Blackstone’s AirTrunk advances $11 billion India data centre bet

AirTrunk has filed detailed plans for two hyperscale data center campuses in southern India that could involve about Rs 1.03 lakh crore ($11 billion) of investment, advancing one of the country’s biggest proposed digital-infrastructure projects.

The Blackstone Inc.-backed operator submitted a detailed project report for two campuses with combined capacity of as much as 1.8 gigawatts in Andhra Pradesh, according to an emailed statement from the company. The proposal remains under consideration by state authorities.

The project would deepen Andhra Pradesh’s push to become a major data center hub as concerns grow over the power and water needed to support large projects in the state. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said this week the government was expanding renewable-energy capacity and strengthening water supplies to support the buildout.


Alphabet Inc.’s Google is separately developing a $15 billion AI hub in Andhra Pradesh. AirTrunk said its proposed campuses would use low-water, air-cooled technology and industrial water supplies rather than municipal sources.