Vizag on the Verge of Becoming India’s AI and Student Capital?

Google’s decision to invest $15 billion to set up its largest AI hub outside the US in Visakhapatnam marks a moment for India’s digital economy and a turning point for students. Beyond the investment, the hub will initiate a new phase in which global AI innovation and talent development are converging on Indian soil.

Calling it one of the most significant developments in India’s technology landscape, Dr Nipun Sharma, CEO of TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship, told AIM the initiative is expected to create “5,000–6,000 direct jobs and an additional 20,000–30,000 indirect opportunities, with the government estimating associated employment for over 1,80,000 people.” 

But the real impact, he said, lies in the kind of opportunities this hub will unlock for India’s students and young professionals through internships, apprenticeships, and academic collaboration for research projects.

Prof. Raja Pappu, dean at GITAM School of Business, Vishakapatnam, agrees that the scale of the project makes it transformative not only for engineering but also for management education. “This is going to be one of the biggest AI hubs in the world after the US. It will create immense real-time learning opportunities for students in and around Visakhapatnam,” he said. “Google encourages learning, and this will open up new avenues for internships and industry exposure.”

From Classrooms to Labs

Experts emphasise that the Visakhapatnam hub will go far beyond theoretical research; it’s designed to offer hands-on, real-world experience. As Dr Sharma puts it, “A facility of this scale is not just a research centre, it’s an ecosystem of innovation.”

Students will gain exposure to advanced technologies, including deep learning frameworks, neural networks, computer vision, and generative AI models, as well as high-performance computing and large-scale data processing.

Arpit Mittal, founder and CEO of Speak.ai, believes this is where true learning happens. “The most valuable part of this hub will be the real projects students get to work on. Instead of just studying theory, they will handle live data, AI models, and the same tools that global teams use.”

Prof. Pappu noted that the ripple effect will extend to educators as well. “AI has disrupted the entire education landscape. This hub will encourage universities to design new courses and offerings that complement both engineering and management learning,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity for educators as much as it is for students.”

Dr Sharma also highlighted how the hub’s focus on sustainability will add a unique learning dimension. “Many of the roles and projects emerging from the hub will focus on building, operating, and maintaining AI infrastructure that runs sustainably on green energy,” he said. Students will gain exposure to “renewable-powered data centres, carbon-efficient AI models, and integration of AI with energy management systems.”

Bridging Education and Employability

For India, a long-standing challenge has been ensuring that students graduate with skills relevant to industry needs. Both Sharma and Pappu see Google’s new hub as a direct bridge between the classroom and the workplace.

“While India has no shortage of engineering talent, the persistent challenge has been employability,” Dr Sharma said. “Apprenticeships, internships, and research tie-ups can ensure that students gain direct exposure to real-world AI applications — from cloud-based ML platforms to enterprise AI development.”

“Universities must focus on developing students’ critical thinking, decision-making, and analytical skills, while industries should provide internships and help co-develop cutting-edge curriculum”. Prof Pappu added that’s how the gap between academia and industry can be narrowed significantly. 

“We would love to collaborate with Google and would be proud to contribute to this journey. It’s not just about workforce development; there’s huge potential for research, from high-performance computing to AI and data sets.”

Mittal echoed that view: “One of the biggest challenges we face is that what students study often does not match what the industry needs. A hub like this can help close that gap. If students get to spend some time working with engineers there, they will learn how real projects run, how teams work together, and how ideas are turned into products.”

Ultimately, this hub represents an inflection point for India’s AI-ready workforce. “The Visakhapatnam AI hub represents more than just a job creation initiative — it is a gateway for students to engage with global AI innovations,” said Dr Sharma.
Access to advanced technologies will enable learners to “experiment, prototype, and develop AI-driven solutions across sectors like healthcare, agriculture, finance, and logistics,” he added.

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