Mega Data Centres and Sustainable Digital Infrastructure

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Citizens and activist groups in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra recently staged protests against new mega data centre projects over resource consumption and environmental concerns.
Tech giant Google is establishing a 1 GW artificial intelligence data centre campus across Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli districts in Andhra Pradesh.
E-commerce leader Amazon is constructing a hyperscale facility in Thane, Maharashtra, requiring 422 MW of power capacity.

Data centres serve as specialized technical facilities that house servers, storage networks, security tools, and cooling equipment to process digital information.
India hosts approximately 150 operational data centres, with Mumbai commanding over 50% of total national capacity alongside emerging hubs in Visakhapatnam, Pune, and Ahmedabad.
India produces nearly 20% of global digital data but currently controls only 3% of world data centre capacity, creating a critical infrastructure deficit.
Rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence and cloud computing will expand India's dedicated AI computing capacity from 275 MW to 6,546 MW by 2030.
Over 1.03 billion active internet subscribers in India generate nearly 22 billion UPI payment transactions every month, requiring immense storage facilities.
State governments offer lucrative incentives such as cheap land, electricity subsidies, tax reimbursements, and fast-track permits to attract big investments.
Global technology corporations are making substantial commitments, including Google's 1 GW campus in Visakhapatnam and Reliance-Meta's 168 MW project in Jamnagar.
Strict national data sovereignty rules require companies to store personal and financial data within domestic borders, driving server demand inside the country.

Several states including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana have established specialized data centre policies to attract foreign and domestic capital.
State policies offer direct financial perks like stamp duty waivers, land concessions, subsidized power rates, and corporate tax reimbursements.
Governments build dedicated industrial data parks equipped with uninterrupted power lines, robust water feeds, high-capacity substations, and relaxed building norms.
The national Digital India program launched in 2015 continues to expand public online services and generate heavy data traffic across the nation.
The National Informatics Centre maintains specialized high-performance national data centres to support critical e-governance applications.

Liquid cooling systems require massive amounts of water, where a single 1 MW facility can consume 25.5 million litres of water every year.
AI facilities will add nearly 26.3 GW of power demand by 2031-32, creating sharp load spikes of 1 to 1.5 GW that can disrupt local power grids.
Data centre energy consumption could reach 7% of total domestic electricity demand by 2040, driving fossil fuel use and heavy reliance on backup diesel generators.
These projects absorb vast capital and land resources while generating very few permanent employment opportunities after initial construction ends.
Project approvals often lack public disclosure, mandatory community consultations, and clear figures regarding long-term power and water draw.
Heavy government subsidies and debt-funded expansion could produce underutilized or stranded assets if long-term AI commercial returns fall short.

Developers must publicly release independently verified data on expected electricity usage, water withdrawal, waste generation, and emissions before receiving permits.
Authorities must conduct mandatory public hearings to allow local residents, city councils, and environmental groups to review project documents beforehand.
Data facilities must adopt recycled wastewater, closed-loop cooling systems, and rainwater collection systems to avoid depleting local drinking water reserves.
Regulatory bodies must carry out comprehensive cumulative impact studies evaluating potential risks to nearby forests, wildlife sanctuaries, air quality, and residential areas.
Facility owners should transition to solar, wind, and battery storage technologies to reduce grid stress and eliminate reliance on diesel backup generators.
Planners should situate major data hubs away from densely populated cities, water-stressed basins, and delicate natural ecosystems.
Clear binding clauses should mandate local hiring practices, technical skill development programs, and community infrastructure upgrades.
Regulators should implement real-time tracking of utility usage, supported by strict financial penalties for environmental non-compliance.