AP Minister Nara Lokesh Urges Google Cloud to Set Up Data Center in Vizag

In a strategic move to position Andhra Pradesh as a leading hub for cloud infrastructure, IT and Electronics Minister Nara Lokesh met with Google Cloud’s leadership team in San Francisco to pitch the city of Visakhapatnam as an ideal location for a data center. During his U.S. visit, Lokesh emphasized that the state’s new administration has launched multiple initiatives to support industry growth, making Andhra Pradesh a promising destination for investments in cloud technology.

At Google’s San Francisco campus, Lokesh held discussions with Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian, alongside executives like Bikas Koley, Vice President of Global Networking; Rao Surapuneni, Vice President of Business Applications; and Chandu Thota, Vice President of Google Maps. He highlighted Visakhapatnam's potential as a data center hub and invited Google Cloud to establish a facility in the city under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

Lokesh shared Andhra Pradesh’s dedication to e-governance powered by artificial intelligence and digital solutions, which, under Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's leadership, aims to improve public services and create smart, interconnected cities. He proposed that Google could enhance these initiatives by providing AI tools and enterprise solutions for government digitalization. He further encouraged Google to collaborate in real-time disaster response, urban planning, and interlinking smart cities through Google Maps’ geospatial services.

Additionally, Lokesh advocated for Google’s involvement in AI-driven digital education programs to boost skill development among Andhra Pradesh’s youth. Google’s executives responded positively, expressing interest in the proposal and promising to discuss the feasibility of the data center and collaboration plans further within their team.