Google is constructing a massive artificial intelligence datacentre in Andhra Pradesh, India, that will be the company’s largest hyperscale AI facility outside the United States. The project, developed in partnership with the Adani Group, was announced to local communities in Tarluvada village last year with promises of job creation, economic growth, and generous land compensation. Initial enthusiasm has shifted to widespread concern among residents and environmental activists regarding the facility’s potential consequences for the region.
State environmental clearances reveal the project’s actual capacity exceeds publicly stated figures by more than double, reaching 2.51 gigawatts of power consumption—equivalent to more than 30 percent of current energy usage across the entire state, which has a population exceeding 55 million people. The rapid approval process has drawn criticism, with environmental permits granted in just nine days without public consultation. Multiple legal challenges have been filed with India’s National Green Tribunal and state high court, with petitioners arguing that government assessments of environmental and water supply risks were inadequate and scientifically unrealistic.
Concerns center on the region’s existing environmental pressures, including extreme heat regularly reaching approximately 45 degrees Celsius, water scarcity issues, and forest preservation. The project requires clearing more than 100 acres of forest land, which activists warn could further elevate local temperatures. While Google has stated the facility would use air-cooling technology and have no impact on drinking water supplies, comparable datacentre projects in water-stressed regions globally have faced accusations of worsening drought conditions and water contamination.
India’s government argues that datacentre development is essential for the nation’s long-term digital competitiveness, noting that India generates nearly 20 percent of global data while hosting only approximately 3 percent of datacentres worldwide. However, local residents and activists contend that concentrating such massive infrastructure in a region already facing significant environmental and resource challenges will impose substantial costs on vulnerable communities.
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