In what is expected to be a major step-up to India’s digital infrastructure, U.S. tech giant Google on Wednesday announced a new America-India subsea optic fiber cable link initiative, the move coming months after the company had committed a mega $15 billion investment for an AI hub in Vizag.The latest announcement came in during Google Global CEO Sundar Pichai’s India visit which happens as part of the ambitious India AI Impact Summit currently underway in New Delhi. “I believe India is going to have an extraordinary trajectory with AI, and we want to be a partner,” Pichai said at a media event held on the sidelines of the AI Summit.He said that India is uniquely positioned in the AI era, with the opportunity to shape its trajectory not just with a vast user base, but also as a builder of cutting-edge solutions.
India, he added, has the capacity to be a full stack player in AI.The company also gave some details on its plans for the new subsea cable. “We recently announced a $15 billion investment to establish foundational AI infrastructure in India, and have been building subsea cables in the Pacific, Africa and around the world. Today we are announcing the America-India Connect Initiative, which will deliver new strategic fiber-optic routes to increase the reach, reliability and resilience of digital connectivity between the U.S.
, India and multiple locations across the Southern Hemisphere.”Preeti Lobana, VP and Country Manager for Google in India, said that AI is a “generational opportunity” to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges. “… but its true potential can only be realized when it is accessible and tailored to local needs. At Google, we see our role as an essential enabler—providing the frontier infrastructure, research, and skills that allow nations like India to lead their own digital transformations.
”Google DeepMind will be establishing a new partnership with government bodies and local institutions in India to accelerate discovery through AI-powered science and education. The company is partnering with the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) to facilitate the adoption of AI models to advance science. “We’re providing access to our frontier AI for Science models, including AlphaGenome, AI Co-scientist and Earth AI, in addition to supporting hackathons and community contests, and enabling training and mentorship to students, researchers, and those in the early stages of their careers.
”The company aims at enabling learning for more Indian students and teachers by powering innovation hubs with GenAI assistants. “Together with Atal Tinkering Labs, which serves more than 10,000 Indian schools and 11 million students, we’re helping incorporate robotics and coding into local curricula, integrate Gemini thoughtfully into teacher workflows, and build a safely guardrailed AI assistant for students grounded in national curriculum standards that can act as an educational partner.
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