Undersea cables and AI highways: Why Google is doubling down on India–US connectivity with its $15 billion plan

File image used for representational purpose.

Google announced the India-America Connect Initiative, a $15 billion AI infrastructure plan to build new subsea cables and fibre routes linking India, the US, and the Southern Hemisphere, positioning India as a global AI hub and expanding digital skills programs.

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Google has unveiled a major global digital infrastructure programme aimed at reshaping how large volumes of data move between India, the United States, and much of the Southern Hemisphere as artificial intelligence becomes central to modern economies.

The announcement was made in New Delhi on February 18, 2026, by Sundar Pichai, as India hosted the India AI Impact 2026 summit. The programme, called the India-America Connect Initiative, forms a key part of Google’s planned $15 billion investment in AI infrastructure in India over the next five years.

At its core, the initiative is about building new high-capacity digital highways that can support the explosive growth of AI-driven data flows while making India a central hub in global connectivity.

What Sundar Pichai announced in New Delhi

Introducing the initiative, Pichai described it as a foundational layer for the next phase of AI growth.

“Today, we are announcing the India-America Connect Initiative, which will deliver new sub-sea cable routes to increase AI connectivity between India and the US and multiple locations across the southern hemisphere. For the opportunities this initiative creates, we should also invest in skilling, which is why we are announcing our most ambitious skilling programs here. This includes a new Google AI Professional Certificate program to master AI in their work,” he said.

Pichai said India was on an “extraordinary trajectory” in artificial intelligence and described AI as “the biggest platform shift of our lifetime.” He linked the technology’s potential to practical uses, from healthcare diagnostics to real-time agricultural advisories.

He also highlighted why India is uniquely positioned for large-scale AI deployment, pointing to its linguistic diversity, digital public infrastructure, and massive user base.

“AI must work across languages and local contexts. It must deliver real-world benefits people can rely on. Trust grows when technology is transparent, responsible, and grounded in outcomes,” Pichai said.

What is the India-America Connect Initiative?

The India-America Connect Initiative is a global digital infrastructure programme designed to expand high-capacity data networks linking India, the US, and multiple regions across Africa, Asia-Pacific, and the wider Southern Hemisphere.

It combines new subsea cables, terrestrial fibre routes, and international cable landing stations to improve speed, stability, and redundancy. The focus is on supporting cloud computing and AI workloads, which require low-latency, high-bandwidth connections.

As part of the plan, Google will develop three new undersea cable corridors directly connecting India with Singapore, South Africa, and Australia. In parallel, four strategic fibre-optic routes will enhance connectivity between India and the US while strengthening links across the Southern Hemisphere.

A key goal is to reduce India’s reliance on a small number of existing landing points and build a more resilient digital backbone.

Why Visakhapatnam is emerging as a new digital gateway

One of the most significant shifts under the initiative is the creation of a new international subsea gateway in Visakhapatnam on India’s east coast.

Until now, most of India’s international cable infrastructure has been concentrated around Mumbai and Chennai. Google plans to change that by developing a direct fibre route between Visakhapatnam and Chennai, extending toward South Africa.

When combined with the Equiano and Nuvem subsea cable systems, this route will connect the American east coast to India via Africa.

A second route will link Visakhapatnam directly to Singapore. Integrated with the Bosun and Tabua cable systems, it will form a South Pacific corridor connecting the American west coast through Australia to India’s east coast.

Together, these routes position Visakhapatnam as a major new landing hub and add geographic diversity to India’s international connectivity.

Strengthening India’s west coast connectivity

Google is also expanding infrastructure on India’s west coast by building a direct fibre-optic route between Mumbai and Western Australia.

This path will integrate with the TalayLink and Honomoana subsea cable systems, creating another South Pacific corridor linking India and the American west coast via Australia.

It will complement existing systems such as Blue, Raman, and Sol, which already connect Mumbai to the American east coast through the Red Sea. The result is more redundancy, higher capacity, and greater resilience for international data traffic.

How this ties into closing the AI divide

Google has framed the initiative as more than just infrastructure. The company argues that reliable connectivity is essential to preventing gaps in access to advanced AI tools.

Expanded subsea networks, it says, improve service quality, lower costs over time, and support long-term economic growth. Google has described the new routes as transforming traditional maritime trade paths between the “New World” and India into digital trade corridors.

Role of skilling and government platforms

Alongside infrastructure, Google is scaling up AI skilling efforts in India. Pichai announced a new Google AI Professional Certificate aimed at helping people apply AI in their jobs.

Google is also working with Karmayogi Bharat and Google Cloud to support Mission Karmayogi. As the cloud partner, Google Cloud provides infrastructure for the iGOT Karmayogi platform, which serves over 20 million public servants across more than 800 districts.

AI tools are being used to digitise training content, improve search, and expand access in over 18 Indian languages.

Together, the physical networks and digital skills programmes signal Google’s push to make India a central node in the global AI economy, not just as a user, but as a digital gateway connecting continents.