Blackstone, CPPIB-backed AirTrunk to invest over $30 bn in India's data centres by 2030
Mumbai: AirTrunk, backed by Blackstone and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), plans to invest more than $30 billion in India by 2030 to expand
Mumbai: AirTrunk, backed by Blackstone and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), plans to invest more than $30 billion in India by 2030 to expand digital infrastructure capacity, positioning the country as the cornerstone of its global growth strategy, the company said in a statement on Friday. The programme would rank among the largest digital infrastructure bets currently on the table in India, and marks one of AirTrunk's most significant long-term market commitments. Spanning multiple states, the pipeline would support India's push to become a global hub for AI and cloud investment, while generating jobs and economic growth. AirTrunk is a leading hyperscale data centre specialist delivering essential infrastructure to scale the Asia-Pacific & West Asia’s digital future, accelerated by cloud and artificial intelligence.
In 2024, Blackstone and CPPIB acquired AirTrunk, investing alongside AirTrunk’s founder and chief executive officer (CEO) Robin Khuda and valuing the company at over Australian $24 billion. Its growing data centre platform delivers customers a scalable data centre solution at a significantly lower build and operating cost than the market. The privately held company is well-capitalized to fund the development of hyperscale data centres across regions, including its sustainable financing platform. AirTrunk's latest announcement follows Khuda's first senior government engagement programme in India since the company's entry into the market through the acquisition of Lumina CloudInfra in April. Through this acquisition, the company's existing development pipeline in India includes 600MW across Mumbai, Chennai, and Hyderabad.
"Capital is mobile, and India is creating the conditions for it to thrive. India is taking a top-down approach to AI with clear government-led initiatives, a world-class talent pool and massive availability of renewable energy. We were bullish on India before entering the market through Lumina,” Khuda said. Also Read | India’s data centre electricity demand makes planners go back to drawing board “Following our discussions with government leaders this week, we're looking to double down on that commitment. We heard a clear message that India is open for investment and determined to compete for the next generation of AI and cloud infrastructure that will transform India’s industries and economy for generations to come,” he added.
Jobs and local economy During his visit, he met with government representatives and ministers in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh to discuss how government and industry can work together to accelerate investment in cloud and AI infrastructure. The two sides discussed power access, clean energy, water availability, talent pipelines, faster approvals, and improved coordination between the state and Union governments on infrastructure. Broadly, digital infrastructure is becoming as important to economic growth as roads, ports, and power networks were in previous generations, and as AI adoption accelerates, countries with the right tools will be best placed to attract investment, innovation, and high-value jobs.
The BriefWire