Indian Economy News

Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Mr. Piyush Goyal Chairs CEO Roundtable on Ease of Doing Business for Scaling India’s Data Centre Ecosystem

India is strengthening its position as a major global destination for data centres, with the government focusing on improving the ease of doing business and accelerating the development of digital infrastructure. Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Mr. Piyush Goyal chaired a CEO Roundtable on “Ease of Doing Business for Scaling India’s Data Centre Ecosystem” at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi, bringing together industry stakeholders and government representatives. The Minister highlighted the potential of data centres, semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced manufacturing to drive India's future growth and contribute towards the vision of building a Rs. 2,831.40 lakh crore (US$ 30 trillion) economy by 2047. He noted that investments of around Rs. 18.88 lakh crore (US$ 200 billion) could potentially flow into India's data centre industry. The discussions focused on strengthening the enabling ecosystem for faster and sustainable expansion of data centre infrastructure amid rapidly increasing demand from cloud computing and AI workloads.

Hyperscalers accounted for more than 80% of data centre absorption during the first half of 2026, highlighting India's growing importance as an AI infrastructure destination. Stakeholders discussed measures to improve reliable power availability, including cluster-based transmission planning, Day-1 sanctioned load, dual power feeders and renewable energy procurement across State boundaries. The need for data-centre-ready land banks and power-ready locations was also highlighted, alongside regulatory reforms aimed at reducing project timelines through streamlined single-window approvals and suitable building regulations. The National Building Code 2026 now specifically recognises data centres under Group E and includes a dedicated annex covering requirements such as fire-risk assessment and data-centre-specific performance indicators. Representatives from eight State governments and around 46 data centre companies participated in the roundtable. The discussions are expected to support actionable reforms, accelerate investment and innovation, strengthen India's digital infrastructure and position the country as a trusted global data centre hub.

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