India’s data centre footprint is set for a sharp expansion over the next four years, leading to a crucial requirement for specialised real estate and infrastructure. The country’s data centre footprint is expected to rise from nearly 27 Million Sq Ft in H1 2026, to more than 101 Million Sq Ft by 2030, according to Anarock Capital.
The expansion is also expected to take data centre capacity to over 6.7 GW by 2030 from more than 1.8 GW currently. With over $300 billion in investment commitments expected to support the sector, there will be a rise in demand for land, specialised facilities and supporting infrastructure as data centre operators increase their capacity.
India’s Data Centre Footprint Set for Major Expansion by 2030
India’s data centre market has grown exponentially from the past two decades. Their footprint has grown from around 0.6 million sq ft in 2007 to nearly 27 million sq ft in H1 2026, representing the industry’s explosive growth over the past two decades.
The growth in physical space is being accompanied by a rise in computing capacity. India had crossed 1.8 GW of IT capacity in H1 2026, with the development pipeline expected to take this beyond 6.7 GW by 2030. Cloud adoption, hyperscaler developments, data localisation requirements, artificial intelligence and rising enterprise digitisation are among the factors supporting this expansion.
Data centre growth creates demand for specialised real estate
The rapid expansion of data centres is also increasing the need for suitable land and purpose-built facilities. Unlike conventional office developments, data centres require space that can accommodate large computing infrastructure along with the power and cooling systems needed to keep these facilities running continuously.
Location is another important factor. Operators need access to reliable power, strong fibre connectivity, water and other supporting infrastructure, which can narrow the number of sites suitable for large-scale data centre projects.
For the real estate sector, this is creating demand for land and properties that can meet these requirements. Developers and investors are also entering the specialised commercial real estate segment, particularly in markets with established infrastructure and connectivity.
Land and infrastructure requirements shape where data centres can grow
Finding suitable land is only one part of setting up a data centre. Access to reliable power, fibre connectivity and other supporting infrastructure can influence where new data centre projects are developed, making infrastructure readiness an important consideration for operators. Cushman & Wakefield estimates that India had 1.6 GW of operational data centre capacity in 2026, with another 3.1 GW under construction or in the planned pipeline. More than 10.5 GW is also at the land stage, pointing to a sizable pipeline of projects at different stages of development.
Major cities emerge as key data centre development markets
Mumbai-MMR remains India's largest data centre market, with 54 centres and 812 MW of IT capacity, according to Anarock. Chennai follows with 25 centres and 298 MW, while Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru have 18 centres each, with capacities of 179 MW and 137 MW respectively. Hyderabad has 12 centres with 178 MW of capacity.
Mumbai's established financial and commercial base, along with its connectivity, has helped it remain the country's leading market. At the same time, other cities are seeing greater activity as operators look to expand their presence across multiple locations.
Cushman & Wakefield expects Mumbai's operational capacity to cross 1 GW by the end of 2026. Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi-NCR and Pune are also emerging as important markets, supported by their infrastructure, connectivity and availability of suitable sites.
Developers and investors move into the expanding market
The scale of planned development is attracting investment from both technology companies and real estate players. Anarock estimates that more than $300 billion in investment commitments are expected to support India's data centre expansion through 2030.
Several large projects are already in the pipeline. Google has committed $15 billion towards a data centre in Visakhapatnam, while Colt Data Centre Services and RMZ have announced an investment of nearly $1.7 billion across Mumbai and Chennai. Reliance has also announced a 168 MW AI-enabled data centre in Jamnagar.
Real estate companies are also taking positions in the segment. Lodha Group plans to develop around 1 GW of powered-shell capacity on 400 acres in Palava, Dombivli, while Prestige Group has partnered with NTT Data on a data centre facility in Bengaluru.
These projects show how data centre development is beginning to involve a wider set of players beyond technology companies.
What the expansion means for India's real estate market
The projected expansion of India's data centre footprint points to growing demand for specialised commercial space. For the real estate sector, the availability of suitable land, power and connectivity will be important as operators expand capacity across established and emerging markets.
Sources:
1. India’s Data Centre Boom: $300 Billion Bet, 101 Million Square Feet by 2030: NDTV
2. India Data Centre Market: Investment, Capacity and Growth Trends: Economic Times
3. India’s Data Centre Expansion and Digital Infrastructure: Business Standard
4. India’s Data Centre Footprint Expected to exceed 101 million sq ft by 2030 (IBEF)
5. India Data Centre Market Trends, H1 2026: Cushman & Wakefield
