India said on Wednesday it is drafting a national data center policy to manage
rising electricity demand from rapid sector expansion — including AI
infrastructure — and to prevent higher residential tariffs. Minister of State
for Electronics and IT Jitin Prasada announced the plan but gave no details on
scope or timing. Local opposition has emerged in cities including Mumbai and
Visakhapatnam against Amazon and Google projects over water use, power strain
and environmental impact. There is currently no dedicated national data center
framework; projects are approved under existing environmental and building rules
while some states offer incentives.
