Google to invest $10 bn in 1 GW data centre cluster in Visakhapatnam

Google is set to invest $10 billion (around Rs 88,730 crore) to establish a 1-gigawatt data centre cluster in Visakhapatnam, marking the global tech giant’s first such investment in India, according to a report by ET.

The facility will consist of three data centre campuses in Visakhapatnam district (Adavivaram and Tarluvada villages) and Anakapalli district (Rambilli village), and is expected to be operational by July 2028. The project will include three high-capacity submarine cables, dedicated cable landing stations, high-capacity metro fiber lines, and other telecommunications infrastructure, as quoted in the media report.

Sources quoted in the report noted, the agreement is likely to be formalised between the search giant’s executives and Andhra Pradesh IT and Electronics Minister Nara Lokesh in New Delhi on October 14. The Andhra Pradesh State Investment Promotion Board, headed by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, is expected to approve the proposal on Wednesday.

The investment is expected to be the largest direct investment by the company and its subsidiaries in India’s digital economy. Currently, it operates data centres across 11 countries, including the US, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Ireland, and Germany, spread over 29 sites. The Visakhapatnam cluster is expected to be the largest in Asia to date.

Naidu had signed a memorandum of understanding with the company in December 2024, within six months of assuming power. Sources cited in the report said Google had outlined certain requirements to support the growth of data infrastructure in the state.

The data centre cluster will be part of India’s first international AI Infrastructure Hub, a concentrated digital infrastructure region designed to enhance India’s digital capabilities, support the economy, and accelerate advanced research and development.