project a “landmark development”, stating it would bring industry-leading technology to enterprises and users across India, accelerating the nation’s AI innovation and digital growth.
Support from Indian Leadership
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the initiative, noting that the project would play a vital role in democratising technology and enabling “AI for All” in India.
- His endorsement highlights the project’s alignment with India’s broader goals under Digital India and AI mission strategies.
Growing Competition in India’s Data Sector
- India is fast becoming a global data centre hotspot. Major global and Indian tech players like Microsoft, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Reliance Jio, and Hiranandani Yotta have already announced or operationalised large-scale data parks.
- The Adani–Google collaboration, with its scale and AI focus, is set to reshape competition in this sector, especially as AI computing requires more complex and energy-intensive infrastructure.
Key Takeaways
- AdaniConnex and Google to build India’s largest data centre campus in Visakhapatnam
- Backed by a $15 billion investment over 5 years
- Data centre will start at 1 GW capacity, scalable to multiple GW
- Supported by clean energy and subsea cable network
- Part of Google’s global AI hub network in 12 countries