NEW DELHI, India, Feb. 19 (ANI) — Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, delivered a keynote address at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, reflecting on his personal journey and announcing a major infrastructure commitment to India’s digital future.
Addressing a distinguished audience at Bharat Mandapam, Pichai recalled his student days to illustrate the rapid transformation taking place across India.
“Prime Minister Narendra 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. “Back when I was a student, I often took the Coromandel Express train from Chennai up to IIT Kharagpur. To get there, we passed through Visakhapatnam. I remember it being a quiet and modest coastal city brimming with potential.”
Pichai used the anecdote to highlight Google’s ambitious plans for Visakhapatnam, which is now central to the company’s global AI strategy.
“Now in that same city, Google is establishing a full-stack AI hub, part of our $15 billion infrastructure investment in India,” he said. “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.”
The announcement marks a significant expansion of Google’s presence in India, positioning Visakhapatnam as a global center for artificial intelligence innovation. The hub is expected to provide the foundational full-stack infrastructure required to power next-generation AI services, reinforcing India’s role as a key player in the global technology ecosystem.
The development aligns with the broader goals of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, which brings together nations and international institutions to advance multilateral collaboration in artificial intelligence.
The summit, being held from Feb. 16 to Feb. 20, aims to harness AI to address global challenges and unlock new opportunities for shared growth. The five-day event is centered on three foundational pillars — People, Planet, and Progress — themes that have remained at the forefront since the Prime Minister inaugurated the India AI Impact Expo 2026 in New Delhi earlier this week. (ANI)
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