Archive · 18 Jul 2026
Experts Warn Against AI Data Centres Near Cities
Experts are saying that building big AI data centres near cities like Mumbai is a bad idea.
These centres use a lot of electricity, almost as much as 100,000 homes.
Cities already have high electricity demand, and adding more data centres could cause problems.
Experts suggest building these centres near places that have lots of renewable energy instead.
India is planning for more electricity demand in the future, but it's important to think about where to put these big, power-hungry centres.
Experts warn that building AI data centres near major cities could strain power infrastructure.
Mumbai's peak power demand is around 4,700 MW, with additional data centres adding to the strain.
Data centres consume as much electricity as 100,000 homes, putting pressure on local power grids.
India's peak electricity demand is projected to rise to 459 GW by 2035-36, with data centres being a key driver.
Experts suggest building data centres closer to renewable energy hubs to avoid urban power constraints.
- Who
- Kuldeep Jain, Managing Director of CleanMax Enviro Energy Solutions, and Narendra Sen, founder of NeevCloud
- What
- The potential strain on power infrastructure due to the establishment of AI data centres near major cities
- When
- The concerns are being raised as India plans for future electricity demand
- Where
- Major cities in India, including Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, and Chennai
- Why
- The high power consumption of data centres and the difficulty of expanding transmission infrastructure in urban areas
- Expert
- Kuldeep Jain, Managing Director of CleanMax Enviro Energy Solutions
- Power Demand
- Mumbai's peak power demand is around 4,700 MW
- Data Centre Power
- A typical large data centre consumes as much electricity as 100,000 homes
- Future Demand
- India's peak electricity demand projected to rise to 459 GW by 2035-36
- Renewable Energy
- Non-fossil fuel sources to account for 70% of India's installed power capacity by 2035-36