India's data centre capacity to hit 8GW by 2030 with $30bn capex

India's data centre capacity will expand 5x to 8GW by 2030, needing $30B in capex, says a Jefferies report. Driven by AI, cloud adoption, and data localisation, leasing revenues are projected to hit $8B. Mumbai and Chennai dominate capacity.

India's Data Centre Boom: A Fivefold Expansion by 2030

India's data centre capacity is expected to expand fivefold to 8GW by 2030, propelled by rising data consumption, growing cloud adoption, regulatory data localisation requirements, and increasing deployment of artificial intelligence (AI), according to the sectoral update by Jefferies.

The report added that the expansion will require an estimated capital expenditure of around USD 30 billion and is projected to drive data centre leasing revenues up five times to USD 8 billion by the end of the decade.

Current Market Dynamics and Dominant Players

The report highlights that India's colocation data centre capacity, where enterprises lease infrastructure from operators, has already increased fivefold to 1.7GW, with occupancy levels at 97 per cent, underscoring strong demand. Mumbai and Chennai together account for nearly 70 per cent of installed capacity, with Mumbai alone holding about half, given its proximity to undersea cable landing stations and the concentration of banking and financial clients. The report added that by 2030, Bharti Airtel, Reliance, and Adani Enterprises (through AdaniConneX) are expected to collectively account for 35-40 per cent of India's data centre capacity, with AdaniConneX and Reliance leading roughly one-third of the planned capacity additions. The top five players currently dominate the market with a 90 per cent share, led by NTT GDC with about 20 per cent.

AI and Regulatory Tailwinds Fueling Growth

According to the report, the growing adoption of AI technologies is expected to further accelerate demand, as AI servers consume five to six times more power and require advanced liquid cooling systems compared to traditional setups. Meanwhile, regulatory developments such as the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, and RBI's data localisation guidelines are driving enterprises to host and process data within India, the report added.

Projected $30 Billion Capex Breakdown

The report estimates that the projected USD 30 billion capex will open opportunities across multiple sectors, including real estate (USD 6 billion), electrical and power systems (USD 10 billion), racks and fit-outs (USD 7 billion), cooling systems (USD 4 billion), and network infrastructure (USD 1 billion). (ANI)

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