AirTrunk commits $30B to build 5GW of AI data centers in India

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["Blackstone-backed data center operator AirTrunk has pledged to invest $30 billion in India by 2030, marking one of the largest commitments to the country's digital infrastructure sector. The Australian company plans to develop 5 gigawatts of new data center capacity in India, a significant boost to the nation's computing capabilities.", "AirTrunk's entry into India was marked earlier this year with the acquisition of Lumina CloudInfra. The company's ambitious plans underscore India's growing appeal as a destination for AI infrastructure, as tech companies and investors seek new geographies to expand computing capacity.

According to research firm Bernstein, data center capacity in India is projected to rise to as much as 8GW by 2030 from about 1.5GW today.", 'The Indian government has taken steps to attract investment in AI infrastructure, including offering foreign cloud providers tax exemptions through 2047 on services sold overseas if those workloads are run from Indian data centers. AirTrunk has already begun laying the groundwork for its expansion, with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announcing a letter of intent for land allotment at the Raigad Pen Growth Center, where AirTrunk plans a 3GW data center involving an investment of about ₹2 trillion (around $21 billion).', "AirTrunk's development pipeline includes about 600MW across Mumbai, Chennai, and Hyderabad. While the company did not respond to questions on whether the proposed Raigad project would account for most of the planned 5GW capacity, its announcement follows a meeting between AirTrunk CEO Robin Khuda and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who said the planned investment would help strengthen India's position as a global hub for cloud computing and artificial intelligence.", 'The investment is part of a growing trend of companies committing to infrastructure development in India.

Amazon, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Uber have announced major investments in cloud and AI infrastructure, while Indian companies Reliance Industries, Adani Group, and TCS have laid out ambitious plans to expand data center capacity. However, industry executives and analysts have raised concerns about potential bottlenecks, particularly regarding power, with Deloitte estimating that data center build-outs in the Asia Pacific could require tens of terawatt-hours of additional electricity by the end of the decade.', "AirTrunk's investment thesis is underpinned by government support, a large pool of technical talent, and access to renewable energy, according to Khuda. As the company moves forward with its plans, it will be closely watched by industry stakeholders and government officials alike, as India's ambitions to become a global hub for cloud computing and artificial intelligence continue to take shape."]