Google CEO Sundar Pichai highlights India's AI potential, announces US-India connectivity initiative

New Delhi: Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Wednesday said India is poised for an "extraordinary trajectory" in artificial intelligence and emphasised the company's commitment to partnering in the country's AI transformation. "AI is the biggest platform shift of our lifetime," Pichai said, highlighting its potential to address challenges at scale, from improving healthcare diagnostics to supporting farmers with real-time alerts. He noted that India's diversity, language ecosystem, and robust digital public infrastructure make it a "powerful foundation for innovation" and a blueprint for democratizing AI globally. Pichai underscored that AI adoption must prioritise trust, safety, and inclusivity. "AI must work across languages and local contexts. It must deliver real-world benefits people can rely on. Trust grows when technology is transparent, responsible, and grounded in outcomes," he said.

The Google CEO also announced the India-America Connect Initiative, a project to deploy new subsea cable routes to enhance AI connectivity between the United States, India, and several locations across the Southern Hemisphere. "Google has full-stack connectivity in India, and I have never been more excited about the future we are building together," he added. Pichai highlighted Google's previous announcement of a USD 15 billion AI hub in India, which will house gigawatt-scale compute and an international subsea cable gateway, bringing jobs and advanced AI infrastructure to the country. He also unveiled ambitious skilling programmes, including a Google AI Professional Certificate Program in English and Hindi, targeting students and early-career professionals. Other initiatives include partnerships with Karma Yogi Bharat to support over 20 million public servants, Atal Tinkering Labs to introduce Gen AI tools to 10,000 schools, and a USD 30 million AI for Science Impact Challenge to advance global research. "AI has the biggest impact when developed and deployed with institutions that understand communities best," Pichai said, pointing to collaborations with IITs, government agencies, and local institutions to expand AI access responsibly and at scale.