A fiber network dedicated to AI to meet the demand of hyperscalers and neoclouds

Tata Communications plans to build a 10,000-kilometer long-distance fiber optic network in India, specifically designed to meet the demands of artificial intelligence workloads. According to the company’s official press release, this infrastructure, dubbed the AI super highway, targets the needs of global hyperscalers, AI platforms, neocloud providers, and enterprises. The network will integrate with Tata Communications’ global network, enabling ultra-high-performance connectivity between India and major international AI hubs via submarine cable landing stations.

The investment, estimated between 400 and 450 million dollars (approximately 4,280 to 4,350 crore rupees, according to The Economic Times and Fortune India), aims to address the explosive growth in demand for data center-to-data center connectivity. The Indian data center interconnect market could exceed 1 billion dollars in the medium term, a figure cited by Light Reading and confirmed by company executives.

The AI economy needs more than just computing: it requires a network built for speed, scale, and resilience.

A phased approach to cover the country’s main AI and hyperscale hubs

The network deployment will occur in three phases. The first phase will focus on the Mumbai-Pune-Hyderabad-Chennai corridor, the main data center hubs in India, as indicated by sources from Tata Communications and Fortune India. Subsequent phases will extend coverage to emerging cities such as Vizag (Visakhapatnam), Bhubaneswar, Jamnagar, and GIFT City, thereby enhancing the network’s resilience and capacity.

Meanwhile, Tata Communications announces two complementary submarine cable projects: a Mumbai-Singapore cable scheduled for June 2026 and a Chennai-Singapore cable expected in the fourth quarter of 2029, as detailed in the company’s press releases. These infrastructures aim to provide ultra-low latency and high capacity, essential for AI operations, according to Rupesh Chokshi, Chief Product and Technology Officer of Tata Communications.

Enhanced capacity to support the growth of AI and cloud workloads

This expansion aims to meet the growing demand from hyperscalers, neocloud providers, and local businesses, whose bandwidth and low-latency needs are increasing with the deployment of AI.

Ganesh Lakshminarayanan, MD and CEO of Tata Communications, emphasizes that this project is part of a broader vision: positioning India as a global hub for cloud and AI connectivity. The network will be designed to deliver resilient, scalable, and high-performance connectivity, thus meeting the demands of next-generation AI workloads, as explained by Rupesh Chokshi: « The AI economy requires more than just computing. It demands a network built for speed, scale, and resilience. »

What this means for African cloud and telecom players

For businesses and governments in West Africa, particularly in Benin and the sub-region, Tata Communications’ project in India could serve as a benchmark for several reasons. First, it demonstrates how specialized connectivity infrastructure can become a strategic lever to attract investments from hyperscalers and neocloud providers. In Africa, where demand for data centers and cloud solutions is growing rapidly, a similar approach could enable the creation of dedicated connectivity corridors for critical workloads, such as AI or financial services.

Next, regional and international integration is a key factor. Tata Communications connects its Indian hubs to submarine cables toward Southeast Asia, highlighting the importance of relying on cross-border infrastructures to ensure global connectivity. For African players, this reinforces the idea of developing partnerships with international operators to strengthen submarine and terrestrial links, essential for the competitiveness of local digital ecosystems.

Finally, the phased deployment approach in India could inspire a pragmatic strategy in Africa, where resources are often limited. Starting with the most dynamic zones (such as Lagos in Nigeria, Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire, or Accra in Ghana) before expanding coverage to other regions would allow for optimized investments and maximized impact on the digital economy.