Alphabet Unveils America-India Connect, Commits $15 Billion to AI Hub

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) is stepping deeper into India, signaling that its next phase of AI-driven growth could hinge on faster pipes and bigger infrastructure in one of the world’s largest digital markets. At a high-profile AI summit in New Delhi, Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai outlined the America-India Connect initiative, a plan to deploy new fiber-optic routes linking India with the US and other locations in the Southern Hemisphere. The initiative builds on Alphabet’s existing subsea cable projects across the Pacific, Africa and around Australia, and is designed to enhance the speed and reliability of international connectivity as AI workloads expand. Speaking in Delhi, where he also met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pichai described the moment as extraordinary and emphasized that the company is investing to meet it.

This connectivity push comes on top of a sizable commitment already in motion. Google said last year it would invest about $15 billion over the next five years to build an AI infrastructure hub in southern India, marking its largest bet yet on the country. The move aligns with a broader global spending surge, with Alphabet indicating earlier this month that capital expenditures could reach as much as $185 billion this year alone. Taken together, the figures suggest India could play a meaningful role in Alphabet’s long-term AI buildout, particularly as global demand for advanced computing and data capacity continues to rise.

Beyond core infrastructure, Alphabet is also channeling capital into applied AI and scientific research. Google.org announced a $30 million effort to improve public services using AI, alongside another $30 million to support researchers pursuing scientific breakthroughs. In parallel, DeepMind is establishing a new partnership with the Indian government and local institutions to expand the use of its frontier AI for Science models. With other US AI companies also expanding in India to tap technical talent and customers, Alphabet’s latest moves could reinforce its position as a central player in the country’s evolving AI ecosystem.