At the AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi, Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced the “America-India Connect” (AIC) subsea cable project, a $15 billion (₹1.25 lakh crore) investment aimed at enhancing India-US digital connectivity. As part of this initiative, Visakhapatnam (Vizag) will emerge as a key internet hub alongside Mumbai and Chennai, strengthening India’s position in the global digital network.
Subsea cables, or undersea fiber-optic cables, carry nearly 99 percent of international internet traffic, including emails, video calls, and cloud computing, offering faster and more cost-effective data transmission compared to satellites. Google’s project will make Vizag a major landing point, enabling more resilient and efficient data flow across continents.
The AIC cable system will follow three main routes from Vizag: to Singapore (connecting via Australia to the US West Coast), to Chennai (via South Africa to the US East Coast), and directly to Australia, enhancing internet networks across the Southern Hemisphere. The cables use ultra-thin optical fibers protected by steel, copper, and plastic layers, with signal repeaters every 100 kilometers to maintain connectivity over thousands of kilometers.
Experts say the project will reduce dependence on Mumbai and Chennai, lower latency for AI applications and gaming, and ensure uninterrupted data transfer even during technical disruptions. With India’s growing internet user base exceeding 100 crore, the AIC project is expected to bolster AI training, cloud services, and the India-US digital partnership, positioning India as a global leader in the AI-driven digital economy.