Google is building a $15 billion "hyperscale" AI datacentre in Tarluvada village, Andhra Pradesh, India, initially promised as a generator of jobs and prosperity for the impoverished community. Initial optimism has rapidly turned to concern and opposition, as residents and activists fear they will bear the environmental and economic costs whilst benefiting corporations globally, mirroring protests that have erupted in California, Texas, Scotland and Australia.

The state government has been accused of obscuring the true scale of the project; whilst publicly announced as a 1GW facility, environmental clearances reveal it will consume 2.51GW—equivalent to two large nuclear reactors at full output and over 30% of Andhra Pradesh's current annual energy consumption. The project, built in partnership with the Adani Group, comprises three separate datacentres near Vizakhapatnam, with one site located metres from reserve forest, drinking water reservoirs and a wildlife sanctuary. Environmental activists fear significant consequences given that 75% of India's electricity grid currently runs on coal, though the government argues AI datacentres are essential to India's digital competitiveness, noting that whilst India generates nearly 20% of the world's data, it hosts only about 3% of global datacentres.