Mumbai, Nov. 12 -- Google is laying fresh digital rails across India's artificial intelligence (AI) landscape. As the AI race heats up among both Indian companies and global giants, the Big Tech firm is betting on local capacity, new data centres, and partnerships with Indian startups and governments to anchor its next phase of growth, its top executive in the country said in an interview.

"AI gives us a tool to leapfrog ahead," said Preeti Lobana, country manager for Google India. "This is about transforming lives, not just balance sheets."

On 14 October, Google announced a $15-billion investment to set up a data centre and international subsea gateway in Visakhapatnam, connecting the coastal city to several global networks. The facili...