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A new submarine cable system connecting India, Malaysia and Singapore has been unveiled, marking a significant step in strengthening digital infrastructure across South and Southeast Asia. Developed by digital network infrastructure company Lightstorm with Microsoft as a key partner, the India International Subsea Cable Express (I-2SEA) aims to provide high-capacity, low-latency connectivity between major data centre hubs. The project is expected to support growing cloud adoption, artificial intelligence workloads, enterprise digital services and cross-border data traffic while enhancing network resilience across the region.
As demand for cloud computing, artificial intelligence and digital services accelerates, robust international connectivity has become as critical as physical transport infrastructure. Recognising this shift, a new subsea cable project linking India with Malaysia and Singapore has been announced to strengthen regional data networks. The initiative is expected to improve international bandwidth, diversify existing connectivity routes and support the rapid expansion of hyperscale data centres, digital enterprises and cloud ecosystems across one of the world's fastest-growing digital markets.
Digital infrastructure provider Lightstorm has unveiled the India International Subsea Cable Express (I-2 SEA), a new submarine cable system that will connect India with Malaysia and Singapore. The project is being developed in partnership with Microsoft and is designed to establish a high-capacity digital corridor linking major data centre ecosystems across South and Southeast Asia.
The cable system will originate from Chennai on India's east coast before extending to Tuas in Singapore with an intermediate landing in Malaysia. By creating a direct international connectivity route, the project is expected to improve data transmission speeds, reduce network latency and enhance service reliability for enterprises, cloud providers and digital platforms operating across the region.
I-2SEA has been designed to meet rapidly rising demand for international bandwidth driven by cloud computing, artificial intelligence applications, digital financial services, content delivery platforms and enterprise workloads. As businesses increasingly rely on real-time data exchange, the new cable system is expected to strengthen connectivity between India's expanding digital economy and Southeast Asia's established technology and data centre markets.
The project also aims to improve network resilience by providing an additional international route alongside existing submarine cable systems. Greater route diversity reduces dependence on a limited number of international connections, helping ensure continuity of digital services during outages, maintenance activities or unforeseen disruptions affecting other cable networks.
For India, the new cable is expected to reinforce Chennai's position as a key international connectivity gateway and complement the country's growing investments in data centres and cloud infrastructure. Improved global connectivity is also likely to benefit sectors such as information technology, financial services, digital commerce, research and emerging AI-driven industries that require reliable, high-capacity international networks.
Industry stakeholders view the project as part of a broader trend of expanding digital infrastructure across the Indo-Pacific, where rising internet usage, enterprise digital transformation and growing cross-border data flows continue to drive investments in submarine cable systems. Once operational, the India–Malaysia–Singapore link is expected to strengthen regional digital integration while supporting future growth in cloud services, hyperscale computing and international data exchange.
Source Reuters
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