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India's data centre capacity quadruples to 1,575 MW since 2020
In India, special buildings called data centres hold the powerful computers that run the internet and artificial intelligence, or AI.
In 2020, India had data centres with enough power for 375 megawatts of computers.
Today, that number has grown more than four times, to about 1,575 megawatts.
The government says this big jump happened because AI and high-performance computing need lots of computer power.
A minister named Jitin Prasada shared this news with India's Parliament, the Lok Sabha.
He said the government's IndiaAI Mission is building a 'sovereign AI' system with its own computers, models, and apps.
Data centres use a lot of electricity and water, so the government wants them to run on clean energy like solar power and green hydrogen.
A new law called the SHANTI Act will help provide clean nuclear power for these centres in the future.
Companies are also using clever tricks, like cooling computers with liquid instead of air, to save power and water.
India's data centre capacity grew from 375 MW in 2020 to about 1,575 MW currently — a more than four-fold increase.
The government told the Lok Sabha that the rapid growth of AI and high-performance computing is driving the demand.
Minister Jitin Prasada said the IndiaAI Mission is building a sovereign AI stack with compute capacity, foundational models and indigenous applications.
Green initiatives such as the Green Energy Open Access Rules and National Green Hydrogen Mission support sustainable expansion.
The SHANTI Act aims to strengthen clean power for AI and data centres, including future Small Modular and Micro Nuclear Reactors.
- Who
- Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha on behalf of the government.
- What
- India's data centre capacity increased more than four-fold from 375 MW in 2020 to about 1,575 MW currently.
- Where
- India — announced in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament.
- When
- Announced on Wednesday; growth measured from 2020 to the present.
- Why
- Driven by the rapid growth of artificial intelligence and high-performance computing, which are increasing demand for data centre capacity.
Key facts
- Data centre capacity in 2020
- 375 MW
- Current data centre capacity
- About 1,575 MW
- Growth since 2020
- More than four-fold (fourfold) increase
- Key driver
- Growth of AI and high-performance computing
- Government responder
- Minister of State Jitin Prasada, written reply in Lok Sabha
- AI initiative
- IndiaAI Mission — sovereign AI stack with compute, foundational models and indigenous applications
- New legislation
- SHANTI Act — clean power for AI and data centres, incl. Small Modular and Micro Nuclear Reactors
- Published standards
- BIS standards on Power Usage Effectiveness, Carbon Usage Effectiveness, Cooling Efficiency Ratio and Water Usage Effectiveness
Quotes
Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasad
Indian minister responsible for electronics and IT
“"The IndiaAI Mission aims to build a sovereign AI stack comprising compute capacity, foundational models and indigenous applications, with a focus on democratising access to AI technologies."”
theprint.in
“"Data Centre industry in India has been growing at a steady pace and has grown from 375 MW in 2020 to current capacity of about 1575 MW."”
theprint.in
Sources
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