AirTrunk commits $30 billion to build 5GW of AI data centers in India by 2030

Blackstone-backed data center operator AirTrunk announced Thursday it will invest $30 billion in India by 2030, marking one of the largest single commitments to the country’s digital infrastructure sector. The Australian company plans to develop 5 gigawatts of new data center capacity, underscoring India’s growing appeal as a destination for AI infrastructure investment.

A landmark commitment for India’s digital backbone

AirTrunk entered the Indian market earlier this year through the acquisition of Lumina CloudInfra. The company’s $30 billion pledge adds to a wave of commitments from global technology and infrastructure groups seeking to expand computing capacity in the South Asian nation. According to research firm Bernstein, data center capacity in India is projected to rise from approximately 1.5GW today to as much as 8GW by 2030.

The Indian government has actively courted such investment. Earlier this year, New Delhi offered foreign cloud providers tax exemptions through 2047 on services sold overseas, provided those workloads are run from Indian data centers. This policy is designed to attract hyperscale data center operators and cloud service providers to establish a physical presence in the country.

Early groundwork and regional focus

AirTrunk has already begun laying the groundwork for its expansion. Earlier this week, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis confirmed on X that the western Indian state had exchanged a letter of intent for land allotment at the Raigad Pen Growth Center. AirTrunk is planning a 3GW data center there, involving an investment of approximately ₹2 trillion (around $21 billion).

The company already has a development pipeline of about 600MW across Mumbai, Chennai, and Hyderabad. AirTrunk did not respond to questions on whether the proposed Raigad project would account for most of the planned 5GW capacity, or whether it plans additional developments elsewhere in India.

Government backing and strategic timing

The announcement follows a meeting between AirTrunk CEO Robin Khuda and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who said in a post on X that the planned investment would help strengthen India’s position as a global hub for cloud computing and artificial intelligence. Khuda cited government support, a large pool of technical talent, and access to renewable energy as key pillars of the investment thesis.

Growing momentum in India’s AI infrastructure market

AirTrunk joins a growing list of companies investing heavily in Indian infrastructure. Amazon, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Uber have announced major investments in cloud and AI infrastructure. Indian conglomerates Reliance Industries, Adani Group, and TCS have also laid out ambitious plans to expand data center capacity.

However, industry executives and analysts have pointed to resource constraints as a potential bottleneck. Data centers require vast amounts of electricity, water, and land. Deloitte estimates that data center build-outs in the Asia Pacific region could require tens of terawatt-hours of additional electricity by the end of the decade. Power availability, in particular, remains a critical concern for hyperscale developments in India.

Conclusion

AirTrunk’s $30 billion commitment signals strong confidence in India’s digital future and its potential as a global AI hub. While resource challenges remain, the combination of government policy support, technical talent, and renewable energy access is attracting some of the world’s largest infrastructure investors. The next few years will determine whether India can translate this investment momentum into sustainable, world-class AI infrastructure.

FAQs

Q1: What is AirTrunk’s total investment commitment in India?
AirTrunk has committed $30 billion by 2030 to develop 5GW of new data center capacity in India.

Q2: Where will AirTrunk build its data centers in India?
The company has a development pipeline of about 600MW across Mumbai, Chennai, and Hyderabad. It is also planning a 3GW facility at the Raigad Pen Growth Center in Maharashtra.

Q3: Why is India attractive for AI data center investment?
India offers government tax incentives, a large pool of technical talent, growing renewable energy capacity, and a rapidly expanding digital economy. The government has also provided tax exemptions for foreign cloud providers running workloads from Indian data centers.