Union Minister of State for Science & Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, mentioned that India’s data centre capacity is expected to increase from 1.5 GW to nearly 6.5 GW by 2030. This expansion is foreseen to generate around one lakh engineering jobs in various fields like AI systems, cooling technologies, smart grids, renewable energy integration, and advanced digital infrastructure. Dr Singh highlighted that India’s evolving ecosystem, driven by AI, 6G, semiconductors, and digital public infrastructure, is opening up significant opportunities for global investments and technology partnerships.
India is entering a crucial phase where data centers, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and next-generation digital infrastructure will play a pivotal role in shaping the global economic landscape. Dr Singh emphasized that India is well-positioned to become a trusted global data center hub, supported by policy reforms, private sector involvement, clean energy integration, and a rapidly expanding innovation ecosystem. He stressed the importance of viewing the data economy not just as a technological shift but as a strategic national opportunity that will impact investments, job creation, energy systems, and geopolitical competitiveness in the future.
Describing data centers as the “next oil economy,” Dr Singh underlined the increasing significance of data control, digital infrastructure, and secure technology ecosystems in the future. He emphasized the need for India to adopt a comprehensive national approach involving government, private industry, infrastructure providers, telecom networks, renewable energy stakeholders, and research institutions to fully capitalize on the emerging opportunities in hyperscale data centers and co-location markets.
Referring to the evolving global technology landscape, Dr Singh noted that India now stands at par with leading nations in various frontier sectors. He cited the progress of the National Quantum Mission as a significant achievement, surpassing half of its planned targets in less than half the expected time. Dr Singh also highlighted the government’s strategic decisions, such as long-term tax incentives for foreign cloud service providers, the Semiconductor Mission, and opening sectors like space and nuclear energy to private participation, aiming to prepare India for future technologies and strategic industries.
India’s future growth in the data center sector will rely on resilient supply chains, sustainable energy systems, advanced telecom connectivity, subsea cable infrastructure, smart cooling solutions, and coordinated policy support across sectors. The alignment between policy backing and private sector engagement in India has positioned the country to emerge as a reliable global digital infrastructure destination.
