PM Modi Says Investment Will Add 5 GW Data Centre Capacity
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced that AirTrunk, a leading hyperscale data centre company operating across the Asia-Pacific and Middle East region, plans to invest approximately ₹3 trillion ($30 billion) in India and develop 5 GW of data centre capacity.
The announcement came after Modi met AirTrunk founder and Chief Executive Officer Robin Khuda. Describing the proposal as one of the largest planned investments in India’s digital infrastructure sector, the Prime Minister said the project would significantly strengthen the country’s position in the global digital economy.
“India’s digital infrastructure journey is gathering remarkable momentum. AirTrunk has announced plans to invest around ₹3 trillion ($30 billion) in India and develop 5 GW of data centre capacity. This is among the largest proposed investments in the country’s digital infrastructure ecosystem,” Modi said in a post on X.
The proposed investment underscores growing global interest in India’s rapidly expanding digital infrastructure market, driven by rising cloud adoption, artificial intelligence workloads, data localisation requirements, and increasing internet penetration.
Investment Expected To Boost Cloud And AI Infrastructure
According to the Prime Minister, the investment will help reinforce India’s emergence as a major hub for cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and next-generation digital services.
Large-scale data centres are becoming increasingly critical as businesses, governments, and technology companies generate and process massive volumes of data. The rapid growth of AI applications has further accelerated demand for advanced computing infrastructure, creating opportunities for data centre operators worldwide.
Modi said the project is expected to generate employment opportunities, strengthen local supply chains, attract further technology investments, and support innovation-led economic growth.
“It is clear that the future of the world’s digital economy is increasingly being shaped in India,” he said.
Industry analysts view the proposed investment as a strong signal of confidence in India’s long-term digital growth story and its potential to become a global infrastructure hub for technology companies.
Who Is AirTrunk?
Founded in 2015, AirTrunk is one of the largest hyperscale data centre specialists in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East region. The company develops and operates large-scale data centre campuses designed to serve cloud providers, content platforms, and enterprise customers.
AirTrunk established Australia’s first hyperscale data centre facilities in 2017 and has since expanded rapidly across key markets including Australia, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, and Malaysia.
The company focuses on building highly efficient facilities with advanced technology, operational reliability, and sustainability measures related to energy and water consumption.
Its data centres support some of the world’s largest cloud computing and digital service providers, enabling businesses to scale computing, storage, and AI capabilities.
Why Is India Becoming A Data Centre Hotspot?
India has emerged as one of the fastest-growing data centre markets globally due to increasing digital consumption and rising enterprise demand for cloud infrastructure.
The growth of AI, digital payments, ecommerce, online entertainment, and government-led digital initiatives has significantly increased demand for data storage and processing capabilities.
In addition, data localisation regulations and the expansion of global cloud providers have encouraged substantial investments in local infrastructure.
The proposed AirTrunk investment could further accelerate this momentum by adding significant capacity to India’s digital ecosystem while supporting the country’s ambitions to become a global technology and innovation hub.
