India's Data Centre Boom To Drive 10 Million Sq.ft. Real Estate Demand, USD 5.7 Billion Investments By 2026: JLL

* Expected demand for Indian data centre industry: 650-800 MW during 2024-26

* Absorption recorded in 2023: 147 MW, indicating industry resilience.

* 791 MW capacity to be added in India's DC industry by 2026.

The Data Centre (DC) industry in India is set to witness remarkable growth, with projections of adding 791 MW capacity by 2026. This expansion will drive a demand for 10 million sq. ft. of real estate space, attracting investments worth USD 5.7 billion. The surge is primarily fuelled by the increasing adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI). As usage of AI gains pace, the demand for Indian DCs is expected to be in the range of 650-800 MW during 2024-26.

The exponential growth in computing power and the resulting new applications are expected to drive strong demand for DC industry over the medium term.

Cloud Service Providers (CSPs), who essentially offer IT infrastructure systems primarily for data storage and computing power accessible through the Internet, have realigned their requirements to factor in AI-led demand. The CSPs have also announced higher investments to scale up AI-led growth.

“The exponential growth in processing power and data volumes, driven by AI, necessitates the development of new data centres capable of meeting energy, processing, and cooling needs. The anticipated expansion and progression of diverse AI disciplines are projected to create additional demand for data centres, expanding their capacity requirements and advancing their capabilities” said Rachit Mohan, APAC Lead – Data Centre Leasing and Head - Data Centre Advisory, India, JLL.

Improved absorption during H2 2023 (July-Dec 2023)

During the second half of 2023, there was a 12% increase in absorption to 81 MW compared to 72 MW during the same period last year. This growth can be attributed to CSPs gaining momentum after a brief hiatus during the first half of 2023. In Mumbai, absorption nearly doubled during this period as CSPs renewed their pace of absorption.

“India is poised to be the third-largest economy, with a projected USD 5 trillion GDP by 2027 with digital economy contribution of around 20 per cent. This digital expansion is anticipated to propel the growth of India's data centre industry, projected to increase from 853 MW in 2023 to 1,645 MW by 2026. This increase in capacity will require an investment of USD 5.7 billion and approximately 10 million square feet of real estate,” said Dr. Samantak Das, Chief Economist and Head of Research & REIS, India, JLL.

There was a lower supply addition of 75 MW during H2 2023 as the available supply from the first half was utilised to meet the demand, resulting in tighter vacancy levels of 5.5%.

Source: JLL Research

India's focus on AI is evident through the India AI mission, aimed at fostering innovation, upskilling the workforce, and ensuring responsible and ethical deployment of AI technology. With a large user market, talented workforce, and thriving startup ecosystem, India presents a significant opportunity to emerge as a global data hub, driven by sustainable practices. The country's DC sector expanded from 350 MW in 2019 to 854 MW in 2023, in line with the increasing digital usage trends.

About JLL 

For over 200 years, JLL (NYSE: JLL), a leading global commercial real estate and investment management company, has helped clients buy, build, occupy, manage, and invest in a variety of commercial, industrial, hotel, residential and retail properties. A Fortune 500® company with annual revenue of $20.8 billion and operations in over 80 countries around the world, our more than 108,000 employees bring the power of a global platform combined with local expertise. Driven by our purpose to shape the future of real estate for a better world, we help our clients, people and communities SEE A BRIGHTER WAYSM. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit jll.com.

About JLL India

JLL is India’s premier and largest professional services firm specialising in real estate. The Firm has grown from strength to strength in India for the past two decades. JLL India has an extensive presence across 10 major cities (Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Kochi, and Coimbatore) and over 130 tier-II and III markets with a cumulative strength of over 14,000 professionals. The Firm provides investors, developers, local corporates, and multinational companies with a comprehensive range of services. These include leasing, capital markets, research & advisory, transaction management, project development, facility management and property & asset management. These services cover various asset classes such as commercial, industrial, warehouse and logistics, data centres, residential, retail, hospitality, healthcare, senior living, and education. For further information, please visit jll.co.in