Brands
Google secures AP discom licence to power $15bn Vizag AI hub
First-of-its-kind move gives tech giant grid control for massive 1GW campus
VISAKHAPATNAM: Google has secured a rare electricity distribution company licence in Andhra Pradesh, marking a decisive shift from being just a power consumer to becoming a power distributor for its upcoming mega data centre hub in Visakhapatnam.
The move effectively rewrites the rulebook for hyperscalers in India. Instead of relying on state utilities, Google will be able to procure electricity directly from generators, including its own renewable sources. This not only cuts out intermediaries but also gives the company tighter control over supply, reliability and long-term costs.
For a business where electricity can account for up to 60 per cent of operating expenses, the economics are hard to ignore. Even more critical is uptime. Data centres demand near-perfect reliability, and owning the distribution layer allows Google to manage outages and load balancing with far greater precision.
At the heart of the plan is a sprawling 1-gigawatt data centre ecosystem spread across more than 600 acres in three locations near Vizag. With an estimated investment of $15 billion over five years, the project is set to become India’s largest single foreign direct investment and Google’s biggest AI-focused facility outside the United States.
The campus is being designed with artificial intelligence workloads in mind, housing the company’s custom tensor processing units to power services such as Gemini, Search and Google Cloud. In scale, the planned capacity is comparable to powering a small city.
Google is not building alone. It has partnered with Adani Infrastructure to develop the physical campuses, while Bharti Airtel will set up an international subsea cable landing station. This connectivity backbone is expected to link the hub directly to a dozen countries, ensuring low latency for global data traffic.
Vizag’s coastal location plays a key role in that strategy. It enables direct access to subsea cables and provides the large volumes of water needed for cooling data centre operations. Equally important is policy backing from the Government of Andhra Pradesh, which fast-tracked approvals and granted the uncommon discom licence to anchor the investment.
Groundbreaking is scheduled for April 28, 2026, with phased commissioning expected to begin by July 2028.
The broader signal is clear. As AI workloads surge, hyperscalers are no longer content plugging into existing infrastructure. They are beginning to build and control it. In Vizag, Google is not just setting up a data centre, it is wiring up its own future.
Brands
Ofis Square appoints Yami Gautam Dhar as brand ambassador
Actress to champion flexible workspaces as company expands in Delhi NCR.
MUMBAI: Ofis Square has found its perfect workspace muse and she comes with star power and a grounded, ambitious vibe. The premium coworking and managed workspaces brand has announced the appointment of popular actress Yami Gautam Dhar as its brand ambassador. This marks a significant milestone as Ofis Square continues to rapidly expand its presence across Delhi NCR.
Since its inception in 2022, Ofis Square has carved a niche in the Indian corporate landscape with its “Future Works Here” philosophy. The brand focuses on creating thoughtfully designed, technology-enabled environments that foster innovation, collaboration, and the evolving needs of modern businesses.
Yami Gautam Dhar, known for her credible image and strong connection with modern Indian audiences, perfectly aligns with the brand’s aspirational positioning.
Ofis Square founder Saroj Mittal said, “Yami brings with her a credibility and an energy that genuinely reflects our community people who are ambitious, grounded, and serious about what they do. We’re proud to have her with us as we step into this next phase of growth.”
Yami Gautam Dhar expressed her excitement, “Ofis Square isn’t just building workspaces; it’s trying to change the conversation around how India works. There’s a whole generation of founders, freelancers, and business leaders working differently in spaces that actually inspire them. I’m excited to be part of a brand that’s building for them.”
The collaboration reflects Ofis Square’s commitment to strengthening its role in shaping India’s evolving workplace culture through community building, networking, and industry engagement.
In the competitive world of flexible workspaces, Ofis Square has made a smart move by bringing in a relatable and aspirational face. With Yami Gautam Dhar on board, the brand is set to make workspaces not just functional, but truly inspiring.
