Blackstone-backed AirTrunk to invest $30 billion in India, develop 5 GW data centre capacity by 2030

Blackstone-backed data centre company AirTrunk has announced plans to invest more than $30 billion, over Rs 3 lakh crore to develop over 5 gigawatts of digital infrastructure capacity across India by 2030, in what ranks among the largest proposed digital infrastructure investments in the country.

The investment programme is backed by Blackstone and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) and will span multiple states and union territories, with the aim of supporting India's expanding cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure requirements.

Also read: AirTrunk to invest $21 billion in India data centre


The announcement follows AirTrunk Founder and CEO Robin Khuda's first senior government engagement in India since the company entered the market through its acquisition of Lumina CloudInfra in April 2026. That acquisition gave AirTrunk an initial development pipeline of 600 megawatts distributed across Mumbai, Chennai, and Hyderabad.

During his visit, Khuda met with central government representatives, as well as state ministers in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. Discussions centred on securing reliable and cost-effective power, renewable energy access, sustainable water supplies, streamlined regulatory approvals, and greater coordination between state and central governments on strategic infrastructure projects.

The company cited India's flagship digital programmes, including the IndiaAI Mission, which carries over Rs 10,000 crore ($1.2 billion) in funding, and the Rs 76,000 crore ($9 billion) India Semiconductor Mission, as factors strengthening the investment case for long-term cloud and AI growth in the country.

"Capital is mobile, and India is creating the conditions for it to thrive," Khuda said in a statement. He added that India's government-led AI initiatives, talent availability, and renewable energy capacity had reinforced the company's bullishness on the market even before entering through the Lumina acquisition.

Also read: Blackstone-owned AirTrunk to build data center in India amid AI boom

AirTrunk said the planned 5 GW capacity expansion is expected to generate tens of thousands of jobs across development, construction, and operational phases, and will involve localisation of supply chain operations and increased engagement with domestic businesses.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the announcement, calling it among the largest proposed investments in India's digital infrastructure ecosystem and saying it would strengthen the country's position as a global hub for cloud computing and AI.