Vijayawada: Setting an ambitious target of developing 6 GW of data centre capacity in Visakhapatnam, IT and HRD minister Nara Lokesh has invited global hyperscale major AirTrunk to set up operations in Andhra Pradesh.
Lokesh met AirTrunk CEO Robin Khuda in Mumbai on Monday, with talks focusing on attracting large-scale AI and hyperscale data centre investments to the state, particularly Visakhapatnam.
Government Vision for Vizag
Highlighting the government's vision, Lokesh said Visakhapatnam is emerging as a premier AI and data infrastructure hub, backed by major projects including the proposed Google AI hub, Reliance AI data centre and AdaniConneX facilities. He stated that the city offers the key ingredients for hyperscale growth, with rising investor interest and a focus on building a comprehensive ecosystem spanning multi-gigawatt AI infrastructure, advanced digital connectivity and supporting industries.
Advantages Over Competitors
The minister emphasised that Visakhapatnam has strong connectivity and infrastructure advantages over competing locations. He noted that renewable energy projects are being planned to meet the high power needs of hyperscale data centres. Lokesh urged AirTrunk to consider Andhra Pradesh for its next phase of investments.
AirTrunk's India Strategy
Khuda outlined AirTrunk's India strategy, including integration of Lumina CloudInfra following its acquisition, expansion plans and growing demand from global hyperscalers. He stated that the company's leadership would examine the Andhra Pradesh government's proposals.
Lokesh and Khuda had first met during the minister's Australia visit in October last year, after which AirTrunk has held multiple rounds of talks with state officials. In April 2026, AirTrunk entered India by acquiring Lumina CloudInfra, which has projects in Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad, with a pipeline of around 600 MW.
Later, Lokesh met Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, discussing investment opportunities, governance reforms and exploring collaboration in IT, education and skill development.
