New Delhi, Oct 14 (NationPress) Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated on Tuesday that we can position Andaman as the next significant hub for global internet data, and the government will offer complete backing for this initiative.

The minister underscored the critical nature of undersea subsea cable connectivity.

“The Andaman and Nicobar Islands hold a strategic position. With Singapore being overwhelmed, why not transform Andaman into the next central hub for global internet data transfer? From the perspective of the Government of India, we will extend our full support for this venture,” he declared while speaking at the ‘Bharat AI Shakti’ event, organized by Google ahead of the upcoming ‘India AI Summit’.

“The Andaman Islands could facilitate connectivity for Google and other internet-centric organizations to Southeast Asia, Australia, and various regions in need of expanded data capacity,” he added.

Vaishnaw also suggested the creation of a Vizag-Sittwe (Myanmar) link to bolster digital connectivity in the northeastern states, emphasizing the necessity to improve the existing RailTel network.

He observed that extending the cable through Myanmar to Mizoram would be a significant advancement, as the railway line up to Sairang is already operational, and work is in progress to extend it to the Myanmar border, as instructed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Vaishnaw pointed out that AI services represent a vital emerging sector in India's digital economy, encouraging Google to utilize this facility for talent cultivation and job generation.

He welcomed Google’s TPUs (Tensor Processing Unit) to compete with Nvidia’s GPUs (Graphics Processing Unit) as part of the shared compute infrastructure under the India AI Mission.

The minister also noted that the AI Hub would considerably further the objectives of the India AI Mission, emphasizing the urgent need for large-scale reskilling and upskilling of IT professionals in light of rapid AI-driven transformations. He urged Google to assist the industry in this initiative.

Google has unveiled the establishment of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Hub in Visakhapatnam (Vizag), Andhra Pradesh, allowing the company to deploy its comprehensive AI stack aimed at accelerating AI-driven transformation across India.

This investment of around $15 billion over five years (2026–2030) marks Google’s most significant investment in India to date and aligns with the Government of India’s Viksit Bharat Vision, which seeks to expedite the growth of AI-driven services.