Big Shifts: EPFO Lets You Tap More, Google’s $15B India Bet

EPFO: Your Provident Fund just got a lot more accessible

If you’re an EPFO member, wake up — this is huge. The EPF has dramatically loosened part-withdrawal rules. You can now pull up to 100% of eligible balances in certain cases. Old, tangled rules — a messy set of 13 different provisions — were boiled down into just three clear categories: Essential Needs, Housing Needs, and Special Circumstances. Paperwork? Much less. And the minimum service rule is now just 12 months for any partial withdrawal.

The kicker: under Special Circumstances you don’t have to justify why you need the money. That could be life-changing for people who need cash fast and hate bureaucracy. I love the move — it feels humane and practical. But fair warning: easier withdrawals might put pressure on long-term retirement savings, so members should still be cautious and plan.

Finally, EPFO is rolling out EPFO 3.0 — a phased digital overhaul using a hybrid Core Banking Solution plus cloud tech. This could speed up claims, automate payments, and help manage the organisation’s debt over five years. It’s a big tech push that might actually make the EPFO feel modern.

Google’s $15 billion play: Visakhapatnam as an AI hub

Google is planning a massive $15 billion investment to build an AI data hub in Visakhapatnam. This would be its largest AI investment outside the U.S. and is slated to roll out over about five years. The project ties cloud and AI infrastructure to renewable energy and beefed-up fiber networks. Andhra Pradesh is aiming for 6GW of data center capacity by 2029, and India’s data center scene already crossed 1GW by 2024.

Why India? Cheaper data, tons of new internet users, and incentives like subsidised land and electricity. Tech giants are flocking here. This could supercharge local jobs and infrastructure — but it also raises questions about power demand and geopolitical strategy. Still, it’s an unmistakable signal that India’s tech story is getting real muscle.