Yogi Adityanath sets 2 GW-plus data centre capacity target for Uttar Pradesh by 2030

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday set a target of developing more than 2 gigawatts (GW) of additional data centre capacity in the state by 2030 and said data, artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure would be central to the future economy.

During a review meeting of the Uttar Pradesh Data Centre Policy-2021, the chief minister directed officials to prepare a new policy that is more attractive, practical and aligned with investors’ expectations.

“Data, artificial intelligence, and digital infrastructure are the key foundations of the future economy. Therefore, Uttar Pradesh must begin making concrete preparations now to assume a leading role in this sector,” he said.

Adityanath said the proposed policy should focus on AI-enabled data centres, energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable green data centres, world-class digital infrastructure, fast-track approval mechanisms, uninterrupted power supply and improved connectivity. He said these measures would help Uttar Pradesh emerge as the preferred destination for data centre investments in the country.

During the meeting, the principal secretary (IT and electronics) informed the chief minister that Uttar Pradesh is expected to account for around 8 to 9 per cent of the country’s total data centre capacity by 2026.

Officials said that under the Data Centre Policy-2021, the state had set a target of developing 900 MW of capacity and attracting investments worth Rs 30,000 crore. Investment proposals worth Rs 21,342.90 crore have already been approved against this target, and Letters of Comfort have been issued to investors.

Currently, six data centre parks and two standalone data centre units are operational in Uttar Pradesh, while work is underway on a committed capacity of 644 MW.

Reviewing provisions proposed under the new Data Centre Policy, the chief minister said incentives linked to land, capital and loans, along with concessions on stamp duty, electricity duty, transmission charges and wheeling charges, should be made more effective.

He also instructed officials to create a special incentive framework aimed at promoting high-capacity AI-based computing infrastructure.

Officials informed the meeting that several major companies are currently implementing projects in the state, including the Hiranandani Group, NTT Global Data Centers, Adani Group, ST Telemedia, SKVR Software Solutions, WebWerks and Sify. According to officials, these projects are contributing significantly to the development of large-scale digital infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh.

The meeting also reviewed potential investment proposals for the sector.

Officials said several national and international investors have expressed interest in developing data centres with a combined capacity of 5,410 MW in Uttar Pradesh. These projects are expected to attract potential investments of around Rs 4.90 lakh crore.

Proposed investments include projects by AM Green, Trifecta Connex, Essar, Groo Energy, Golden State Capital, Mapletree, CtrlS and Nxtra, among others.

Investment opportunities are being developed across multiple locations, including Noida, the Yamuna Expressway region, Lucknow, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Meerut and Sitapur.

“Data centre development should not remain confined to the NCR region alone. Data centre clusters should also be developed in other suitable cities and regions across the state so that the benefits of digital investments and employment opportunities can reach a larger part of Uttar Pradesh,” the chief minister said.