Island administration looking at data centre project on Nicobar

The Andaman and Nicobar administration has issued an Expression of Interest (EoI) for a feasibility study on establishing a private-sector-led "Green AI/Data Centre Vertical" on the islands. This move comes amidst resistance from tribal communities regarding a proposed ₹91,000-crore infrastructure project on the Great Nicobar Island (GNI).

The potential sites for the data centre project are spread across the Hutbay Sea Area, Netaji Nagar Sea Area, and Campbell Bay, Anderson Bay, Vijay Nagar Bay, and Gandhi Nagar Bay on Little and Great Nicobar Islands. The administration is currently engaging with local tribal communities regarding the GNI project's draft master plan, which includes a transhipment port, airport, and other developments.

Despite the administration's involvement in drafting the master plan, no discussions have been held about incorporating a data centre project into the GNI plan. Tribal Council members have been informed about buffer areas being set aside for their settlements, but they have not been briefed about the data centre project. The EoI seeks proposals for hyperscale AI-focused data centres, GPU and high-performance computing infrastructure, cloud computing, and digital infrastructure.

Proposals should focus on renewable energy-powered operations, seawater-based cooling systems, waste-heat recovery, and submarine and terrestrial digital connectivity. The government's role in the data centre initiative will be limited to facilitating coordination and providing support in various domains, including land, power, connectivity, and environmental safeguards.