Google is set to invest $6 billion in a major data center and renewable energy infrastructure project in Andhra Pradesh, India. This marks the tech giant’s first such investment in the country and one of the largest in Asia, aiming to expand its digital footprint and support sustainable data capacity.
In a bold move to scale its infrastructure footprint across Asia, Google is set to invest $6 billion in a state-of-the-art data center project in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, making it the tech major’s first large-scale data infrastructure investment in India and its largest in Asia by capacity and value.
According to officials familiar with the development, the upcoming facility will have a capacity of 1 gigawatt (GW), powered significantly by renewable energy. As part of the investment, $2 billion will be allocated to building green energy capacity to sustainably power the data hub. This aligns with the digital major’s global goals of reducing its carbon footprint while responding to exponential data demand across emerging markets.
Strategic Bet on India’s Digital Future
The data center will be a key part of Alphabet Inc.‘s larger Asia-Pacific expansion strategy, which includes similar efforts in Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. The Visakhapatnam site is expected to catalyze significant digital infrastructure development in India, especially as data localization norms tighten and cloud computing adoption accelerates across sectors.
A government official from Andhra Pradesh confirmed that the data center will be operational within the next two years, as part of the state’s broader plan to build 6 GW of data center capacity by 2030.
“This move cements India’s position as a strategic node in the global digital network,” said a senior state official, adding that the project will also drive job creation and ancillary economic activity.
Green Energy Integration a Key Driver
In line with the global shift towards sustainable tech infrastructure, the upcoming facility will be primarily powered by renewable energy, including solar and wind sources. However, due to the high-reliability requirements of data centers, some capacity may also come from coal-based power, officials noted. The facility’s total power need is projected to hit 10 GW over the next five years.
The project is part of Andhra Pradesh’s post-bifurcation investment strategy, following the 2014 split that ceded its capital, Hyderabad, to Telangana. Since then, the state has been actively promoting investments in infrastructure, digital ecosystems, and energy.
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Cable Landing Stations and Connectivity Plans
To complement the data center buildout, Andhra Pradesh is also facilitating the development of three undersea cable landing stations in Visakhapatnam. These will significantly improve internet latency and reliability, making the region a digital connectivity hub. Officials stated that the planned network capacity could exceed that of Mumbai — currently India’s largest bandwidth gateway.
“We are doubling down on international digital infrastructure with connectivity and power in focus,” said a state technology advisor.
Implications for India’s Digital Economy
India’s digital economy is expected to contribute over $1 trillion to the GDP by 2030, and investments such as these will serve as critical enablers. With increasing regulatory emphasis on data localization and the shift to AI-powered applications, hyperscale data centers are poised to become strategic national assets.
Google’s $6 billion bet, in this context, is not just a reflection of its expansion but also an endorsement of India’s evolving role in the global cloud and data economy.
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