CHENNAI: India’s data centre build-up capacity is expected to reach 8.33 GW, according to a Knight Frank India report.
It said that 0.32 GW of data centre capacity is under construction, 2.92 MW is at the committed stage, and 5.41 MW is at the early-stage, as the total pipeline remains at 8.33 GW in the country.
Driven by accelerating artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, cloud computing growth, digital transformation initiatives and data localisation requirements, the country is rapidly emerging as one of the world’s most attractive destinations for hyperscale digital infrastructure investments.
The scale of the pipeline reflects growing confidence among hyperscalers, cloud providers, AI infrastructure operators and institutional investors, who continue to expand their presence in India to cater to rapidly rising digital demand.
Viral Desai, International Partner, Senior Executive Director- Occupier Strategy & Solutions, Industrial & Logistics, Capital Markets & Retail, Knight Frank India, said, “India’s data centre growth story is increasingly becoming a tale of regional specialisation.
“While Mumbai continues to anchor hyperscale deployments owing to its connectivity advantages, Hyderabad is emerging as a preferred AI infrastructure destination, and Chennai is strengthening its role as a strategic gateway for international data traffic from the east. At the same time, Vizag has rapidly emerged as one of India’s most active greenfield data centre markets, attracting gigawatt-scale development proposals backed by government support, availability of sizeable land parcels and planned subsea cable connectivity.”
Mumbai continues to dominate India’s data centre landscape, accounting for the largest share of future capacity development. The city’s total pipeline stands at 3.75 GW, comprising 0.17 GW under construction, 1.54 GW in committed projects and 2.21 GW in the early-stage pipeline.
The city’s strategic importance continues to be supported by its status as India’s financial capital, extensive fibre connectivity, robust power infrastructure and concentration of international subsea cable landings, making it the preferred location for large-scale cloud and AI deployments.
Hyderabad has firmly established itself as India’s second-largest future data centre market with a total development pipeline of 1.93 GW. The city currently has 0.03 GW under construction, 0.63 GW in committed developments and 1.30 GW in early-stage projects.
Chennai’s data centre market continues to gain momentum, backed by its role as India’s key gateway for Southeast Asian digital traffic. The city’s total pipeline has reached 1.36 GW, including 0.04 GW under construction, 0.32 GW committed and 1.04 GW in early-stage developments.
NCR has a total pipeline of 0.54 GW, while Pune’s development pipeline stands at 0.43 GW. Bengaluru, driven by enterprise demand, global capability centres and technology occupiers, has a pipeline of 0.18 GW. Kolkata’s future pipeline currently stands at 0.13 GW.
With a future development pipeline of 8.33 GW (8,326.6 MW)—more than five times the country’s current live operational capacity of 1.6 GW—India is well positioned to emerge as a leading global hub for hyperscale, cloud and AI infrastructure over the coming decade, the report said.
