Visakhapatnam is rapidly emerging as India's next technology powerhouse, with Digital Connexion announcing a massive $11 billion investment for a state-of-the-art data centre campus. This development comes just weeks after Google revealed its $15 billion AI hub plans for the same coastal city.
Massive Investment for Digital Transformation
The joint venture between Reliance Industries, Brookfield, and Digital Realty signed a crucial Memorandum of Understanding with the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board on Wednesday. This formal agreement marks a significant milestone in establishing Visakhapatnam as a global destination for major technology investments.
The project involves an enormous investment of Rs 98,000 crore (approximately $11 billion) scheduled for completion by 2030. This funding will develop a massive 1 gigawatt data centre capacity spread across a proposed 400-acre campus. While the exact location remains undecided, a Reliance JV team is expected to visit Visakhapatnam next week to evaluate multiple sites identified by the state government.
Cutting-Edge Infrastructure Plans
The proposed data centre campus will feature advanced AI-compatible racks, dedicated power substations, and comprehensive connectivity infrastructure necessary for large-scale operations. This facility is designed to serve hyperscale operators, major enterprises, and cloud service providers, positioning itself as a critical piece of India's digital backbone.
According to officials familiar with the project, the state government has set an ambitious target of installing six gigawatt capacity data centres across Andhra Pradesh by 2030. This vision is already gaining momentum with multiple major players establishing presence in the region.
Visakhapatnam's Growing Tech Ecosystem
The Digital Connexion investment represents the latest in a series of major tech commitments for Visakhapatnam. Google is currently developing a 1 GW AI data centre complete with sea landing cables, while Meta has announced a Rs 15,266 crore investment for its own data centre facility.
Additionally, Meta is collaborating with Sify to build a 500 MW data centre, while Sify separately plans another 300 MW facility with sea landing cables. When combined, these four projects will create a substantial 2.8 GW data centre capacity in the region.
The construction and operation of these data centres are expected to generate significant employment opportunities during both building and operational phases. This positions Visakhapatnam not just as a technology hub but also as a major job creator in the emerging digital economy.
The transformation of Visakhapatnam into a technology investment destination began gaining serious traction during the recently-concluded partnership summit, where the Digital Connexion proposal was first discussed. The formal MoU signing this week represents a crucial step forward in turning those discussions into concrete reality.
