Google Gemini 2.5 Flash Will Be Processed Locally in India

Google announced at its I/O event in Bengaluru that its cost-efficient, low-latency AI model, Gemini 2.5 Flash, will now be processed locally in India. 

This means that the AI model will be processed in data centre facilities within the country, which prevents the need for cross-border transfer of user data. 

“This high-performance model can be accessed via Single Zone Provisioned Throughput within Google Cloud regions in India, ensuring top-tier stability and speed,” said Google in a blog post.

“This will especially help developers build for regulated industries like healthcare, banking and finance, and for the public sector, where data residency and low-latency processing are critical,” the company added. 

While Google’s flagship is the Gemini 2.5 Pro model, the Gemini 2.5 Flash provides an excellent balance of price and performance, according to multiple developers and benchmark tests. Additionally, it is one of the fastest AI models in terms of output speed. 

Similarly, the company announced last year that the Gemini 1.5 flash will be processed locally in India. 

Google operates cloud regions in India to support its cloud services. These facilities manage and process data and AI workloads for both individuals and businesses. 

The company operates two data centre zones in Mumbai and Delhi, and several reports from last year indicated that the company is working on expanding its footprint in Navi Mumbai. 

Developments such as these are in alignment with the forthcoming Digital Personal Data Protection Act of India, which advocates for the localisation of personal user data. 

On the other hand, OpenAI, a major competitor of Google in the AI industry, is reportedly planning to build data centres in India. Recently, the company introduced a data residency program across Asia, enabling organisations in Japan, India, Singapore, and South Korea to keep their data locally while using its services.

“With data residency, eligible API customers and new ChatGPT Enterprise and Edu customers can choose to have customer content stored at rest in supported countries,” said the company.