Indian
conglomerate commits record investment to build renewable-powered AI data
centers by 2035, positioning the nation as a strategic alternative to
traditional computing hubs as global tech giants seek energy-efficient,
regulation-friendly infrastructure beyond U.S. borders.
India's
Adani Group has unveiled a transformative $100 billion investment plan to
develop AI-ready data centers across the country over the next decade, marking
one of the largest infrastructure commitments in the nation's history. The
initiative, announced at India's AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, aims to
establish 5 gigawatts of hyperscale data center capacity powered entirely by
renewable energy by 2035. Building on AdaniConneX's existing 2-gigawatt
platform a joint venture with U.S.-based EdgeConneX—the expansion represents a
vertically integrated model coupling large-scale renewable generation with
high-density AI computing infrastructure. The investment is projected to
catalyze an additional $150 billion across related industries including server
manufacturing, advanced electrical equipment, and sovereign cloud platforms,
creating a cumulative $250 billion AI infrastructure ecosystem in India.
The
announcement coincides with surging global demand for AI computing power and
mounting pressure on tech companies to decarbonize operations. Adani's strategy
leverages the group's 30-gigawatt Khavda renewable energy project in Gujarat already
over 10 gigawatts operational supplemented by a separate $55 billion commitment
to expand renewable generation and battery energy storage systems. Strategic
facilities are planned across Visakhapatnam, Noida, Hyderabad, and Pune, with
cable landing stations at Adani-operated ports designed to support low-latency
global connectivity. Existing partnerships with Google and Microsoft will
anchor initial campuses, while an expanded collaboration with Walmart-backed
Flipkart focuses on digital commerce workloads. The facilities will incorporate
liquid cooling systems and high-efficiency power architectures optimized for
dense GPU clusters, with dedicated capacity reserved for Indian large language
models, startups, and research institutions.
"India
will not be a mere consumer in the AI age," declared Adani Group
Chairman Gautam Adani, framing the investment as a long-term
convergence play between energy and computing. "For decades, we imported
technology. Now we are building the backbone. India will not follow the AI
century India will shape it." The statement reflects broader national
ambitions to transition from the periphery of the AI boom to becoming a central
player, particularly as chip manufacturing capacity remains limited
domestically.
According
to TechSci Research, the Adani Group's $100 billion
commitment represents a strategic inflection point in the global redistribution
of AI infrastructure, signaling India's emergence as a viable alternative to
concentrated capacity in the United States and Western Europe. This investment
aligns with three converging macro trends: escalating energy demands from AI
workloads that challenge grid stability in developed markets, tightening data
sovereignty regulations requiring localized storage, and corporate net-zero
mandates driving preference for renewable-powered facilities. India's
combination of expanding digital economy, skilled technical workforce,
favorable regulatory environment, and aggressive renewable energy buildout
creates a unique value proposition for hyperscalers seeking geographic
diversification. The parallel USD55 billion renewable energy investment
addresses the sector's most critical bottleneck reliable, carbon-neutral power
at scale while the emphasis on domestic component manufacturing (transformers,
power electronics, thermal management systems) reflects lessons from recent
supply chain disruptions. TechSci Research anticipates this will trigger a
competitive response from rival conglomerates including Reliance Industries,
which has announced plans for the world's largest AI data center, potentially
accelerating India's timeline to capture 10-15% of global hyperscale capacity
by 2035. However, execution risks remain substantial: land acquisition
complexities, water resource constraints for cooling systems, and the need to
synchronize renewable generation with 24/7 computing demands present
operational challenges that will test the integrated model's viability at
unprecedented scale.