One lakh engineering jobs expected from India’s expanding data centre sector: Dr Jitendra

New Delhi, May 22: Union Minister of State, Dr. Jitendra Singh Friday said that India is entering a decisive phase where data centres, Artificial Intelligence, Quantum technologies and next-generation digital infrastructure will shape the future global economic order, asserting that the world now increasingly looks towards India for technology partnerships instead of India waiting for breakthroughs elsewhere. He said India is fully prepared to emerge as a trusted global data centre hub backed by policy reforms, private sector participation, clean energy integration and a rapidly expanding innovation ecosystem.
Delivering the keynote address during the Special Session on “Future-Proofing India’s Data Centres: Resilient Supply Chains and Opportunities” at the Annual Leadership Summit organised by AMCHAM India, Dr. Jitendra Singh said India can no longer view the data economy merely as a technological transition, but as a strategic national opportunity that will influence investments, employment, energy systems and geopolitical competitiveness in the decades ahead.
The Minister said India’s data centre capacity is projected to grow from 1.5 GW to nearly 6.5 GW by 2030 and the ongoing expansion is expected to generate nearly one lakh engineering jobs in areas such as AI systems, cooling technologies, smart grids, renewable energy integration and advanced digital infrastructure. He said India’s rapidly evolving ecosystem driven by AI, 6G, semiconductors and digital public infrastructure is creating unprecedented opportunities for global investments and technology collaboration.
Describing data centres as the “next oil economy”, Dr. Jitendra Singh said the future will increasingly revolve around data control, digital infrastructure and secure technology ecosystems. He stressed that India must move with an integrated national approach involving Government, private industry, infrastructure providers, telecom networks, renewable energy stakeholders and research institutions to fully leverage the emerging opportunities in hyperscale data centres and colocation markets.
Referring to the fast-changing global technology landscape, the Minister said India today stands at the same level of technological progression as leading nations in several frontier sectors. He cited the National Quantum Mission as a major example and said India has already achieved more than half of its planned targets in less than half the stipulated time. Against the target of establishing 2,000 kilometres of secure quantum communication infrastructure over eight years, India has already crossed 1,000 kilometres within just three years.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said the Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken several bold and transformative decisions to prepare India for future technologies and strategic industries. He referred to long-term tax incentives for foreign cloud service providers, the National Research Foundation, the Semiconductor Mission and the opening of sectors such as space and nuclear energy to private participation. He said many of these reforms were considered unimaginable a few years ago, but India has demonstrated the political will to move rapidly in areas critical to future economic growth and technological leadership.
The Minister said the Government is not only facilitating technology development but also creating enabling frameworks to accelerate industry participation. Referring to recent initiatives supporting private sector innovation and deep-tech research, he said India is witnessing a new era where Government and industry are working as equal partners in nation-building through science and technology.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said India’s future growth in the data centre sector would depend upon resilient supply chains, sustainable energy systems, advanced telecom connectivity, subsea cable infrastructure, smart cooling solutions and coordinated policy support across sectors. He said the country’s growing compatibility between policy support and private sector participation has created an environment where India can emerge as one of the world’s most dependable digital infrastructure destinations.