Lokesh asks Google Cloud to establish data centre in Vizag

VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh is getting transformed into a cloud infrastructure hub and the state is aiming to set up data centres in Visakhapatnam, Education and IT Minister Nara Lokesh has said.

During his current US visit, Lokesh urged Google Cloud to establish its data centre in the port city.

As part of his efforts to attract investments from the US, Lokesh visited the Google campus in San Francisco and held a meeting with its CEO, Thomas Kurian, its global networking vice-president Bikas Koley, the vice-president of its business applications Rao Surapuneni, and vice-president of Google Maps Chandu Thota.

The minister urged them to consider setting up a data centre in Visakhapatnam under Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode.

Lokesh told the Google's top bosses, "The state government is implementing Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based e-governance and programmes like the smart city. Andhra Pradesh is the right place for investments," he said and urged the CEOs to consider providing services like AI tools and enterprise solutions to help digitalise government services.

Lokesh also sought the cooperation of Google with the state government in real-time management, disaster response and urban planning besides in interlinking the smart cities with Google Maps, which are part of Geospatial services. He also wanted Google to hold AI-based training classes to the youth on digital education and skill development.

The Google's top brass said that they will hold discussions with their colleagues and take decisions in these respect.

Nara Lokesh, during a meeting in San Francisco with the Indian diaspora and US-India Business Council representatives said this was the right time to invest in the state. The government is following investor-friendly policies and the state has a long seacoast along a wide highway network besides having transport facilities by sea and by air, Lokesh said.

He said that very soon the state will be transformed into a start-up and manufacturing hub.

Lokesh explained, “As part of decentralising development, Anantapur is being encouraged for setting up automobile units, we will have renewable energy units in Kurnool, IT, pharma and medical equipment manufacturing units in Visakhapatnam. Prakasam district is promoted as the biofuel manufacturing centre while aqua industry will spread out in both the Godavari districts, he said. Lokesh said that the Artificial Intelligence (AI) University will soon be established to produce experts with international standards.

The founder of the India diaspora, M Rangaswamy, the executive members of the US-India Business Council, Kavitha Mariyappan, Siva Sivaram, Ramakanth Alapati and several others were present.