As Google Makes $15 Billion AI Push In India, Ashwini Vaishnaw Demands More
IT minister Vaishnaw also laid out three specific requests for Google as it ramps up its India operations.
Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday welcomed Google’s announcement of a $15 billion investment to build an AI hub in India, calling it a major boost to the country’s India AI Mission, but pressed the tech giant to go further, from skilling to making Andaman the next hub and digital employment creation.
"This digital infrastructure will go a long way in meeting the goals of our India AI Mission," he said, speaking at the Google event announcing the new AI hub in Vishakhapatnam.
However, the Minister also laid out three specific requests for Google as it ramps up its India operations.
First, he urged the company to make AI skilling and reskilling of IT professionals a major part of its agenda. "There is serious concern among IT professionals about what their jobs will be. We need reskilling at a very major, rapid scale, at a totally different pace," Vaishnaw said, asking Google to help the Indian IT industry transition into the AI era.
Second, the Minister proposed that Andaman and Nicobar Islands be developed as a strategic global internet hub, easing pressure on existing routes like Singapore. "Why can’t we make Andaman the next big hub for global internet data transfer?” he said, offering full government support for subsea cable expansion and suggesting a Vizag–Sittwe (Myanmar)–Mizoram link to enhance connectivity in India’s Northeast.
Third, Vaishnaw called on Google to help develop “AI services” as a new pillar of the digital economy, creating jobs and opportunities for Indian youth.
He welcomed Google’s plan to integrate its Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) into India’s common compute facility under the AI Mission, saying, "We look forward to you joining and competing with Nvidia’s GPUs."
