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India Prepares New Data Centre Policy to Protect Consumers from Rising Power Bills
M
Moneycontrol•14-10-2026, 14:07
India Prepares New Data Centre Policy to Protect Consumers from Rising Power Bills
- •India is developing a dedicated policy for data centres to prevent the sector's surging electricity demand from increasing power costs for regular consumers.
- •Junior IT minister Jitin Prasada announced the initiative at an event in New Delhi, emphasizing the need to avoid situations seen in other countries where data centres drive up electricity prices.
- •The announcement follows local protests and environmental concerns regarding major data centre projects planned by Amazon and Google in regions like Mumbai and Visakhapatnam.
- •While India currently lacks a national framework for data centres, the government views the sector as a 200 billion dollar opportunity crucial for future economic growth.
Key Questions Answered
India is preparing a dedicated data centre policy to shield everyday consumers from surging electricity costs driven by the sector's rapidly growing power demand.
Residents near Amazon's site outside Mumbai have protested against excessive noise and strain on power and water supplies. Meanwhile, environmentalists in Visakhapatnam argue that Google's $15 billion project threatens local wildlife and misuses temple land.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government views the data centre sector as a massive $200 billion opportunity and a central pillar of its investment pitch to attract global data to India.
