Agarwal Says India Can Attract Data Centre Investment

On 26 October 2026, Vedanta chairman Anil Agarwal said India is well-positioned to attract global data centre investments. He based the case on construction costs, renewable energy, the size of the population and the country’s coastline. His remarks set out both advantages for investors and infrastructure requirements for expanding data-centre capacity.

By Career Ahead AI · India — AI-assisted, fact-verified against cited sources. Readers should verify key facts.

Lower construction costs and renewable energy underpin the pitch

Agarwal said building data centres in India costs around half as much per watt as building them in the United States and Europe. That comparison gives his investment case a concrete measure: the stated gap applies to construction cost per watt, rather than to an unspecified overall project cost. He also pointed to India exceeding its renewable energy targets and ranking third globally in renewable energy, linking cost and energy credentials in the case for investment.^¹²

The population is another part of Agarwal’s argument. He pointed to India’s 1.5 billion people as a factor for investors considering data centres. He also identified the country’s extensive coastline as a possible basis for future undersea data-centre infrastructure. The geographical point extends beyond the shore: Agarwal said India’s territorial waters cover a substantial area relative to its landmass. Together, these points frame the case around population and maritime geography as well as construction and energy.^¹²

He also identified the country’s extensive coastline as a possible basis for future undersea data-centre infrastructure.

Agarwal links data centres to suppliers and jobs

Agarwal said Vedanta and Sterlite supply materials and infrastructure used in data centres. That places the companies he leads within the supply chain he described, rather than presenting the investment opportunity only as a matter of building facilities. He also called the wider data-centre economy a sunrise sector and linked it to job creation and India’s future economy. His argument therefore covers both the inputs that support data centres and the broader economic activity around them.^¹²

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Existing operators named in the market include Yotta, which operates the NM1 data centre campus in Navi Mumbai. AdaniConneX is a joint venture between Adani Enterprises and EdgeConneX. Nxtra by Airtel is Bharti Airtel’s data-centre business. These examples identify different organisations already associated with data-centre operations or business in India: a campus operator, a joint venture and a telecom company’s data-centre arm. The names provide concrete examples alongside Agarwal’s broader investment case.^¹²

Reliable power and infrastructure remain requirements

The expansion case also comes with practical requirements. India needs reliable power supplies, improved infrastructure and support for advanced cooling technologies. Those needs set out the conditions around the investment pitch: lower construction costs and renewable-energy standing do not remove the need to supply dependable power or equip facilities to manage cooling. Each requirement points to a different part of the build-out, from electricity supply to the infrastructure and technology used inside data centres.^¹²

The infrastructure points sit alongside the opportunity Agarwal described, rather than replacing it. His stated cost comparison is specific to construction per watt, while the power and infrastructure requirements concern what data-centre facilities need to operate and expand. Reliable supply, improved infrastructure and advanced cooling are listed as needs for India’s data-centre segment. The case therefore contains both a cost advantage and operational requirements, with the latter covering power, facilities and cooling.^¹²

Investment commitments and tax policy broaden the case

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal also pitched India as a destination for data centres. He said the country had received about $200 billion in investment commitments from large hyperscalers globally. During a meeting with Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Akazawa Ryosei, Goyal said the partnership with Japan could be summarised around four pillars, including increasing trade. The Indian diaspora in Japan numbers more than 60,000, another detail cited alongside the discussion of the partnership.^¹²

Separate announcements cited for AI infrastructure came from Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Digital Connexion. From October to December 2025, Google announced $15 billion, Microsoft $17.5 billion, Amazon $35 billion and Digital Connexion $11 billion in investment. The government has proposed a tax holiday for data-centre investments through 2047. Goyal also described an estimated $150 billion market for AI, semiconductors and the surrounding ecosystem, linking data centres to a wider technology investment opportunity.^¹²

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The infrastructure points sit alongside the opportunity Agarwal described, rather than replacing it.

Data Centre Roles Demand Power and Cooling Skills

For engineers and project managers, the half-cost construction advantage per watt in India versus the US and Europe signals a competitive edge for domestic roles. Yet the requirement for reliable power supplies and advanced cooling technologies means expertise in these areas carries premium value. Professionals with backgrounds in energy systems or thermal management should weigh data centre positions over generic IT infrastructure roles, as these operational needs are explicit conditions for expansion.^¹

The $200 billion in commitments from hyperscalers and the proposed tax holiday through 2047 indicate sustained demand for project delivery and supply chain roles. Companies like Vedanta and Sterlite already supply materials, so procurement and vendor management skills matter. Job seekers should target firms tied to these investments, including operators like Yotta or joint ventures such as AdaniConneX, rather than waiting for broader market signals.^¹²