Source: TH
Context
A high-powered digital infrastructure consortium — comprising Lightstorm (Asia Pacific’s AI connectivity platform; majority owner), Microsoft, Singapore Telecommunications (Singtel), and Tata Communications — on 2 July 2026 officially signed contracts to begin construction of the India-Southeast Asia (I-2SEA) Submarine Cable System. The ~3,600 km high-capacity undersea fibre-optic cable — India’s first subsea system purpose-built for Artificial Intelligence (AI) workloads — will link Singapore + Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) to India’s east coast via dual landings at Machilipatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and South Chennai (Tamil Nadu). Machilipatnam is chosen for the shortest subsea path to Hyderabad’s AI data-centre clusters, while South Chennai creates a new diverse landing to bypass congested maritime paths. Governed under a Joint Build Agreement (JBA), the system will be supplied by NEC Corporation (Japan) and installed by ASEAN Cableship Pte Ltd (ACPL). Target Ready-for-Service (RFS): Q4 2029. The system will integrate Lightstorm’s SmartNet AI Fabric platform and connect via Lightstorm’s 30,000+ km terrestrial network to Hyderabad, Mumbai, and 80+ Indian data centres.
Who are the consortium partners?
- Lightstorm — Majority owner; Asia Pacific AI connectivity platform; based in Singapore.
- Microsoft — Global hyperscaler; runs Azure cloud.
- Singtel — Singapore Telecommunications Limited; ASEAN’s largest telecom operator.
- Tata Communications — India-based global digital infrastructure firm.
- System Supplier: NEC Corporation (Japan).
- Marine Installation Partner: ASEAN Cableship Pte Ltd (ACPL).
Where are the landing points?
Southeast Asian hubs:
- Singapore — the region’s primary cloud interconnect + AI hub.
- Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) — the core of Malaysia’s hyperscale data-centre corridor.
Indian landings (dual):
- Machilipatnam (Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh) — chosen for shortest subsea access + fastest data transit to Hyderabad’s AI data-centre clusters.
- South Chennai (Tamil Nadu) — a brand-new, diverse landing site built to bypass existing, heavily congested maritime paths near Chennai’s main landing point.
What are the aims of I-2SEA?
- Meet the soaring data demands of hyperscalers, GPU infrastructure providers, and enterprises running complex AI workloads between India and Southeast Asia.
- Deliver fastest transmission speeds along the strategically vital Singapore/Malaysia–Hyderabad city corridor.
- Establish India’s east coast as a key gateway for AI + hyperscale cloud infrastructure.
What is a submarine cable?
- An undersea fibre-optic cable laid on the ocean floor to carry telecommunications signals between continents.
- Global scale: ~550+ active submarine cables worldwide; total length ~1.4 million km.
- Traffic share: Carry ~99% of intercontinental data traffic — despite popular perception that satellites do the job.
- Only ~1% of intercontinental data goes via satellite.
- Typical structure: Glass fibres wrapped in plastic, steel wires, copper, aluminium water barrier, and polyethylene sheath.
- Lifespan: ~25 years.
What is India’s submarine cable landscape?
- ~17 international submarine cables currently land in India.
- 95% of India’s international bandwidth is via submarine cables.
- Major landing points:
- Mumbai — handles ~75% of India’s international bandwidth (dominant).
- Chennai — 14+ cables.
- Kochi (Kerala).
- Trivandrum (Kerala).
- Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu).
- Digha (West Bengal).
- Government push: East coast expansion (Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Machilipatnam) to reduce over-dependence on Mumbai.
Recent major India submarine cable projects
- Reliance Jio – India-Asia-Xpress (IAX) — Mumbai to Singapore (2024).
- Reliance Jio – India-Europe-Xpress (IEX) — Mumbai to Marseille (2024).
- Airtel – SEA-ME-WE 6 — new-gen high-capacity (2025).
- Meta – 2Africa — Africa-focused; touches India (2024).
- Tata Communications – TATA TGN Network — world’s largest wholly-owned subsea network.
- Bharti Airtel – Bay of Bengal Gateway (BBG).
- I-2SEA (2029) — first AI-purpose-built cable landing in India.
Practice MCQs
Q1. With reference to the India-Southeast Asia (I-2SEA) Submarine Cable System, consider the following statements:
- It has been jointly announced by Lightstorm, Microsoft, Singtel, and Tata Communications on 2 July 2026.
- The cable spans approximately 3,600 km and is targeted to be Ready-for-Service by Q4 2029.
- It features dual Indian landings — Machilipatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and South Chennai (Tamil Nadu).
- Lightstorm is a minority partner in the consortium.
How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None
(Statement 4 is wrong; Lightstorm is the MAJORITY OWNER of the I-2SEA consortium — NOT a minority partner.)
Q2. With reference to the specific purpose and design of the I-2SEA submarine cable, consider the following statements:
- It is designed specifically for AI training, GPU clusters, and hyperscale cloud workloads.
- Machilipatnam has been chosen because it provides the shortest subsea access to Hyderabad’s data-centre clusters.
- South Chennai has been chosen as a diverse landing location to bypass congested maritime paths.
- Legacy submarine cables are equally optimised for jitter-sensitive AI data packets.
How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None
(Statement 4 is wrong; legacy submarine cables are designed for standard web browsing and email — NOT for jitter-sensitive AI data packets. I-2SEA’s key differentiation is its purpose-built AI architecture.)
Answer Key
- (c) — Statement 4 wrong: Lightstorm is majority owner.
- (c) — Statement 4 wrong: Legacy cables NOT optimised for AI packets.
Exam Relevance
- UPSC Prelims & Mains: CRITICAL — GS-II (India + ASEAN, Act East Policy, Indo-Pacific); GS-III (S&T, Digital Infrastructure, AI, Cybersecurity); Prelims (submarine cables, companies, geography); Mains-Essay on AI/DPI.
- NABARD Grade A: Medium — General awareness on digital infrastructure.
- State PCS (Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra): Very High — State-specific digital infrastructure development.
