At the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced plans for a new subsea cable that will directly connect India with the United States, strengthening digital and AI connectivity between the two countries. At present, most global internet traffic flows through undersea cables routed via hubs such as West Asia or Singapore, as there is no direct India–US link. The project would become the second such system after Meta Platforms unveiled its Project Waterworth. Technical and route details of the cable have not yet been disclosed.
India–America Connect Initiative to Expand AI Infrastructure
Google also introduced the India–America Connect initiative, which aims to establish multiple subsea cable routes linking India, the US, and regions across the Southern Hemisphere. The announcement builds on the company’s previously revealed $15 billion AI hub in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, which will feature gigawatt-scale computing facilities and an international subsea cable gateway to support AI innovation, employment generation, and digital growth. Pichai highlighted India’s strong potential in artificial intelligence, describing AI as the most transformative technological shift of the current era with applications across healthcare, education, climate resilience, and public services.
Major AI Investments and Research Partnerships
The company announced several initiatives to boost AI adoption in India, including a $30 million Google.org AI grant to support government-to-citizen solutions and partnerships through Google DeepMind to advance AI-driven science and education. Google also plans to collaborate with institutions such as Indian Institute of Technology Madras to expand access to advanced AI capabilities. In addition, the company launched an AI for Science Impact Challenge to accelerate research in areas including quantum computing and climate modelling.
Large-Scale Skilling and Education Programs
Google unveiled major workforce and education initiatives, including AI training programs for 20 million government employees through Karmayogi Bharat, chatbot assistants for more than 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs reaching around 11 million students, and new AI Professional Certificates developed in partnership with the Wadhwani Foundation to help workers transition into AI-driven roles.
India’s Growing Role in Global AI Development
Pichai noted that India shows high adoption of AI technologies, particularly in voice and visual search, and said AI provides an opportunity for the country to bridge long-standing gaps and drive economic growth. During his visit, he also met Narendra Modi to discuss collaboration in AI applications across healthcare, agriculture, startups, and multilingual information access. Google reaffirmed its long-term commitment to India through continued investments in infrastructure, research, and workforce development.
