Key Points
- NEC to build 3,600 km submarine cable linking India to Singapore and Malaysia
- System connects Chennai and Hyderabad to Southeast Asian cloud hubs
- Consortium includes Tata Communications, Microsoft, Singtel and Lightstorm
Japanese technology company NEC Corporation has signed a contract to supply a new submarine cable system that will connect India directly to Singapore and Malaysia, addressing growing demand for high-capacity data links driven by artificial intelligence and cloud services expansion in the region.
The India-Southeast Asia (I-2SEA) submarine cable system will span approximately 3,600 km and is scheduled to begin operations in 2029. A consortium comprising Lightstorm, Microsoft, Singtel and Tata Communications has commissioned the project.
EVENT
Digital Senate
Digital Senate is a premier conference uniting government leaders, technologists and innovators to share ideas, success stories and strategies on digital governance, public sector transformation, cybersecurity and emerging technologies in India.
EVENT
CIO Prism
CIO Prism unites forward-thinking technology leaders to exchange transformative insights, shape digital strategies, and foster innovation, empowering enterprises to excel in an era of rapid technological change.
The system will provide direct connectivity between Chennai and Hyderabad — where some of India’s fastest-growing AI and hyperscaler data centres are concentrated — and Singapore, the region’s primary cloud interconnection hub.
Hyperscalers are large-scale cloud computing providers such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud that operate data centres handling massive volumes of data. The cable will also connect to Kuala Lumpur, which sits at the centre of Malaysia’s rapidly developing data centre corridor.
Why this route matters for India
India’s international internet connectivity relies heavily on submarine cables landing at Mumbai and Chennai. The I-2SEA system adds a new direct route to Southeast Asia, reducing dependence on existing cable paths and providing an alternative in the event of outages.
Submarine cable damage — whether from anchors, earthquakes or other causes — has historically disrupted internet services across the region, making route diversification a priority for businesses and governments.
The choice of Hyderabad and Chennai as Indian landing points reflects the growing concentration of data centre infrastructure in these cities. Both have emerged as preferred locations for global technology companies establishing AI computing facilities, driven by power availability, real estate costs and skilled workforce access.
Microsoft, one of the consortium members, has significant cloud infrastructure in India and is among the hyperscalers expanding AI computing capacity in the country.
Advertisement
Tata Communications, another consortium partner, operates one of the world’s largest subsea cable networks and already connects India to major international internet hubs. The company’s participation in I-2SEA adds to its existing portfolio of routes serving Indian enterprises and carriers.
Lightstorm, the Singapore-headquartered connectivity company founded by former Reliance Jio executives, is leading the consortium. The company has been building submarine cable infrastructure across Asia, with a focus on routes serving India’s connectivity needs.
Singtel, Singapore’s largest telecommunications company, brings experience operating multiple submarine cable systems in the Asia-Pacific region. Its participation provides access to Singapore’s role as a regional internet exchange point where networks from across Asia interconnect.
NEC, which will supply and construct the cable system, said it has laid more than 4.5 lakh km of submarine cables globally — equivalent to approximately 11 times around the Earth. The company has a strong track record in the Asia-Pacific region, having built multiple cable systems connecting countries across the area.
“It is a great honour to participate in the I-2SEA construction project,” said Tomonori Uematsu, corporate senior vice president and head of submarine network division at NEC. “Through our participation in this project, we will further contribute to strengthening the region’s digital infrastructure.”
By the numbers
- 3,600 km
- Total length of submarine cable system
- 2029
- Scheduled year for operations to begin
- 4.5 lakh km
- Submarine cables NEC has laid globally
NEC has been in the submarine cable business for over 60 years and competes with companies such as SubCom and Alcatel Submarine Networks for major international cable contracts.
The deployment addresses demand growth from generative AI applications and cloud services, which require high-bandwidth, low-latency connections between data centres. AI workloads in particular generate significant data transfer requirements as models are trained on distributed computing infrastructure and inference requests flow between users and cloud-hosted AI systems.
Your Questions, Answered
What is the I-2SEA submarine cable system?
I-2SEA is a 3,600 km submarine fibre-optic cable system that will connect India directly to Singapore and Malaysia. It will link Chennai and Hyderabad to Southeast Asian data centre hubs and is scheduled to begin operations in 2029.
Which companies are building the I-2SEA cable?
A consortium comprising Lightstorm, Microsoft, Singtel and Tata Communications has commissioned the project. NEC Corporation of Japan will supply and construct the cable system.
Why does India need another submarine cable to Southeast Asia?
The new route provides diversification for India’s international internet connectivity, reducing dependence on existing cables. This improves network resilience against outages caused by cable damage from anchors, earthquakes or other causes.
When will the I-2SEA submarine cable be operational?
The system is scheduled to begin operations in 2029.