To wonder why Google is setting up a HUGE AI center in India and not in the UK?

[LadyGillingham]

https://www.reuters.com/world/india/google-invest-10-billion-data-centre-south-india-2025-10-14/

India has crazy salaries ! FAANG+ companies employ tens of thousands in India and pay them USD salaries. Why arent these companies investing in the UK? We are an English speaking nation, with world class universities.

A few things I can tell you from the rule book India’s IT industry played by and came out successful every time. They offered land for free to these companies and built infrastructure/connectivity around it. They gave these companies insane tax breaks. The companies, in return, created a lot of employment. Hotels, resultants, businesses boomed and govt started to get huge returns from taxes. They rinsed and repeated this in several cities. Result ? US like multi citi tech hubs creating employment and prosperity to people and Government alike.

It’s stupid to throw crazy taxes at corporations to fund illegals immigrants in hotels. Companies just move elsewhere. Result? What we have now. High unemployment, stupidly high taxes for the employed, rich moving away, companies moving away, tax deficits and then increase taxes again to fund shit initiatives, cut funding for NHS and Schools. Rinse and repeat, race to the bottom.

It’s cheaper.

It’s that simple.

Right!

Unfortunately, that part is true. The USA are keen to work in countries with labor laws similar to their own. We had recent redundancies at work - 90 days consultation and then 3 months notice and generous packages for the UK staff. The USA staff - left the same day they were told they'd been laid off, key cards cancelled, laptops taken. Then 'generously' given a months salary and healthcare covered for 3 months.
My US colleagues work as if they might be fired at any moment ( which is true) - working out of hours, checking email everyday on vacation, not taking their full 2 weeks vacation, back from giving birth within 3 months...

Lower costs in India.

It will be money.

Monthly salary is only one part of costs. Even if they are paying staff the same or higher salary than comparable jobs in the UK, overall costs for the company will be lower.

They pay salaries "competitive for the local market". So potentially in Hyderabad or Bangalore, where a lot of US tech companies have offices, local cost of living and wage landscape will mean higher wages. Elsewhere in India, with less competition for talent, not so much.

In the school my kids do to, we have seen a drip drip of Indian professionals leave each year. Almost all of them IT. One couple was IT and IT and pharmaceuticals. I asked 3 why they were living. For 2 it was the visa palaver combined with better supported life at home. The other couldn't actually get their company to sponsor their visa extension. So not a statistically valid sample but just saying. My other Indian friends and colleagues say their highly educated family members don't dream of leaving India and there is a steady stream of returns.
Having said that we also have at the same school a steady stream of Indian and African careworkers.
So some out, others in.
But Indian is definitely increasingly attractive to invest in. And not just call centers as some people think

The term FAANGS has not been used in serious investment circles for about 2 years. Some influencers might not be up to date.
As others are pointing out some of your data is a bit awry as well.
Maybe Copilot would have helped you.

Why would google put it in the UK? It’s not even a UK business.