DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE AI & DATA CENTRES

Inside Google's Largest Overseas AI Infrastructure Project

TM
Techmediaglobal
| 5 min read
US$15bn
TOTAL INVESTMENT
3
SITES IN VISAKHAPATNAM
~601
ACRES COMBINED
JULY 2028
TARGET COMMISSIONING

Google is building a US$15bn AI infrastructure hub across three sites in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh — the company's largest overseas investment and its biggest AI hub outside the United States. The complex will combine TPU and GPU compute clusters with a new international subsea cable gateway, but it is also facing legal challenges over its impact on local water supplies and a nearby wildlife sanctuary.

The Scale, Specs and Timeline of the Mega Hub

The facility will be part of Google's global network of AI centres spread across 12 countries and marks the company's largest investment in India to date. The hub is reported to span 266.6 acres in Taluvada, 160 acres in Adivivaram and 174.8 acres in Rambilli-Achyutapuram, and will house TPU and GPU-based compute power for deep learning, neural network training and large-scale AI model inference.

Google broke ground on the project in April, working with construction partners AdaniConnex and Nxtra by Airtel. The aim is for the data centre to be commissioned by July 2028, complete with a new international subsea gateway with multiple subsea cables landing on India's eastern coast. Airtel will deploy the intra-city and inter-city fibre networks.

Government Backing

India's low data costs and rapidly growing internet user base have made it a hub for cloud and AI expansion for tech giants. Google's investment aligns with the Government of India's Viksit Bharat 2047 vision to transform the country into a fully developed, self-reliant nation, with domestic storage and processing of AI workloads helping India retain full digital sovereignty over its next-generation tech ecosystem.

The project is also part of the Andhra Pradesh government's plan to develop 6GW of data centre capacity by 2029, which included the government offering subsidised land and electricity to attract global investors.

"It's the largest AI hub that we are going to be investing in anywhere in the world, outside of the United States."

— Thomas Kurian, CEO, Google Cloud

"We Cannot Drink DATA": Protests and Legal Hurdles

Despite the economic promise, the project faces several legal challenges over its impact on water supplies and its proximity to a wildlife sanctuary home to leopards and pangolins. Activists in Visakhapatnam have marched with banners reading "We cannot drink DATA" and painted handcuffs on the Google logo, according to social media posts.

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has ordered the state government to respond to a public interest lawsuit, brought by environmental group Jal Biradari, alleging the project will dangerously deplete local water reserves and threaten a critical nearby reservoir. State officials dismissed the claims as "incorrect and misleading" but say they remain open to public feedback. The court will reconvene on 24 August.

Google has responded by saying it will comply with all legal standards, deploy advanced air cooling to protect vital local water resources, and implement sound-dampening measures to be a "quiet, unobtrusive neighbour" to the Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary, located 860 metres away.

Key Takeaways

  • →Google is investing US$15bn in a three-site AI hub in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh — its largest AI investment outside the US.
  • →The hub will deploy TPU and GPU compute clusters alongside a new international subsea cable gateway, targeting commissioning by July 2028.
  • →Construction partners AdaniConnex and Nxtra by Airtel are building out the sites, which broke ground in April 2026.
  • →The project aligns with India's Viksit Bharat 2047 vision and Andhra Pradesh's plan to build 6GW of data centre capacity by 2029.
  • →A public interest lawsuit filed by Jal Biradari alleges the project could deplete local water reserves; the Andhra Pradesh High Court reconvenes on 24 August.
  • →Google says it will use advanced air cooling and sound-dampening measures to limit impact on nearby water resources and the Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary.
Tags: Data Centre AI Infrastructure Cloud Network India Google Cloud Subsea Cables Sustainability