India — A consortium comprising Microsoft, Tata Communications, Singapore Telecommunications (Singtel), ASEAN Cableship Pte Ltd, and NEC Corporation, led by telecom infrastructure startup Lightstorm, is planning to build the I-2SEA undersea cable system connecting India with Malaysia and Singapore.
The proposed 3,600-kilometre submarine cable network is designed to strengthen regional digital connectivity and support rising demand for AI, cloud computing, hyperscale infrastructure, and data-intensive enterprise workloads across Asia.
The network will include a landing station in Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh, a region emerging as a major digital infrastructure hub following announcements by Meta and Alphabet regarding planned data centre investments nearby. The cable system is expected to become operational in the fourth quarter of 2029.
Industry experts note that undersea cable infrastructure is becoming increasingly critical as countries and technology companies accelerate investments in AI infrastructure, hyperscale cloud platforms, data centres, and high-capacity digital networks to support growing enterprise and consumer demand.
According to industry projections cited alongside the announcement, India’s operational data centre capacity could potentially double from approximately 1.4 gigawatts by 2027 and may increase nearly five-fold by 2030 if currently planned projects are executed at scale.
The I-2SEA project aims to address growing bandwidth requirements driven by AI model training, cloud services, enterprise applications, digital platforms, and cross-border data flows between India and Southeast Asia.
Lightstorm currently connects 19 AI and cloud zones across India through its terrestrial fibre network infrastructure. The addition of the new undersea cable system is expected to increase that number to 29 interconnected AI and cloud zones, significantly strengthening regional digital infrastructure capabilities.
The development also reflects India’s growing role as a strategic global digital infrastructure destination as multinational technology companies, hyperscalers, and telecom operators continue investing in cloud ecosystems, AI infrastructure, connectivity networks, and data centre expansion across the country.
Separately, Lightstorm is also reportedly preparing for a public listing in India by mid-2027. Reports earlier this year indicated the company could target a valuation of up to $1.5 billion amid rising investor interest in AI-driven digital infrastructure and connectivity platforms.
Lightstorm is a digital network infrastructure company focused on building fibre connectivity, cloud networking, and AI-ready digital infrastructure platforms across Asia. The company provides high-capacity network solutions supporting hyperscalers, cloud providers, enterprises, and digital platforms across rapidly growing technology ecosystems.
, ASEAN Cableship Pte Ltd, and NEC Corporation, led by telecom infrastructure startup Lightstorm, is planning to build the I-2SEA undersea cable system connecting India with Malaysia and Singapore.){kind=link}