Power Surge: Data Centres' Demand Soars to 13.56 GW by 2031

Electricity demand from data centres in India is projected to reach 13.56 GW by 2031-32. The data centre capacity has grown from 375 MW in 2020 to 1,500 MW by 2025. The government is accommodating this growth, focusing on AI-powered data centres and providing subsidized GPUs to startups and researchers.

The demand for electricity from data centres in India is expected to surge to 13.56 gigawatts by the fiscal year 2031-32, according to a statement made in Parliament on Friday.

Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Jitin Prasada, highlighted that the data centre capacity has seen a significant rise, increasing from 375 megawatts in 2020 to approximately 1,500 megawatts projected by 2025. This increase feeds into the broader government planning process, accommodating the rising demand, particularly from AI-driven data centres.

Additionally, about 38,231 Graphics Processing Units have been deployed through 14 empanelled providers, promoting AI development at data centres located in key hubs like Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru. Notably, these GPUs are being offered to startups and researchers at a substantially subsidized rate.

(With inputs from agencies.)