India to Roll Out Data Centre Policy Amid Power Use Concerns
What Happened
Minister of State for IT Jitin Prasada announced that India will roll out a dedicated data centre policy to regulate electricity consumption and safeguard consumers from higher power bills. The announcement was made at a Central Electricity Authority event in New Delhi. The move follows local protests against Amazon’s planned site near Mumbai and Google’s $15 billion Visakhapatnam project, with residents and environmentalists raising concerns about water use, noise, and land impact. India currently lacks a national framework for data centres, with approvals handled under environmental and building rules, while some states offer incentives. The government sees the sector as a $200 billion opportunity, central to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pitch to host global data in India.
Key Takeaways
The new policy reflects India’s attempt to balance rapid digital infrastructure growth with environmental and consumer concerns. It signals stricter oversight of hyperscale projects while reinforcing India’s ambition to be a global data hub.