A group that includes Microsoft and telecom firm Lightstorm intends to construct an undersea cable linking India with Malaysia and Singapore. The project responds to rising demand for AI and cloud capacity in one of the world’s fastest-expanding data markets. Other participants are Tata Communications, Singapore Telecommunications, ASEAN Cableship and NEC Corporation. The planned I-2SEA system will support AI, cloud and hyperscale traffic. Investment figures were not disclosed. The 3,600 km route will reach land in Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh, near sites chosen by Meta and Alphabet for data centers. Service is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2029. Lightstorm currently serves 19 AI and cloud locations in India via terrestrial fiber and expects the new cable to raise that total to 29. India’s operational data-center capacity could double from 1.4 gigawatts by 2027 and increase fivefold by 2030 if planned projects advance, according to Macquarie Equity Research. Undersea cables carry about 95 percent of global internet traffic. India operates 17 submarine cables with a combined potential capacity of 960 terabits per second, and at least ten additional systems have been announced. Lightstorm separately plans an Indian stock listing in mid-2027.
