I just got back from the inaugural AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, and let me tell you, Google isn’t just playing with chatbots anymore. They are literally laying the physical groundwork to turn India into a global AI powerhouse.
In a massive “first” for the region, Google is putting a $15 billion (Rs 1.34 lakh crore) investment to work by building a direct digital bridge between the US and India. If you’ve ever complained about high-speed internet reliability or wondered when AI would actually feel “local,” this is the news you’ve been waiting for.
The “America-India Connect”: A New Subsea Superhighway
Google is building an massive international subsea gateway in Visakhapatnam (Vizag). This isn’t just about faster Netflix streams; it’s about creating a “digital backbone” that’s resilient enough to handle the insane data demands of future AI.
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The Routes: Four strategic fibre-optic paths linking the US and India, plus three subsea paths connecting India to Singapore, South Africa, and Australia.
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Direct Links: New direct paths are coming between Vizag-Chennai and Mumbai-Western Australia.
Why it matters: By bypassing traditional bottlenecks and linking directly to the US East and West coasts, Google is essentially “future-proofing” India’s internet. It reduces the risk of massive outages and makes high-end digital services more affordable for everyone.
DeepMind x Government: Bringing AI to Public Schools
Google’s elite AI lab, DeepMind, is officially moving into the Indian public sector. They’re partnering with local heavyweights like the ANRF and CEEW to make sure AI isn’t just for big tech companies.
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Classroom Revolution: They’re integrating GenAI tools into 10,000+ Atal Tinkering Labs, reaching roughly 11 million students.
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AI for Science: Researchers are getting access to frontier models like AlphaGenome and Earth AI to solve local climate and health challenges.
$60 Million for “The Greater Good”
Google.org is putting its money where its mouth is with two massive $30 million initiatives.
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Public Services: $30 million to help the government use AI to make public services (like healthcare and transit) actually efficient.
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Scientific Breakthroughs: Another $30 million purely for researchers chasing the next big scientific discovery.
The Big Picture: “Full-Stack” Connectivity
Sundar Pichai said something during the summit that stuck with me: India is now a “blueprint” for how to democratize AI. By building the cables (infrastructure), the models (DeepMind), and the talent (skilling 20 million public servants), Google is trying to ensure the “AI divide” never happens here.
