Industry experts deliberate on
AI-ready infrastructure, sustainability and investment at the AI-Powered Data
Centre Conference 2026 in Mumbai.
Mumbai, 23 July 2026:
As artificial intelligence reshapes global digital infrastructure, industry
leaders gathered in Mumbai today at the AI-Powered Data Centre Conference
2026 to discuss how India can build the capacity, technology and ecosystem
required to emerge as a global AI infrastructure hub. Organised by ASAPP Info
Global Group and conceptualised by FIRST Construction Council, the conference
revolved around the theme, “From Capacity Gap to AI Superpower: Building
India's Digital Backbone for the Intelligence Economy.”
Bringing together developers, technology providers,
enterprise users, consultants and policymakers, the conference explored the
opportunities and challenges shaping India's next generation of AI-ready data
centres. Discussions ranged from investment trends and capacity creation to
power infrastructure, advanced cooling technologies, sustainability and
enterprise expectations, reflecting the industry's growing focus on building
resilient digital infrastructure.
Welcoming delegates, Pratap Padode, Founder & MD,
ASAPP Info Global Group, said: “India’s own data centre capacity has grown
from about 375 MW in 2020 to around 1.8 GW currently. The
Ministry of Power has estimated that electricity demand from data centres in
India could reach 13.56 GW by 2031–32. AI is no longer just a software
story—it is a compute story, a power story, a cooling story, a water story and
a data-governance story. India’s opportunity lies not only in building more
data centres, but in building them responsibly. As we compete for investment,
we must create green lanes for responsible investors while setting clear red
lines that protect our infrastructure, our environment and our citizens.”
A common thread across the sessions was that India’s AI data
centre opportunity extends far beyond building server capacity. Shrinivas R.
Deshingkar, Founder and Chairman, Shree Tech Data, said such forums are
essential for bringing the ecosystem together to identify practical challenges
and develop collaborative solutions. While describing the sector as a
tremendous opportunity for manufacturers, SMEs and the wider supply chain, he
cautioned that power availability and skilled manpower remain pressing
concerns. He urged the industry to invest in workforce development and
indigenous manufacturing so that India is prepared for the next wave of
AI-driven data centre growth.
Discussions on India’s expanding AI infrastructure market
highlighted the urgency of accelerating project execution. Jay Bhurse, Chief
Vision Officer, Prasa, observed that demand for AI infrastructure is
significantly outstripping supply, creating immense opportunities for companies
capable of delivering solutions faster. However, he noted that the same
opportunity also presents the industry's biggest challenge, with shortages of
transformers, generators, construction materials and critical commodities
threatening project timelines unless addressed through coordinated planning
across the value chain.
Echoing the conference’s technical focus, Amit Agrawal,
President, Techno Digital, said the gathering brought together every key
stakeholder in the AI infrastructure ecosystem, enabling meaningful discussions
around the practical challenges involved in building AI factories and
next-generation data centres. He noted that India is poised for exponential
growth in installed capacity and stressed that the country has an opportunity
to learn from international markets and proactively address issues before they
become barriers to long-term growth.
Sustainability remained central to the day’s discussions. Tanveer
Ahmed, Business Head – Wet & Dry Cooling Solutions, Cooling Business,
Thermax, said sustainability is fundamental to the long-term viability of
AI infrastructure. He highlighted efficient cooling technologies, knowledge
sharing and innovation as critical enablers for the industry while calling for
stronger policy support, improved grid infrastructure and greater use of
recycled water to ensure environmentally responsible expansion of India’s data
centre capacity.
MK Uang, General Manager, APAC Business Group, Graid
Technology, said AI data centres worldwide are
increasingly constrained by power availability and thermal management rather
than computing capability alone. He explained that improving data I/O
efficiency can significantly enhance GPU utilisation, enabling operators to
achieve higher AI performance while reducing energy consumption and easing
power and cooling limitations.
Looking ahead, industry leaders remained optimistic about
India’s global competitiveness. Rahul Sharma, Data Centre Expert,
described the coming decade as India’s decade for data centres, while
emphasising that execution excellence and delivery credibility will determine
long-term success. Jagat Ram, Head – Data Centre Operation and Delivery,
L&T, echoed this sentiment, calling for deeper collaboration across the
ecosystem and greater investments in captive power, battery energy storage
systems and advanced cooling infrastructure to deliver world-class AI-ready
facilities.
The conference concluded with a forward-looking discussion
on India’s AI infrastructure ambitions through 2030, examining future
investment requirements, ownership models, enterprise demand and the country’s
potential to become a global destination for AI infrastructure.
The conference was supported by Shree Tech as Gold
& Delegate Bag Partner, Graid Technology Inc. and Suroj as
Silver Partners, Prasa as Associate Partner, and IMPACCT as
Business Intelligence Partner. Construction World and Infrastructure Today
served as the official media partners.