Ep7: Is India blazing a trail on green data centres? with Vivek Dahiya from Cushman & Wakefield

Artificial intelligence has sparked an insatiable appetite for computing power and data storage, driving rapid expansion of data centres - the physical backbone of the digital world. At the forefront of this expansion are hyperscalers - data centres of tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft. Their massive, scalable data centre infrastructures power cloud services and AI applications that are becoming increasingly integral to business operations and daily life.
As AI technologies continue to evolve and proliferate, the demand for data centre capacity is skyrocketing, leading to a global boom in data centre construction and investment. These modern data fortresses are growing not just in number, but in scale, with some facilities now consuming as much electricity as small cities. This growth, while enabling remarkable technological progress, also brings significant challenges. From the pressing need for sustainable energy solutions to the constant drive for greater efficiency and innovation, the intersection of AI, hyperscalers, and data centres represents a critical frontier in technology infrastructure - one that will play a pivotal role in shaping our digital future.
India’s data centre capacity is set to touch 2,000 MW by 2026. And the country is making plans to transition into a green economy. Joining me to explore the impact of data centres in India and in the Asia Pacific region is Vivek Dahiya, Managing Director & Head Data Centre Advisory Team, Asia Pacific, at Cushman & Wakefield.
In this discussion, John and Vivek discuss:
How the emergence of AI changed the market for data centres globally?
How different are developed and emerging markets in their approach towards data centre infrastructure?
What is the impact of data centres on climate change?
What policies around green energy can make this industry green?
This episode is powered by AMD EPYC Processors.
Host: John Xavier, Technology Editor, The Hindu
Produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian.