Has India's DC stock surpassed 1.5 GW with 260 MW added during 9M 2025?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- India's data centre capacity exceeds 1.5 GW as of 9M 2025.
- 260 MW of capacity added this year.
- Mumbai leads with a 53% market share.
- Investment commitments in the sector reach $30 billion in 2025.
- India is a cost-competitive DC environment globally.
New Delhi, Nov 12 (NationPress) For the very first time, India's data centre (DC) capacity has exceeded 1.5 gigawatts (GW) in the initial nine months of this year (9M 2025), according to a report released on Wednesday.
During this period, an additional 260 MW has been integrated from January to September.
According to CBRE South Asia, a real estate consulting firm, "The surge in capacity is primarily fueled by swift digitalization, supportive government policies, and escalating corporate investments in Artificial Intelligence (AI)."
The report indicates that Mumbai dominates the nation’s total DC capacity, accounting for 53 percent of the total, approximately 1,530 MW as of the end of September.
This advantage stems from its closeness to global internet exchange hubs and its status as a critical entry point for international submarine cables.
Following Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi-NCR, and Bengaluru hold shares of 20 percent, 10 percent, and 7 percent, respectively. Collectively, these four cities represent nearly 90 percent of the country’s total DC capacity.
India’s DC capacity has witnessed remarkable growth over the past four to five years, reflecting the nation's rapid digital transformation, as noted by Anshuman Magazine, Chairman & CEO, India, South-East Asia, Middle East & Africa, CBRE.
“The swift digitalization driven by increasing Internet penetration, cloud adoption, and the rise of AI and the Internet of Things (IoT) has escalated the demand for robust data infrastructure,” he continued.
This growth is bolstered by governmental policies and data localization standards, positioning India as a vital hub for both global and domestic investors, Magazine further commented.
The report also detailed that India provides one of the most cost-effective DC environments globally, buoyed by lower construction and electricity costs compared to markets like Singapore, China, and Japan.
Moreover, the nation boasts a sizable pool of digital and AI talent, comprising around 16 percent of the global AI workforce, with over 600,000 professionals expected to double by 2027.
According to the CBRE report, India has attracted nearly $94 billion in DC investment commitments since 2019, with Telangana, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu emerging as the top three destinations.
In the January-September 2025 timeframe, the country’s DC sector saw investment commitments totaling approximately $30 billion.