{
  "id": 3241649,
  "title": "India data centre space poised for fourfold expansion",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/india-data-centre-space-poised-for-fourfold-expansion",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-25T09:25:25.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Arabian Post",
    "slug": "arabian-post",
    "url": "https://thearabianpost.com/india-data-centre-space-poised-for-fourfold-expansion/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "India's data centre real estate footprint is expected to more than quadruple by 2030, reaching over 101 million square feet from 27 million square feet in the first half of 2026. This expansion is driven by rapid investments in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and hyperscale infrastructure, totaling more than $300 billion. The sector is among India's fastest-growing infrastructure fields, with installed data centre capacity projected to exceed 6.7 gigawatts by the end of the decade, up from 1.8 gigawatts in the first half of 2026. This growth stems from increased demand for computing power, fueled by generative AI, cloud migration, digital payments, video streaming, 5G networks, enterprise digitisation, and the need for local processing capacity. Forecasts vary due to differing industry definitions of capacity and projects, with one assessment predicting 12 gigawatts of operational data centre capacity by 2030, up from 2.2 gigawatts in 2025. AI-focused capacity alone could surge from 275 megawatts in 2025 to over 6.5 gigawatts by the decade's end. Power availability poses a significant constraint, with data centre electricity demand expected to reach 13.56 gigawatts by 2031-32, necessitating substantial additions to generation, transmission, and renewable energy infrastructure. Developers are also leveraging advanced cooling technologies to minimize electricity and water consumption. Key data centre markets include Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi-NCR, and Bengaluru, benefiting from submarine cable connectivity, fiber infrastructure, and proximity to international cable routes. Major global technology companies and large domestic groups, such as Google, Reliance Industries, and Lodha Developers, are spearheading the investment surge. Google is constructing an AI hub in Visakhapatnam under a $15 billion investment plan, while Reliance Industries is developing a 168 MW AI-enabled data centre in Jamnagar, Meta's first built-to-suit capacity in the country. Real estate firms like Lodha Developers are venturing into data centre development, planning a 1 GW powered-shell capacity project in Palava, Mumbai. Other companies are expanding their infrastructure footprint, with Yotta Infrastructure targeting additional capacity in Greater Noida, Anant Raj aiming for 357 MW of IT load across Haryana, and NTT Data planning major additions in Hyderabad.",
  "summary": "India’s data centre real estate footprint is projected to exceed 101 million square feet by 2030, nearly four times the 27 million square feet recorded in the first half of 2026, as artificial intelligence, cloud computing and hyperscale investments accelerate demand for digital infrastructure. The expansion is being backed by more than $300 billion in announced investment commitments across data…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}