New Delhi: Google may be preparing for a wider India play that goes beyond cloud services, AI training and startup programmes. Union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Friday that the technology major is exploring investments in India across artificial intelligence infrastructure, server manufacturing and drone manufacturing.
Vaishnaw shared the update after meeting Google executives. “Google is exploring investments in India across AI infrastructure and the manufacturing of servers and drones,” he said in a post on X.
The statement is significant because Google’s India presence has so far been more closely associated with cloud, AI skilling, developer support and startup ecosystem initiatives. A possible move into servers and drones would mark a broader hardware-linked interest in the country.
The development also comes months after Google Cloud announced a proposed $15 billion investment between 2026 and 2030 to set up its first AI hub in India at Visakhapatnam. The planned project includes gigawatt-scale data centre operations, expanded fibre infrastructure and AI compute capacity.
Google has also been stepping up its India-focused AI startup efforts. On Friday, Google and Antler India launched “Google for Startups Immersion,” a programme for founders and technical leaders building AI-led companies with live products and early traction.
Separately, Google opened applications for the third cohort of Google Play Accelerator India, an equity-free programme for AI-powered app and gaming startups.
For India, the important part of Vaishnaw’s statement is the shift in conversation. Google’s India strategy is no longer being discussed only around software, cloud and startups. It is now being linked to the physical backbone of AI: data centres, compute, servers and possibly drones.
That makes the next few months worth watching. For now, Google has not announced a final investment plan for server or drone manufacturing. What is confirmed is that the company is exploring these areas, and the government is publicly positioning India as a serious destination for the next phase of AI infrastructure.
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