"India's Data Centre Capacity Projected to Reach 8 GW by 2030"
Data Centre
A secure facility housing servers, storage, and networking equipment to store, process, and distribute digital data.
Virtualisation
Technology allowing multiple virtual machines to run on one physical server, improving resource efficiency.
Data centres are secure physical facilities that house servers, storage systems, and networking equipment. They store, process, and distribute large volumes of digital information. As India's digital economy has expanded, data centres have shifted from niche IT assets into critical national infrastructure.
This transformation is closely tied to the growth of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), the stack of open, interoperable digital systems that underpin India's governance and financial services. Platforms like DigiLocker, CoWIN, and Aarogya Setu, all of which run on open-source digital platforms, depend on reliable data centre capacity to deliver services at scale. The National Informatics Centre (NIC) has been the institutional backbone of government data infrastructure since the early years of computerisation. NIC operates National Data Centres at its headquarters in Delhi and at Pune, Hyderabad, and Bhubaneswar, along with 37 smaller data centres at state capitals. These facilities support round-the-clock e-governance operations across central and state government institutions.
The Digital India programme's core aim is to connect citizens to digital services, extending internet access to villages, bringing Wi-Fi to schools and public places, and enabling digital delivery of government services. It does not mandate foreign technology companies to build data centres within India, nor does it seek to replicate a state-controlled internet model. The distinction matters: India's data centre growth is driven by market demand and enabling policy, not by forced localisation. The Fourth Industrial Revolution, characterised by the convergence of digital, physical, and biological systems, has made e-governance an integral part of government functioning, and data centres are the physical infrastructure that makes this possible.
A modern data centre integrates several interdependent systems. Power infrastructure is foundational: servers cannot be switched off even briefly, so Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) provide instant backup during electrical interruptions, while backup generators handle prolonged outages. Cooling systems, including Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and advanced liquid cooling, maintain the operating temperatures that computing equipment requires.
The IT infrastructure layer consists of servers that process applications, storage systems using Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) and Solid-State Drives (SSDs), and networking equipment including routers and high-speed switches. …
Which of the following is/are the aim/aims of "Digital India" Plan of the Government of India ?
1.Formation of India's own Internet companies like China did.
2.Establish a policy framework to encourage overseas multinational corporations that collect Big Data to build their large data centres within our national geographical boundaries.
3.Connect many of our villages to the Internet and bring Wi-Fi to many of our schools, public places and major tourist centres.
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
'The emergence of Fourth Industrial Revolution (Digital Revolution) has initiated e-Governance as an integral part of government.' Discuss.
With reference to the 'Digital India' programme, which of the following is/are its stated aims?
1.Connecting villages to the internet and providing Wi-Fi to schools and public places.
2.Mandating overseas multinational corporations collecting Big Data to build data centres within India.
3.Enabling digital delivery of government services to citizens.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Consider the following statements regarding data centres operated by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) in India:
1.NIC operates National Data Centres at Delhi, Pune, Hyderabad and Bhubaneswar.
2.NIC has established 37 smaller data centres at various state capitals.
3.These facilities support only central government institutions and do not serve state governments.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following statements regarding India's data centre capacity:
1.India's installed data centre power capacity was approximately 375 MW in 2020.
2.By August 2026, installed capacity had grown to 1.57 GW.
3.The government projects capacity to reach nearly 8 GW by 2035.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Match the following data centre technologies with their primary functions:
List I (Technology) — List II (Primary Function)
A.Virtualisation — 1. Provides instant power backup during electrical interruptions
B.UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) — 2. Regulates temperature and airflow within the facility
C.HVAC systems — 3. Allows multiple virtual machines to run on one physical server
D.Load balancer — 4. Distributes incoming digital requests across available servers
Select the correct answer:
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