Google has begun construction of the largest data center in India

Herman Bogapov
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What role do data centers play in the development of Industrial AI?

Company Google has begun large-scale construction of a new data center in Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh, India). Investment volume is evaluated approximately $15 billion, making this project one of the company's largest investments in Indian digital infrastructure.

The new data center is expected to become an important element of Google's global AI ecosystem, providing computing resources for cloud services, generative artificial intelligence, and enterprise platforms.

However, even before construction was completed, the project found itself at the center of environmental debates.

The main complaints are about water.

One of the main reasons for criticism was the significant consumption of water required to cool the server infrastructure.

According to the Andhra Pradesh government:

  • the city receives about 410 million liters of water daily;
  • the daily demand is already approximately 480 million liters;
  • the population of Visakhapatnam exceeds 2,5 million people;
  • There are already water supply restrictions in place in the region.

Environmental organizations fear that the commissioning of a large data center could further exacerbate water shortages.

The court began hearing the case

The NGO Jal Biradari filed a lawsuit in the Andhra Pradesh High Court, claiming that the risks to water resources were not adequately assessed when the project was approved.

After considering the appeal, the court ordered the state government to provide official explanations regarding the environmental assessment of the construction.

The Andhra Pradesh government denies the allegations, stating that all approval procedures were carried out in accordance with current legislation, and calls the activists' arguments inaccurate.

AI is more expensive than ecology: Microsoft's emissions increased by 80% due to data centers

Wildlife sanctuary next to the site

Another topic of discussion was the proximity of the future data center to the Kambalakonda Nature Reserve, which is located approximately 860 meters from the construction site.

The reserve is inhabited by:

  • Indian leopards;
  • pangolins;
  • other rare representatives of the local fauna.

Activists fear that large-scale construction work could negatively impact the ecosystem due to noise, vibrations, and heavy machinery movement.

The government emphasizes that the site is located outside the minimum protection zone defined by law.

Google promises to minimize the impact

In response to criticism, Google stated that the data center:

  • will comply with all environmental standards;
  • will use modern air cooling technologies;
  • minimize water consumption;
  • will implement solutions to reduce noise levels;
  • will work to protect local natural resources.

Construction is being carried out in partnership with the Indian Adani Group, which is responsible for implementing the infrastructure part of the project.

According to state authorities, the project could create up to 188 jobs.

Global trend: AI increases the load on infrastructure

The construction of large AI data centers is increasingly raising debate about their environmental impact. Modern AI computing complexes require significant amounts of electricity and efficient cooling systems, which increases the burden on local energy and water resources.

Amid the global boom in generative AI, the largest technology companies — Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, and Oracle — continue to make large-scale investments in new data centers, seeking to meet the rapid growth in demand for AI services.

HiTech Expert Take

Google’s data center construction in India demonstrates a new reality for AI infrastructure development. While a few years ago the focus was on computing power and GPU performance, today the availability of electricity, water resources, and environmental standards are increasingly important. These factors will increasingly determine the location of new AI hubs.

This experience is also indicative for Ukraine. The development of its own digital infrastructure, state registers, AI services and cloud platforms will require not only modern data centers, but also comprehensive planning of energy, telecommunications and environmental resources. Against the background of rapid development of GovTech, implementation of AI solutions and the growing demand for local computing, the issue of sustainable infrastructure is gaining strategic importance.

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