India Plans Massive ‘Data City’ in Visakhapatnam to Power AI Push
India is planning a vast new “data city” in the coastal hub of Visakhapatnam as part of its drive to narrow the artificial intelligence gap with the United States and China, according to Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh. The southeastern port city, known as Vizag, is being positioned as a landing point for submarine internet cables linking India to Singapore and as the centre of a 100-kilometre technology ecosystem. Lokesh said the state has secured investment agreements worth $175 billion across 760 projects, including a $15 billion commitment from Google for its largest AI infrastructure hub outside the United States, and an $11 billion joint venture involving Reliance Industries, Brookfield and Digital Realty to build a major AI data centre. He added that Andhra Pradesh would offer land at symbolic prices to attract firms making servers, cooling systems and other core hardware, while tapping surplus monsoon water and expanding power capacity to support energy-hungry facilities.
The project comes as India ranks third globally in AI capability, driven by strong patent activity and private funding, and as Microsoft announced a $17.5 billion investment in the country’s AI infrastructure. While critics argue India still lacks sufficient high-end computing power and risks becoming more of an AI consumer than a creator, Lokesh said embracing the technology would generate long-term jobs and growth, pointing to China’s rapid industrial transformation as a model. For non-Indian companies, the plan signals a bid to turn Visakhapatnam into a strategic Asian data and AI hub with cheap land, expanding connectivity and government backing, potentially offering foreign firms a lower-cost base to serve India’s billion-plus internet users and the wider Indo-Pacific digital market.
https://www.barrons.com/news/india-plans-ai-data-city-on-staggering-scale-cc18d323
Editor’s Note: India is planning a massive “data city” in Visakhapatnam, backed by $175 billion in investment commitments including Google’s $15 billion AI hub and Reliance’s $11 billion data centre venture. Positioned as a submarine cable landing point and AI infrastructure hub, the project aims to attract global firms with cheap land and expanding connectivity, though critics warn India risks becoming more of an AI consumer than creator.
PVV Infra Signs Taiwan Pact to Build Integrated Clean Energy Manufacturing Hub in Andhra Pradesh
PVV Infra Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ITC Services Company Limited for consultancy, customisation and technology transfer covering solar cell manufacturing, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), micro-inverters and smart power electronics. The partnership provides for joint development, trial production, training, process stabilisation and transfer of manufacturing documentation under a phased plan targeted for completion in 14–18 months. PVV Infra said the collaboration supports its plan to establish an Integrated Clean Energy Manufacturing Complex with capacities of 1.2 GW in solar cells using TOPCon technology, 1 GW in solar module assembly, along with BESS and micro-inverter manufacturing facilities.
The company had earlier signed an MoU with the Government of Andhra Pradesh in November 2025 for a renewable energy manufacturing project estimated at about ₹650 crore, but following the Taiwan technology tie-up and expansion into integrated manufacturing, the proposed investment is now expected to rise to around ₹1,250 crore, subject to phased implementation and financing closure. Projects above ₹1,000 crore qualify as Mega Projects in the state and are eligible for subsidies, the company said, adding that the expansion would boost domestic value addition, cut import dependence for critical components, and generate large-scale employment while creating a regional clean-energy ecosystem. The board also approved the appointment of Tse Hsiung Norman Lao as Additional Director (Non-Independent) from February 9, 2026. For non-Indian companies, the project highlights growing opportunities to partner in India’s renewable manufacturing push through technology transfer, component supply and joint ventures, as the country scales up local production of solar and energy-storage hardware for both domestic and export markets.
Editor’s Note: PVV Infra has partnered with Taiwan’s ITC Services to establish an integrated clean energy manufacturing hub in Andhra Pradesh, covering solar cells, modules, battery storage, and smart power electronics with a phased rollout in 14–18 months. The expanded project, now valued at around ₹1,250 crore, qualifies as a Mega Project and is expected to boost domestic value addition, reduce import dependence, and generate large-scale employment in the regional clean-energy ecosystem.
India Approves ₹1.6 Trillion Investment Push for Infrastructure, Cities and Startups
India’s Union Cabinet has approved projects worth about ₹1.6 trillion (around $18 billion) to strengthen infrastructure, urban development and the startup ecosystem, Information Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Saturday. The investment will focus on improving transport connectivity, logistics networks and urban facilities while supporting innovation-driven enterprises, forming part of the government’s broader strategy to boost economic growth and employment. Officials said the funding will prioritise long-term capacity building across sectors seen as critical to domestic demand and industrial productivity.
The projects are expected to be implemented in phases with coordination between central and state governments, and will channel resources into city services, technology-led ventures and infrastructure expansion. Analysts said the scale of the programme underlines India’s reliance on public investment to sustain momentum in manufacturing and services. For non-Indian companies, the decision signals fresh opportunities in construction, logistics, smart-city systems and technology partnerships, as global firms can participate through contracts, joint ventures and supply chains linked to India’s expanding infrastructure and urban modernisation drive.
Editor’s Note: India has approved ₹1.6 trillion worth of projects to boost infrastructure, urban development, and the startup ecosystem, focusing on transport, logistics, and innovation-driven enterprises. The phased program highlights India’s reliance on public investment to sustain growth, while creating opportunities for global firms in construction, smart-city systems, and technology partnerships.
India in Talks to Link UPI With Ant’s Alipay+ for Cross-Border Payments
India is in discussions with China-related Ant International to allow integration of its digital payments platform Alipay+ with the country’s instant payments system, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), according to a report by Reuters citing two government sources. The proposed link would enable Indian users to make payments at overseas merchants signed up with Alipay+, simplifying foreign spending and reducing cross-border transaction costs. Ant International, headquartered in Singapore and founded by China’s Ant Group, now operates independently.
Talks between officials in New Delhi and regulators with the firm are seen as signalling a cautious thaw in economic engagement with Beijing. Alipay+ currently connects around 1.8 billion user accounts with more than 150 million merchants across over 100 markets in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America, while UPI processes nearly 18 billion transactions a month in India. For non-Indian companies, the potential linkage highlights new opportunities to reach Indian consumers through global merchant networks and underscores India’s growing role in shaping cross-border digital payment standards, opening scope for partnerships in fintech infrastructure, travel payments and international commerce.
Editor’s Note: India is in talks to link its Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with Ant International’s Alipay+, enabling Indian users to make payments at overseas merchants and lowering cross-border transaction costs. The potential integration signals a cautious thaw in India-China economic ties and highlights new opportunities for global firms in fintech, travel payments, and international commerce.
Blackstone Backs Indian AI Infrastructure Startup Neysa With Up to $600 Million
Neysa has secured backing from U.S. private equity firm Blackstone as it scales domestic computing capacity amid India’s push to build homegrown artificial intelligence capabilities. Blackstone and co-investors including Teachers’ Venture Growth, TVS Capital, 360 ONE Asset and Nexus Venture Partners have agreed to invest up to $600 million in primary equity, giving Blackstone a majority stake, the companies told TechCrunch. The Mumbai-based startup also plans to raise a further $600 million in debt to expand its GPU capacity, a sharp jump from the $50 million it had previously raised, as global demand surges for specialized chips and data centres needed to train and run large AI models.
Neysa positions itself as a “neo-cloud” provider offering customised, GPU-first infrastructure for enterprises, government agencies and AI developers in India, where local compute demand is still nascent but growing rapidly. Co-founder and chief executive Sharad Sanghi said the company focuses on high-touch support and faster deployment than hyperscale cloud providers, while Blackstone estimates India’s installed GPU base could rise nearly 30-fold in coming years. Neysa currently operates about 1,200 GPUs and aims to scale to more than 20,000 over time, using most of the new capital for large GPU clusters and related networking and storage. For non-Indian companies, the deal highlights rising opportunities to partner with or supply India-based AI infrastructure providers as global firms seek lower-latency deployment, data localisation and access to one of the world’s fastest-growing AI user markets.
Editor’s Note: Neysa, an Indian AI infrastructure startup, has secured up to $600 million in equity funding from Blackstone and co-investors, giving Blackstone a majority stake as the firm scales GPU capacity to meet surging demand. The company plans to add another $600 million in debt financing to expand from 1,200 GPUs to over 20,000, positioning itself as a “neo-cloud” provider for enterprises, government agencies, and AI developers in India’s fast-growing market.
India’s Solar Manufacturing Sees Module Glut as Upstream Gaps Persist: Elara Securities
India’s solar manufacturing capacity has expanded rapidly, but growth across the supply chain remains uneven, according to a report by Elara Securities cited by ANI. Operational solar module capacity has reached about 144 GW and is projected to rise to nearly 180 GW by FY30, based on data from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. In contrast, domestic solar cell manufacturing capacity stands at around 23.4 GW, highlighting a widening gap between downstream module assembly and upstream segments such as cells, wafers, ingots and polysilicon. The report said this imbalance shows final assembly has advanced faster than core manufacturing, creating structural weaknesses in domestic production.
Annual solar installations in India are estimated at 45–50 GW, while module output is expected to reach 60–65 GW, indicating near-term oversupply in the module segment. Export opportunities have been constrained by U.S. tariffs, pushing excess modules into the domestic market and increasing pressure on smaller and standalone manufacturers, which could lead to consolidation. The report said upcoming policy measures — including the inclusion of solar cells under ALMM List-II from June 2026 and domestic sourcing requirements — could lift demand for locally made cells, benefiting firms that scale upstream capacity early. For non-Indian companies, the findings signal potential opportunities in supplying upstream technologies and materials, partnering in integrated manufacturing, and investing in higher-value segments of India’s solar supply chain as policy support shifts demand away from pure module assembly toward deeper localisation.
Editor’s Note: India’s solar manufacturing capacity has surged to about 144 GW in modules, projected to reach 180 GW by FY30, but upstream segments like cells, wafers, and polysilicon remain far behind at 23.4 GW, creating structural imbalances. With module output exceeding installations and U.S. tariffs limiting exports, oversupply pressures could drive consolidation, while upcoming policies may boost demand for locally made cells and upstream investments.