India overtakes Australia, Hong Kong, and Japan in data center capacity
India is expected to achieve the highest capacity addition of 850 MW during the 2024-2026 period, surpassing major APAC countries.
India’s rise in the digital world is unstoppable as it surpasses major countries in the Asia-Pacific region, securing the top spot in data center capacity. India’s operational capacity stands at 950MW, excluding China, placing it ahead of nations like Australia, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Singapore, and Korea, according to CBRE.
India’s Remarkable Growth in Data Center Capacity
This accelerated growth is expected to continue in 2024, with a planning of supply of over 330 MW across various cities, potentially increasing the stock by 30 per cent annually to reach around 1,370 MW. Furthermore, India is set to cross a total capacity of 1800 MW by 2026, solidifying India’s dominance.
This achievement is significant, especially when considering Japan’s trailing capacity of 892MW, highlighting India’s strength in digital infrastructure. In 2023 alone, India added 255MW, bringing the total stock to approximately 1,030MW by the end. This pace is set to continue in 2024, with plans to add over 330MW across different cities. This can boost the stock by 30% annually, reaching an impressive 1,370MW by the end of the year. This indicates a considerable leap, with India estimated to surpass 1,800MW by 2026.
The rise in India’s data centre capacity is fueled by an increase in investments. Between 2018 and 2023, the sector attracted over $40 billion in investment commitments from both global and domestic investors, maintaining confidence in India’s digital future. Global investors are particularly interested in exploring partnerships and joint ventures with local operators. With the market witnessing an addition of players, merger and acquisition activities are expected to increase, leading to consolidation.
The top states that dominated the cumulative investment commitments include Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu. Mumbai and Chennai, poised to see significant growth, with over 60% of upcoming supply slated for these tech hubs.
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