The sixth India Smart Datacenters and Cloud Infrastructure Summit 2024, presented by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India, saw policymakers and industry leaders discussing the contribution and prospect of the sector towards a developed India.

Talking about the sector’s potential, Niranjan Hiranandani, CMD, Hiranandani Group of Companies, said, “We have more data in India than the US and China put together. Development of physical infrastructure is at an all-time high and Mumbai is going to see a sea change. Of the many development projects in the region, data centre will grow faster at a pace which is unprecedented in the annals of industry. We can do it cheaper, we can do it better and we can do it faster.”

Sunil Gupta, chair, Assocham National Council on Datacenter and co-founder and CEO, Yotta Data Services, said, “Data is the foundational resource that underpins almost every sector from finance to healthcare to retail to entertainment to government-to-government activities and government-to-citizen facing services. The development of our ‘Make in India’ sovereign cloud infrastructure will bolster data security and ensure regulatory compliance. A sovereign cloud ensures that data generated within India remains within the country’s borders and also protected completely by local law and regulation.”

“India is an untapped global data hub, we have the lowest DC construction cost, large user market in terms of both hyperscalers as well as enterprise segments. Mumbai is leading the pack in terms of the largest data centre market share, followed by Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore. We are now moving into tier-2 and tier-3 markets,” said Surajit Chatterjee, co-chair, Assocham National Council on Datacenter and MD, CapitaLand Data Centre India.

Manoj Paul, co-chair, Assocham National Council on Datacenter, said, “Data centres are crucial to India’s digital revolution because they provide the fundamental infrastructure needed to support a population that is gradually becoming more digital. They accelerate technology developments, promote startup innovation, improve government services, allow remote employment and education, and boost economic growth.”

Umesh Kamble, co-chair, Assocham Maharashtra State Development Council, also highlighted the increasing need for robust data infrastructure to support digital economy and ensure compliance in meeting local demands.

A report was also launched at the summit, highlighting the growth in the data centre sector, with capacity in India expected to double from 870 MW in fiscal 2022 to about 1,700-1,800 MW by fiscal 2025. It noted that the industry must align with global standards and best practices to support this growth and maximise its potential. The report also focused on India’s growing startup ecosystem, with data centres providing the infrastructure necessary for startups to thrive in. NDTV Profit