Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai on Tuesday announced a major investment plan for India while speaking at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi. Delivering the keynote address at Bharat Mandapam, Pichai shared personal memories from his student life and revealed that Google will establish a large-scale AI hub in Visakhapatnam as part of a $15 billion infrastructure investment in the country.

Speaking in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other global leaders, Pichai said it was always special to return to India. He mentioned that every visit makes him realise how quickly the country is changing, especially in technology and development.

“Prime Minister Modi and distinguished leaders, it’s wonderful to be back in India. Every time I visit, I’m struck by the pace of change, and today is no different,” Pichai said during his speech.

To highlight India’s transformation, he recalled his time as a student and talked about his train journeys across the country. Pichai said that when he was studying, he often travelled on the Coromandel Express from Chennai to IIT Kharagpur. During these trips, he would pass through Visakhapatnam, which he described as a quiet coastal city with strong potential.

“Back when I was a student, I often took the Coromandel Express train from Chennai to IIT Kharagpur. To get there, we passed through Visakhapatnam. I remember it being a quiet and modest coastal city brimming with potential,” he said.

Pichai used this personal story to connect the past with the future, explaining that the same city he once travelled through will now become a key part of Google’s AI plans. He announced that Visakhapatnam will soon host a major new Google facility, which will play an important role in the company’s global AI expansion.

According to Pichai, Google is setting up a “full-stack AI hub” in Visakhapatnam. This hub will be built as part of Google’s USD 15 billion infrastructure push in India. He said the project is designed to bring powerful technology and resources to support next-generation AI systems and services.

“Now, in that same city, Google is establishing a full-stack AI hub as part of our  $15 billion infrastructure investment in India,” he said.

He further explained that once completed, the hub will include gigawatt-scale computing facilities, which means it will have extremely high computing capacity. Such computing power is necessary to run advanced AI tools, handle large amounts of data, and support major digital services.

Along with large-scale computing infrastructure, Pichai also announced that the hub will include a new international subsea cable gateway. This gateway will improve India’s global connectivity and strengthen the country’s digital communication networks. Subsea cables are considered crucial for modern internet systems, as they carry data between countries and continents at high speed.

“When finished, this hub will house gigawatt-scale compute and a new international subsea cable gateway, bringing jobs and cutting-edge AI to people and businesses across India,” he added.

This announcement marks a major expansion of Google’s presence in India and is expected to help Visakhapatnam become an important global centre for artificial intelligence. The project is also expected to create employment opportunities and strengthen India’s role in the global technology sector.

The AI hub will provide the basic “full-stack” foundation needed for advanced AI development. This includes computing power, infrastructure support, and global connectivity, which can help build and run future AI platforms and digital services. With this move, Google aims to strengthen India’s position as a major partner in the future of global AI.

The announcement also fits into the larger goals of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, which is focused on bringing nations together to explore how artificial intelligence can solve global challenges. The summit is being held from February 16 to February 20 and includes participation from countries and international institutions.

The event reflects India’s growing focus on global cooperation and joint progress in emerging technologies. The summit aims to explore how AI can be used not only for innovation but also to support development and shared growth across the world.

The five-day summit is based on three main pillars, described as “Sutras”: People, Planet, and Progress. These themes focus on using AI in ways that support human development, protect the environment, and drive long-term advancement.

These ideas were also highlighted earlier when Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the India AI Impact Expo 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The expo and summit together aim to showcase how India is positioning itself as a global leader in responsible AI development and digital innovation.

With Google’s major investment announcement, Visakhapatnam is now expected to become a major international node for AI infrastructure. The development is seen as a strong signal of global confidence in India’s technological future and its growing importance in the world’s digital economy.