‘Data City’ to turn Vizag into tech hub

The State government is embarking on an ambitious and transformative project to develop a cutting-edge Data City, set to become a central hub for data centers, AI firms, and IT sector companies. This project, strategically located in Madhurawada near Visakhapatnam, is in line with the Telugu Desam Party’s election promise to create 20 lakh jobs over the next five years. The Data City is designed to accommodate a variety of IT companies, fostering an integrated ecosystem for technological advancements. The state government has already begun the process of land acquisition for the project, with global tech giants like Google and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) leading the way in its development.
Google, for instance, has been allotted 80 acres for a state-of-the-art data center in the city, following a memorandum of understanding with the Andhra Pradesh government. While specific details have not been disclosed, the partnership is expected to serve as a cornerstone of the city’s technological infrastructure. TCS is also set to occupy 30 acres for its expansion, bolstering the region’s growing IT sector presence.
The visionary concept of the Data City is championed by Nara Lokesh, the state’s IT Minister, who has drawn inspiration from Hyderabad’s successful Hitec City. The model for the new Data City mirrors the success of Hitec City, which attracted major firms like Microsoft to the region. Lokesh’s discussions at the World Economic Forum in Davos with companies such as Temasek Holdings and Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar have further shaped the vision, aiming to bring more data centres and tech firms to Visakhapatnam.
Lokesh expressed his excitement about the project, saying, “At Davos, we witnessed tremendous interest from IT companies, data centres, AI, and deep-tech firms to enter Andhra Pradesh. We are consolidating all these opportunities to bring them near Vizag, which will soon be a hub for tech firms in India.”