Google on Tuesday held a groundbreaking ceremony for its $15 billion India AI hub investment in Visakhapatnam, marking the start of a large-scale data centre project and related infrastructure.The company is developing the project with AdaniConneX and Nxtra by Airtel; the two will build and operate the data centre campuses and supporting infrastructure. This will include construction covering civil infrastructure, power systems and connectivity integration, while Google will deploy AI and cloud workloads.The project forms part of Google’s $15 billion investment plan in India between 2026 and 2030 and signals a shift from incremental cloud expansion to full-stack infrastructure deployment.The AI hub on the east coast in Andhra Pradesh will include three data centre campuses with combined capacity approaching one gigawatt, placing it among the largest AI infrastructure projects announced in India.Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian said, “Today’s groundbreaking is a powerful realisation of our shared vision with the Indian government and an inflection point for the country’s AI-native future.”“This will lay the foundation for Viksit Bharat and will open new doors for economic opportunity nationwide. The Google AI hub will serve as a catalyst for growth built on deep community partnerships,” Kurian added.These facilities are expected to power high-performance computing, enable low-latency services and support large-scale AI workloads. The data centres can handle advanced research, cloud computing and enterprise AI deployment at scale. The AI hub is expected to enable advanced AI applications across industries and strengthen India’s global competitiveness in emerging technologies.Union Minister for Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw said at the event, “The India AI Hub and three subsea cables landing in Visakhapatnam will become very important infrastructure for the country’s journey forward.”Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu emphasised the regional impact, saying, “Google’s AI hub in Visakhapatnam will be a cornerstone of our growing tech corridor, driving innovation, creating high-value opportunities for our youth and strengthening our position in the global digital economy.”The project is expected to boost local employment, attract ancillary industries and integrate the region into global digital supply chains.Jeet Adani, director, Adani Group, said, “India’s AI moment will be defined by infrastructure. What we are building in Visakhapatnam, nearly 1 GW in a single location, signals that shift.”Gopal Vittal, executive vice-chairman, Bharti Airtel, said, “Through our strategic partnership with Google and Adani to build this landmark AI hub, we will help advance India’s digital ambitions.”Meanwhile, Google announced it is introducing the Skills Trade and Readiness (STAR) programme to create sustainable career paths for local talent while developing a homegrown workforce ready to drive India’s digital acceleration.