Amaravati, Oct 27 (NationPress) The government of Andhra Pradesh has established the Data Centre Advisory Council, serving as the state's authoritative body to steer policy, infrastructure, and investment strategies aimed at achieving a goal of 6,000 MW data centre capacity by 2030. This initiative aims to make Visakhapatnam a premier hub in India for digital infrastructure in the AI era.

The Information Technology, Electronics and Communications Department released a Government Order on Monday to formalize the Council’s creation.

This Council's establishment builds upon the Andhra Pradesh Data Centre Policy 4.0 and is tailored to translate significant announcements—such as Google’s 1 GW and Sify Infinity’s 550 MW—into accelerated capacity, quality job creation, and enhanced global investor confidence for Vizag and the broader state.

Under the leadership of Nara Lokesh, Minister for Information Technology, Electronics and Communications, the Council is tasked with providing advice to the government on a comprehensive, timely roadmap that encompasses power and renewable integration, high-capacity fiber connectivity, dedicated DC parks, and plug-and-play campuses, along with streamlined clearances and tailored real estate standards for hyperscale timelines. The Council will also focus on talent pipelines, cyber resilience, and global outreach to achieve the 2030 target.

In addition to enhancing strategic branding for Vizag and Andhra Pradesh, the Council will implement an ongoing policy feedback loop to refine Data Centre Policy 4.0, ensuring speed, competitiveness, and investor certainty as projects progress from MoUs to construction and operations, as stated in the Government Order.

The Council comprises leaders from hyperscale cloud services, global data centre operators, real estate and advisory firms, state data centre operators, technology enablers, industry organizations, and academia, all working together to align execution with industry requirements and international best practices on a unified platform.

The Council will include representatives from Microsoft Azure for Cloud and AI, NTT GDC India and ST Telemedia GDC for global operations, Cushman and Wakefield and JLL for land and industrial advisory, Pi Data Centres from the local ecosystem, Schneider Electric for power and cooling solutions, and Jio Platforms for fiber and connectivity. This ensures a comprehensive approach from site selection and power supply to network and operations.

The depth of policy and ecosystem support is further backed by organizations such as NASSCOM, DSCI, ISPAI, and IEEMA, along with academic leadership from Andhra University, IIM Visakhapatnam, and IIT Tirupati. Resilience partners including CERT-In, APSDMA, and APTS (State Cyber Security Operations Centre), along with the state network backbone APSFL, will aid in secure and reliable growth.

Operationally, the Council may establish domain-specific sub-committees and task forces, supported by a dedicated Secretariat from ITE&C and APEDB, with technical and operational assistance from Primus Partners to manage meetings, coordination, and follow-through. This setup enables a rigorous execution timeline from decision-making to delivery.

This framework is designed to align utilities and permissions with construction schedules, expedite commitments from Google and Sify into swift construction, and broaden the investor pipeline to achieve the 6,000 MW target by 2030 through focused international outreach, diplomatic engagement, and single-window support.

In the AI era, data is likened to oil, and data centres are viewed as refineries. With Google’s 1 GW and Sify’s 550 MW as initial anchors for a much larger expansion, Nara Lokesh expressed confidence that Vizag will rise as the data centre capital of India.

He emphasized that the Advisory Council will steer essential policy, power, and permissions to position Vizag as the most competitive destination for AI-era data infrastructure in India.