New Delhi, July 2 (APAC Media): Lightstorm, Microsoft, Singtel and Tata Communications have joined hands to build a new subsea cable linking India with Southeast Asia.
India-Southeast Asia Subsea Cable
Lightstorm has signed a joint agreement with Microsoft, Singtel and Tata Communications to develop I-2SEA, a new submarine cable system connecting India, Malaysia and Singapore. The project aims to strengthen digital connectivity across the region as demand for artificial intelligence (AI), cloud services and hyperscale data centres continues to rise.
The nearly 3,600-kilometre cable will have two landing points in India-Machilipatnam and South Chennai. It will connect with Lightstorm’s existing terrestrial network of more than 30,000 kilometres, extending high-capacity connectivity to major data centre hubs including Hyderabad, Chennai and Mumbai, along with over 80 data centres across the country.
AI And Cloud Infrastructure
The cable system is designed to support businesses running AI training, inference and cloud workloads that require low-latency, high-capacity networks. It will also improve connectivity between India’s fast-growing data centre markets and Singapore, one of Asia’s largest cloud and AI hubs, while providing a direct link to Malaysia’s expanding digital infrastructure ecosystem.
The project is expected to be ready for service by the fourth quarter of 2029. It will be built under a Joint Build Agreement between the four companies. NEC Corporation will supply the cable system, while ASEAN Cableship Pte Ltd (ACPL) has been appointed to carry out marine installation. The consortium has also opened the system for capacity commitments from enterprise and cloud customers.
