On February 18, 2026, Google CEO Sundar Pichai officially unveiled America-India Connect, a massive digital infrastructure project designed to turn India into a global hub for AI connectivity.
Announced during the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, the initiative is anchored by a $15 billion, five-year investment to build subsea cables and fiber-optic routes connecting India to the United States and the Southern Hemisphere.
The Vision: Establishing a New Global Gateway
The project’s most significant move is established in Visakhapatnam (Vizag), which will become India’s third major international subsea gateway alongside Mumbai and Chennai. This geographic diversity is intended to increase the resilience of India’s digital backbone against outages.
Key Subsea and Fiber Routes
The “America-India Connect” initiative introduces several new paths that link four continents:
| Route Path | Destination | Strategic Purpose |
| Vizag → South Africa | US East Coast | Connects to Google’s Equiano and Nuvem cables to link India directly to the American east coast. |
| Vizag → Singapore | US West Coast | Joins the Bosun and Tabua systems to connect Vizag to the US west coast via Australia. |
| Mumbai → Western Australia | US West Coast | Complements the TalayLink and Honomoana systems to create a South Pacific route to the US. |
| Mumbai → Red Sea | US East Coast | Complements the Blue, Raman, and Sol cables to create a data corridor through the Middle East. |
Beyond Infrastructure: AI for the Public Good
The $15 billion investment isn’t just about cables; it’s a “full-stack” approach to AI development in India.
- Mission Karmayogi: Google Cloud is partnering with Karmayogi Bharat to leverage AI for training over 20 million public servants. This includes digitizing legacy training into searchable assets in 18+ Indian languages.
- Google.org Grants: Pledged $30 million to improve public services through AI and another $30 million to support researchers using AI for scientific breakthroughs.
- Google DeepMind Partnerships: Establishing the Google Center for Climate Technology in collaboration with the Indian government to focus on decarbonization and climate-ready workforces.
- AI Skilling: Launched a new Google AI Professional Certificate program (in partnership with Wadhwani AI) to help students and early-career professionals master AI tools.
Why It Matters: The “AI Divide”
Sundar Pichai emphasized that reliable infrastructure is the only real way to prevent a “digital divide” from becoming an “AI divide.”
“AI is a generational opportunity to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges. By turning maritime merchant shipping routes into digital trade routes, we are bringing the economies of India and the US closer together.” — Sundar Pichai, CEO, Alphabet.
