Google unveils $15 billion AI expansion in India with new subsea cables and DeepMind partnerships

Google Plans New Fiber-Optic Routes Between the US and India

Alphabet's Google said it would invest in an AI infrastructure hub in southern India and announced efforts from its philanthropic arm, Google.org, to improve public services with AI and support researchers using AI for scientific breakthroughs. Alphabet Inc. unveiled several new initiatives to support its expansion in India, including new fiber-optic routes that will connect the country with the US and other locations in the Southern Hemisphere. Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai talked up the company's efforts at a high-profile AI summit in New Delhi, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is making the case that his country can lead in artificial intelligence. Pichai is one of a long list of prominent CEOs supporting the effort. Google's parent company said the latest push, the America-India Connect initiative, will deliver new fiber-optic lines to improve the speed and reliability of connectivity between India and other countries. The company has already been building subsea cables in the Pacific, Africa and around Australia. Alphabet's Google said last year that it would invest about $15 billion building an AI infrastructure hub in southern India over the next five years, its biggest bet on the fast-growing country. The company is on a global spending blitz, saying earlier this month its capital expenditures would reach as much as $185 billion this year alone. "It's an extraordinary moment; we're investing to meet the moment," Pichai said in Delhi, where he also met with Modi. The company also announced a $30 million effort from its philanthropic arm, Google.org, to improve public services with AI, along with another $30 million to support researchers using AI for scientific breakthroughs. Google's AI lab DeepMind is also establishing a new partnership with the Indian government and local institutions to expand the use of its frontier AI for Science models. Many of the leading US AI companies have been expanding in India, both to tap the country's technical talent and to claim customers in the world's biggest market. Anthropic PBC appointed former Microsoft Corp. executive Irina Ghose to lead its India operations in January. Google is already a big player in this shift. Last year, it opened its largest campus in Bangalore, complete with indoor mini golf, pickle ball courts and cafeterias serving cardamom tea.

Google to Build Three New Subsea Cables From India, Four Fiber-Optic Routes

Connectivity via subsea cables will improve internet affordability Google on Wednesday made some AI-focused announcements aimed at supporting its further expansion in the country, during the inaugural AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. The Mountain View-based company revealed plans to establish new fibre-optic routes linking Indian cities with the US and other locations in the Southern Hemisphere. The latest move is part of Google's $15 billion (roughly Rs. 1.34 lakh crore) investment announced last year to set up an AI hub in India. Additionally, Google's DeepMind has entered into partnerships with government bodies in India for the adoption of AI models. Google's Four Upcoming Strategic Fibre-Optic Routes On Wednesday, Google announced its America-India Connect initiative, as part of its five-year, $15 billion AI infrastructure investment in the country. The project aims to establish a new international subsea gateway in Visakhapatnam (Vizag). It will include three new subsea paths connecting India to Singapore, South Africa, and Australia, and four strategic fibre-optic routes linking the US, India, and multiple locations across the Southern Hemisphere. Google confirmed that it is developing a direct fibre-optic path between Vizag and Chennai, linking the American East Coast around Africa to Vizag. It will also establish a direct path between Vizag and Singapore, aimed at creating a South Pacific route that connects the American West Coast through Australia to Vizag. Further, Google says it is constructing a direct fibre-optic path between Mumbai and Western Australia, which will lead to a South Pacific route connecting the American West Coast around Australia to Mumbai. Google says these paths will "increase the resilience of India's digital backbone and improve economic security". Google claims that the connectivity via subsea cables will improve internet affordability and reliability, and bring access to digital services and 'prevent the AI divide from taking root'. The company stated that Google's America-India Connect initiative builds on collaborations with regional partners across Africa, Australia, and the Pacific. Additionally, Google has announced a $30 million (roughly Rs. 270 crore) initiative through Google.org, aimed at improving public services using AI. The company has also allocated another $30 million to support researchers for scientific breakthroughs. Further, DeepMind is joining hands with the Indian government and local institutions like Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) and Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) for the adoption of AI models.

Google Unveils America-India Connect Subsea Cable Initiative to Boost AI Connectivity

Google announced crucial new additions to their existing AI infrastructure and partnerships in India, building on the recent $15 billion investment for an AI Hub in Vizag. Speaking at the press conference, Preeti Lobana, VP and Country Manager, Google India said, "AI is a generational opportunity to solve some of the world's most pressing challenges, but its true potential can only be realized when it is accessible and tailored to local needs. At Google, we see our role as an essential enabler -- providing the frontier infrastructure, research, and skills that allow nations like India to lead their own digital transformations. By partnering with governments to integrate AI into science, education, and public services, we are helping to build a future where technology isn't just a global tool, but a catalyst for national development and shared prosperity."

Google Unveils Subsea Cable and DeepMind AI Initiatives for India

At the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, Google unveiled a sweeping expansion of its AI and digital infrastructure initiatives in India, reinforcing its ambition to help position the country as a global leader in artificial intelligence. The announcements build on Google's previously committed $15 billion investment toward developing an AI Hub in Vizag and signal a deepening partnership with India across infrastructure, research, education, governance, and climate innovation. A major highlight of the summit was the launch of the America-India Connect Subsea Cable Initiative. This new strategic fiber-optic project is designed to strengthen digital connectivity between the United States, India, and the Southern Hemisphere. By expanding high-capacity, resilient subsea infrastructure, Google aims to enhance the speed, reliability, and security of cross-border data flows -- an essential foundation for AI-powered services, cloud adoption, and digital transformation at scale. The initiative builds upon Google's broader global investments in subsea cable networks across the Pacific and Africa. In parallel, Google DeepMind announced a new set of collaborations with Indian government bodies and research institutions to accelerate AI-powered discovery in science and education. Through a partnership with the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), Indian researchers will gain access to advanced AI models such as AlphaGenome, AI Co-Scientist, and Earth AI. These tools are expected to support breakthroughs in areas ranging from genomics to climate science. The collaboration will also include hackathons, mentorship programs, and community initiatives designed to nurture early-career researchers and students. These efforts form part of Google DeepMind's broader National Partnerships for AI initiative, which seeks to align frontier AI research with national development priorities. Education emerged as another key focus area. Google announced plans to work with Atal Tinkering Labs, which serve more than 10,000 schools and 11 million students across India, to thoughtfully integrate Gemini AI into classrooms. The initiative aims to incorporate robotics and coding into curricula, enhance teacher workflows with generative AI tools, and develop a curriculum-aligned AI assistant equipped with appropriate safety guardrails. In a first-of-its-kind partnership with PM Publishers Pvt. Ltd., traditional textbooks will also be transformed into interactive digital learning experiences, signaling a shift toward more immersive and AI-enabled education models. Recognizing that technological advancement must be matched by workforce readiness, Google also introduced significant skilling initiatives. In partnership with Karmayogi Bharat, Google Cloud will help scale the iGOT Karmayogi platform to support the professional development of 20 million public servants across more than 800 districts. Training resources will progressively be made accessible in over 18 Indian languages, helping modernize governance capabilities in the AI era. Additionally, Google is expanding its AI Professional Certificate program in India in collaboration with Wadhwani AI. The program is designed to teach practical AI applications to students and early-career professionals, initially in English and Hindi, with more Indian languages planned. To further accelerate global AI implementation, Google announced two major funding commitments totaling $60 million. The Google.org AI for Government Innovation Impact Challenge will support partnerships aimed at transforming government-to-citizen services through AI, while the AI for Science Impact Challenge will provide funding to researchers using AI to drive scientific breakthroughs. Complementing these initiatives, Google is launching a Center for Climate Technology in collaboration with the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India to scale AI-powered climate solutions and support sustainable innovation. Alongside these announcements, Google released its Annual Responsible AI Progress Report, reaffirming its commitment to security, ethics, and responsible AI development as adoption accelerates worldwide. Taken together, the announcements reflect a comprehensive strategy that spans infrastructure, research access, education reform, workforce development, public-sector modernization, and climate innovation. By strengthening both the physical and intellectual foundations of AI in India, Google is positioning itself not just as a technology provider, but as a long-term partner in India's digital and economic transformation.