A new industry report said India's data centre footprint is set to nearly quadruple to 101 million (mn) sq ft by 2030, reflecting robust demand for digital services. The projection captures expansion from current levels driven by cloud migration, artificial intelligence workloads and increased consumption of streaming and enterprise applications. Analysts cited accelerating hyperscaler investment and growing enterprise capacity needs as primary drivers of the projected growth.

The report indicated that the expansion will span established metropolitan hubs and emerging secondary markets as operators seek scale and resilience. Demand for purpose built facilities is expected to intensify as businesses shift from on prem solutions to wholesale and retail data centre services. Observers noted that the spectrum of services will broaden to include colocation, managed services and edge computing deployments.

Industry participants told the report that development pipelines will require substantial capital expenditure on land, construction and high density power infrastructure. The growth trajectory will place a premium on reliable grid connectivity, high capacity fibre networks and advanced cooling systems to maintain operational efficiency. Providers are anticipated to pursue partnerships and long term leases to secure supply chains and site availability.

The report further highlighted that regulatory clarity, streamlined approvals and incentives could accelerate project delivery and attract foreign investment. Sustainability considerations were identified as increasingly material, with operators evaluating renewable energy procurement and carbon reduction measures as part of long term planning. Stakeholders will need coordinated policy and industry responses to balance rapid expansion with environmental goals.

Overall, the projected increase in capacity is likely to reshape the commercial real estate and technology landscapes and support broader digitalisation objectives across the economy. Market participants will monitor execution risks and infrastructure readiness as the sector scales through this decade.