Google will spend $15 billion over the next five years to build a vast artificial intelligence data centre in India’s southern state of Andhra Pradesh, marking its largest-ever investment in the country.
The new facility, to be built in the port city of Visakhapatnam, will start with one gigawatt of capacity and eventually expand to several times that size.
It will serve as part of Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)-owned Google’s global network of AI hubs spanning a dozen countries, Google Cloud chief executive Thomas Kurian said at an event in New Delhi.
The investment underscores how global technology firms are racing to expand data infrastructure to meet soaring demand for AI computing power.
Microsoft, Amazon and Indian conglomerates led by Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani are also funnelling billions into similar projects. India, with nearly a billion internet users, has become one of the most critical markets for Google’s long-term growth.