Andhra Pradesh poised to join Mumbai, Chennai as subsea cable hub

Andhra Pradesh is emerging as a new hub for subsea cable infrastructure as global technology giants expand their presence in the region. Microsoft and Google are among the companies investing in fresh submarine cable connectivity, signalling a shift away from the traditional concentration of such infrastructure in Mumbai and Chennai.

The influx of datacentre investments has catalysed interest in establishing dedicated subsea cable routes to Andhra Pradesh, enhancing the state's digital connectivity backbone. These cables are critical for international data transmission and support the growing demand from cloud computing and digital services sectors.

Currently, India's subsea cable infrastructure remains heavily concentrated on the western and eastern coasts, with Mumbai and Chennai serving as primary international gateways. The development of alternative routes through Andhra Pradesh would distribute bandwidth capacity more evenly across the country and reduce dependency on existing hubs.

The state's strategic coastal location and government's focus on attracting technology investments have positioned it favourably for this infrastructure development. Industry analysts view the emergence of a third subsea hub as significant for India's digital economy, potentially lowering latency and costs for data services across South and Southeast Asia.