Minister for Large and Medium Industries M.B. Patil has blamed the Centre’s incentives to Andhra Pradesh behind Google’s choice for setting up its AI Data Centre in Visakhapatnam.
Fielding queries from reporters in Mysuru on Wednesday, Mr. Patil said the Union government, which is functioning with the support extended by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP), had given the neighbouring State an incentive of ₹22,000 crore.
‘Not on merit’
Google’s decision to set up its AI’s data centre in Andhra Pradesh was “not on merit”, said Mr. Patil, who added that it was “politically decided”.
However, Mr. Patil sought to clarify that no industries were leaving Karnataka. On the contrary, many were evincing interest in setting up shop in the State because of its “ecosystem” and availability of “talent”.
