VISAKHAPATNAM: Visakhapatnam could emerge as one of the country’s major data centre hubs, with 1,080 MW of proposed data centre capacity projected to create 51,840 direct and ancillary jobs and generate demand for more than 5.18 crore sq ft of urban space, according to a new research report by Square Yards.
The report, “How India’s Data Centre Revolution Is Rewriting Real Estate,” identifies Visakhapatnam as the core digital hub for Andhra Pradesh and places the State third nationally in proposed lifetime data centre capacity, behind Maharashtra with 2,500 MW and Karnataka with 1,300 MW.
The proposed 1,080 MW capacity in Visakhapatnam is projected to create 3,240 direct jobs and 48,600 ancillary jobs. According to the report, the proposed data centre ecosystem in Visakhapatnam could generate demand for around 5,18,40,000 sq ft of urban space. Residential demand associated with projected workforce is estimated at another 2,33,28,000 sq ft.
The findings come as data centres are increasingly becoming a major component of India’s digital infrastructure, driven by the expansion of cloud computing, artificial intelligence, digital services and data-intensive businesses.
For Visakhapatnam, the projected capacity places the city among a relatively small group of emerging data centre locations outside the country’s traditional technology hubs.
The scale of the proposed infrastructure could also create demand for a wider ecosystem of services, including construction, facilities management, power and cooling systems, transport, hospitality and other support sectors.
The report’s projections suggest that the impact of data centre investments could therefore extend beyond the facilities themselves, creating additional demand for land, commercial development and residential housing as the workforce and supporting businesses expand.