The Adani Group, one of India’s largest and most diversified conglomerates, has announced a massive investment plan to set up a 1 GW (gigawatt) hyperscale data centre infrastructure in Maharashtra. The project, which will be powered by renewable energy, is expected to create 20,000 direct and indirect jobs and boost the state’s digital economy.
MoU signed at WEF 2024
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Maharashtra government and Adani Enterprises Ltd, the flagship company of the group, was signed in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani at the World Economic Forum 2024 in Davos, Switzerland. The MoU outlines the scope and timeline of the project, which will be completed in 10 years with an investment of Rs 50,000 crore.
Data centre locations and distribution
The data centre infrastructure will be set up in key locations such as Mumbai or Navi Mumbai and Pune, where there is a high demand for data storage and processing services. The Adani Group also intends to make deemed distribution investments to power the proposed data centre infrastructure, which will require a large amount of electricity.
Renewable energy and sustainability
The project will be aligned with the Adani Group’s vision of becoming a leader in green energy and sustainability. The data centre infrastructure will be powered by renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, which will enhance the green energy infrastructure in Maharashtra and contribute to India’s broader renewable energy targets. In 2023, Adani Electricity Mumbai Ltd supplied up to 38 per cent of Mumbai consumers’ electricity from renewable sources, and is targeting to reach 60 per cent by 2027.
Benefits for Maharashtra and India
The project will have multiple benefits for Maharashtra and India, such as:
- Creating employment opportunities for 20,000 people directly and indirectly
- Enhancing the digital infrastructure and services in the state
- Attracting more investments and businesses in the IT sector
- Supporting the growth of emerging technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, big data and internet of things
- Reducing the carbon footprint and environmental impact of data centres
- Strengthening India’s position as a global hub for data centres