Bharatiya Janata Party MLA and BJP Yuva Morcha president Dheeraj Muniraju has called on the Congress-led Karnataka government to create dedicated data centre parks in Bengaluru and its outskirts. This appeal comes following reports that a Google data centre project opted for Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh over Bengaluru. Responding to this, Karnataka’s IT and Biotechnology Minister Priyank Kharge emphasized the need for a more sustainable approach, highlighting the importance of data centres while advocating for better methods of implementation.
During a session in the Assembly, Muniraju highlighted the lack of specific parks for colocation and enterprise data centres in Bengaluru, despite its reputation as the global IT hub. He expressed concerns over companies relying on private entities due to the absence of dedicated government facilities, leading to operational challenges and the migration of major firms to other cities. Muniraju proposed the establishment of a significant data centre park in Doddaballapur, north of Bengaluru, leveraging the region’s available land resources, particularly for accommodating tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Oracle, and Alibaba.
Kharge acknowledged the incentives provided by Andhra Pradesh to attract the Google data centre project, emphasizing the significant subsidies and benefits offered to the tech giant. He also underscored the resource-intensive nature of data centres, citing the substantial power and water requirements for their operation. The minister mentioned the ongoing review of Karnataka’s Data Centre Policy to ensure sustainability and promote the development of such facilities not only in Bengaluru but also in other regions like Mangaluru and coastal areas.
In light of the resource constraints in Bengaluru, Kharge emphasized the focus on small, medium, and large data centres rather than hyperscale facilities due to factors like the absence of a port and water scarcity in the city. The government aims to revise its policy to encourage the establishment of data centres for emerging technologies while considering environmental sustainability and equitable development across various regions.
