VISAKHAPATNAM
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw declared that India is set to become a premier “trusted supply chain partner” for the global electronics industry.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Google Cloud India AI Hub, Vaishnaw emphasized that the country is rapidly moving beyond its reputation for IT services to become a powerhouse in high-tech manufacturing.
The Minister highlighted India’s explosive growth in mobile manufacturing, noting that local production now meets nearly 50 percent of domestic demand. Furthermore, under the National Semiconductor Mission, commercial production has officially commenced on Indian soil. Vaishnaw extended a direct invitation to global tech giants to move their production of servers, GPUs, and chips to India, citing the country’s reliable policy framework and visionary leadership.
The $15 billion Google project in Visakhapatnam is a cornerstone of this strategy. Key features of the development include:
- Hyperscale AI Data Centre: A 1 GW facility developed in partnership with AdaniConneX and Airtel Nxtra.
- Massive Land Allocation: The Andhra Pradesh government has provided 600 acres across Turluvada, Rambilli, and Adavivaram.
- Global Connectivity: Google is laying three subsea cables from Visakhapatnam, linking India directly to digital routes in Australia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and the U.S.
Vaishnaw predicted that these investments would transform Visakhapatnam into “AI Patnam” (AI City), serving as a global hub for Artificial Intelligence, Space, and Quantum technology. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and other industry leaders joined the Minister in hailing the project as a “transformative” turning point for India’s role in the global digital economy.