Vizag all set to become a major AI and data centre hub, says US Consul General

The USA-led investments, such as Google, are set to transform Visakhapatnam into a major AI and data centre hub for India, US Consule General Laura Williams has said.

Participating in a business seminar organised by American Telugu Association (ATA) at GITAM Deemed to be University on Wednesday, she highlighted the U.S.–India collaboration in strategic technologies such as quantum computing and praised Andhra Pradesh’s vision to develop a Quantum Valley in Amaravati.

She lauded the Telugu diaspora, noting that Telugu is among the fastest-growing languages in the U.S.A. She emphasised the importance of education and student exchanges in strengthening the bilateral ties.

ATA president Jayanth Challa said that the investments made by the Telugu diaspora in the U.S. stand at $215 billion, with a target of $500 billion.

The Telugu population in the U.S. has grown from 3.2 lakh to 1.23 million, making it the 11th most spoken foreign language and the third most spoken Indian language there.

ATA president-elect Satish Reddy hoped that AI and data centre projects in Visakhapatnam would spur the startup ecosystem and invited young entrepreneurs to invest in the U.S.A.

Radha Raghuramapathruni of GITAM School of Business spoke on the State’s trade ties with the U.S. in seafood, pharma, and agri products, and new opportunities in value-added food processing, renewable energy, IT, and electronics.

Indo-American Chamber of Commerce vice-president B. Prabhakara Rao was also present.