Located in Bengaluru, one of the world's fastest-growing tech hubs, Ananta is one of our most ambitious ground-up developments. Photo courtesy: blog.google
Photos: Google inaugurates massive campus 'Ananta' in Bengaluru
'Ananta', meaning 'infinite' or 'limitless' in Sanskrit, signifies the boundless potential the company sees to improve lives through technology
Tech major Google inaugurated its new campus in Bengaluru on Wednesday (February 19), touted among its largest offices globally.
India has always played the role of a strategic nerve centre in the tech discourse, the company said, adding that this is "evident in the thriving startup and app ecosystems, the digital public infrastructure that's transforming life for hundreds of millions of Indians, and the depth and diversity of Indian creators."
"Today, we are excited to share another major milestone in our ongoing commitment to India, with the inauguration of Ananta - one of Google's largest offices globally," Google announced in a blog post.
‘Building from India, for the world’
For two decades, Google said, it has played a role in facilitating transformation further - through AI-powered flood forecasting, specialised AI models to catch tuberculosis early, and helping millions of people join the formal economy with Google Pay, among others.
"Increasingly, we have been building from India, for the world," it said.
The campus features one of India’s largest installations of electro-chromic glass, and a sculpted, fluid facade for architectural interest. Picture Courtesy: Google
The new campus named “Ananta”, meaning “infinite” or “limitless” in Sanskrit, signifies the boundless potential the company sees to improve lives through technology.
Latest thinking in workplace design
"Located in Bengaluru, one of the world's fastest-growing tech hubs, Ananta is one of our most ambitious ground-up developments. A collaboration between Google India and a local development and design team, the Ananta campus embodies Google's latest thinking in workplace design," the company said.
The building’s sculpted form is more than striking architecture – it improves views, provides access to natural light, and creates an intimate layout for teams to come together, said the company.
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Each working floor in Ananta is organised like a city grid, with a network of streets for easy navigation.
Separate "neighbourhoods" foster collaboration while also giving individuals the freedom to focus within smaller nooks and booths. The new space is designed to connect people in ways that spark breakthrough ideas and innovation, the company asserted.
At the heart of the building is a vast gathering space called “Sabha”, for community and conversation.
"Ananta is part of our ongoing efforts to build with and for India and the world," it added.
Extensive landscaping, accessibility
Google said the campus design is inspired by Bengaluru’s reputation as India’s “Garden City”. The grounds feature extensive landscaping and walking and jogging paths that are ideal for casual meetings and peaceful breaks.
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The company said accessibility is woven into every detail, including new tactile flooring that supports navigation for the visually-impaired, with accessible amenities and thoughtful braille details.
Environment friendly
Ananta is designed with features that minimise its environmental footprint and contribute to the balance of the surrounding ecosystem, claims Google.
The campus recycles 100 per cent of its wastewater, harvests hundreds of litres of rainwater on-site, and features one of India’s largest smart-glass installations to reduce energy consumption.
Indian ingenuity
Google said India has always represented a very special opportunity, not just to reach millions of users within the country with products and platforms, but also have them shaped by Indian ingenuity, helping them become even more useful for the billions of users the company creates for, globally.
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"Ananta will further accelerate this mission, enabling us to deliver world-class products, foster deeper partnership with our customers, and continue to focus on solving the most complex challenges facing users, businesses, and startups in India and around the world," it said.