THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

VISAKHAPATNAM, APRIL 28, 2026

Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology, Railways and Information & Broadcasting, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, on Monday asserted that India is poised to emerge as a major trusted value chain and supply chain partner to the world in electronic manufacturing, powered by visionary leadership and robust policy support.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Google Cloud India AI Hub in Visakhapatnam, in the presence of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu, Union Ministers, State Ministers and industry leaders, Vaishnaw said the country is entering a transformative phase in advanced technology and manufacturing.

The ambitious project, entailing an estimated investment of USD 15 billion, is being developed in partnership with Adani ConneX and Airtel Nxtra. It will feature a 1 GW hyperscale AI data centre in Visakhapatnam. The Andhra Pradesh government has allocated nearly 600 acres of land across Turluvada, Rambilli and Adavivaram for the project.

Highlighting India's rapid technological ascent, Vaishnaw said the country has already established itself as a global leader in IT services and is now making remarkable progress in electronics manufacturing.

The Minister praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of positioning India as a global hub in emerging sectors such as semiconductors, quantum technology, space and artificial intelligence.

He noted that mobile phones have become one of India's leading export products, while nearly half of the country's domestic electronics demand is now being met through local manufacturing. Under the Semiconductor Mission, commercial semiconductor production has already commenced in India.

Vaishnaw emphasized that India is steadily becoming a trusted global partner in semiconductor and electronics manufacturing, and urged leading technology companies, including Google, to manufacture their servers, GPUs and chips in India.

Calling the Google Cloud India AI Hub a game-changer, the Minister said Visakhapatnam is set to transform into "AI Patnam" — a world-class artificial intelligence hub driven by next-generation digital infrastructure and global investments.

He lauded Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's pioneering role in building IT ecosystems and said the AI data centre would usher in sweeping advancements across sectors such as education, healthcare, aerospace, logistics and agriculture.

Vaishnaw also thanked Google for establishing three subsea cable landings in Visakhapatnam, significantly enhancing India's global digital connectivity through links to Australia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa and the United States.

Google Cloud Global Infrastructure Vice President Bikash Koley described the AI Hub as a foundational pillar for Viksit Bharat 2047 and a critical enabler of India's digital transformation and leadership in the global AI economy.

Adani Airports & Digital Labs Director Jeet Adani said the 1 GW hyperscale AI data centre represents a landmark moment in India's AI journey and will firmly establish Visakhapatnam as the country's next major digital gateway.

The event was attended by Union Ministers, senior Andhra Pradesh Ministers, Members of Parliament, industry leaders, and senior representatives from Google, Adani Group, Airtel Nxtra and other organisations.