The digital infrastructure in India is making a history. As cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and data localisation requirements take off, the data centre sector in the country is set to grow exponentially, with a minimum of 5-fold, or almost 8 GW of capacity by 2030, which would bring in close to 30 billion of investments.
In the last five years, the data consumption in India has increased more than 30-fold due to the explosion in streaming, e-commerce, fintech, AI workloads, and 5G connectivity. Each click, cloud migration and enterprise workload needs storage, processing, and security, and that is creating the next industrial revolution in India: the Data Centre Boom.
This ecosystem integrates the telecom, power, and infrastructure industry, which is the foundation of India’s fast-growing digital economy.
Critical Growth Dynamics of the Data Center Revolution of India.
1. AI & Cloud Computing:
High-density data centers with high performance are becoming demanded by the growth of the generation of AI and cloud-native workloads.
2. Data Localization:
The RBI and MeitY regulatory requirements that force the global companies to store the Indian user data locally drive investment in local data infrastructures.
3. 5G & IoT Expansion:
With the implementation of 5G and the rapid expansion of IoT devices, the size of data creation at the edge is bountiful, requiring national distributed micro and edge data centers.
4. Green Energy Integration:
Sustainability is a new basic KPI of new facilities. The operators are progressively incorporating renewable energy in order to achieve ESG objectives and minimize carbon footprints.
A. Major Operators: Constructing the Indian Digital Backbone.
1. Adani Enterprises
Through its joint venture with EdgeConneX, Adani Enterprises is building one of the largest data center networks in India with an estimated 1 GW capacity in Chennai, Hyderabad, and Navi Mumbai.
Adani intends to combine its vast experience in energy and logistics with renewable energy and edge connectivity and become a leader in the field of sustainable data infrastructure at a big scale.
2. Bharti Airtel (Nxtra Data)
Nxtra Data is a subsidiary of Bharti Airtel that has 12 big and 120 edge data centers around India.
Supported by a 25 percent investment from The Carlyle Group, Nxtra is now aggressively growing with a focus on reaching another 400 MW of capacity in 2027.
With its large cloud and 5G backbone, Nxtra can be considered an essential facilitator of the hybrid cloud environment of enterprises, hyperscalers, and government clients in India.
3. Tata Communications
Tata Communications has decades of experience with network infrastructure and connects more than 600 data centers across the world, as well as inter-DC connectivity to its enterprise clients.
It is supported by its IZO Cloud connect and hybrid cloud services, which are the foundation of multinational corporations working in India and which will provide a smooth connection and adherence to the data localization standards.
4. Reliance Industries
Reliance industries, via their Jio Platforms, are establishing a multifaceted digital infrastructure ecosystem, encompassing data centers, cloud services and AI compute infrastructure.
Through its fiber and 5G network that covers the entire country, Reliance wants to offer end-to-end solutions to businesses, including connectivity, storage, and cloud computing.
5. STT GDC India
ST Telemedia Global Data Centres is a joint venture with Tata Communications in the form of STT GDC India, which is one of the largest colocation providers in the country, with 20+ facilities in 9 cities.
The company is also expanding by more than 200 MW of new capacity to meet enterprise and cloud demand. STT GDC is trusted by big hyperscalers and cloud players due to its reliability, scalability and sustainability, which is one of the reasons why India is a strong digital hub in the region.
6. NTT Global Data Centers and cloud infrastructure India
NTT is a Japanese conglomerate that manages one of the largest data center networks in India, having 15 large-scale data centers in Mumbai, Chennai, Noida, and Bengaluru.
The company is spending more than 2 billion dollars in expanding its capacity by 2026 with a combination of global practices and local implementation.
NTT’s specialization in hybrid cloud solutions, AI-based automation, and sustainability-based operations makes it a significant player in the data revolution in the country.
B. Enablers: Data Ecosystem: Powering and Building the Data Ecosystem.
7. Larsen & Toubro (L&T)
Data center capex is a major wave of companies to benefit India, one of them being engineering and infrastructure giant L&T.
Its EPC unit has been involved in the implementation of turnkey data center campuses, which include the design, civil, mechanical, electrical, and cooling integration.
The level of accuracy and size of L&T enables it to be a reliable collaborator in the development of global data centers.
8. ABB India
Data centers are energy-intensive, sensitive centers that demand accuracy, and ABB India is a crucial element that makes sure data centers are reliable and energy efficient.
The company offers transformers, switchgear, UPS systems, and automation controls that make the company stay on the move at all times.
The AI-based smart energy management systems developed by ABB are being deployed more into the next-generation, green data center design.
9. Anant Raj Limited
Anant Raj Limited is a well-known developer of IT parks and industrial townships, and thus it is converting its land bank into data center-ready real estate.
The company will have several plants in Manesar and Greater Noida, where it will specialize in leasing and long-term annuity income.
With its strategic land holdings and development experience, it offers great enablement of hyperscale and enterprise clients in real estate.
10. Web Werks – Iron Mountain
Web Werks is an aggressive project supported by Iron Mountain, which is a global storage company with data centers in Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.
To serve the hyperscalers, OTTs, and cloud-native businesses, the JV is investing more than 300 million dollars to build sustainable and edge-ready facilities.
Having the historical record of Iron Mountain in terms of data security and compliance, Web Werks is the most reliable workload in an enterprise.
Conclusion: Data Centers: The Factories of the AI Age.
The Indian data center boom is similar to the 2000s telecom revolution, except this time, it is driven by AI, cloud, and 5G.
The top 10 companies, from Adani and Airtel to STT GDC, NTT and L&T are collectively making India a digital superpower.
With the world turning into the age of AI-driven computing, India has turned its data centers into the factories of the new millennium—driving innovation, powering digital transformation, and forming the backbone of the trillion-dollar digital economy of the country.
The future of the data infrastructure in India is sustainable, scalable and global, and these ten firms are the ones constructing it.
