- The short — what’s in the draft
- Approval plumbing & timelines
- Power & sustainability rails
- Hyperscalers vs local players — who wins what
- Checklist: site, power, financing
- FAQ
The short
- Status: Consultations on the National Data Centre Policy 2025 are active; language may evolve before notification.
- Direction: Single-window approvals with SLAs, scale-linked incentives, and AI-ready infrastructure nudges.
- Priority rails: Renewable open-access, grid upgrades, and harmonized standards for uptime, safety, and sustainability.
Note: Provisions below reflect current consultation direction; final rules may differ.
Approval plumbing & timelines
| Bottleneck | Draft direction | Operator action |
|---|---|---|
| Multipoint approvals | Single-window with time-bound SLAs | Standardize packs: layout, fire & safety, water, e-waste |
| Land zoning/permits | Dedicated data-centre zoning & corridors | Keep 2–3 alternate parcels to hedge utility lead-times |
| Import of critical gear | Facilitated clearance for servers, transformers, chillers | Dual vendors; granular customs documentation |
| Ops compliance | Uniform uptime & audit norms | 24×7 SOPs, DCIM, incident drills, third-party audits |
Power & sustainability rails
- Green power: Priority access to RE via open-access; banking/scheduling tweaks for steadier supply.
- Cooling & water: Incentives for low-PUE designs, treated-water use in water-stressed zones, and heat-reuse pilots.
- Grid upgrades: Substation augmentation, redundancy standards, and accelerated interconnection timelines.
Hyperscalers vs local players — who wins what
Hyperscalers / CSPs
- Stronger fit for scale-linked incentives and expedited land/power tie-ups.
- AI-ready racks (high-density) benefit from recognition of “advanced infra”.
- Room to co-develop RE firming and on-site storage with utilities.
Local operators / colocation
- Single-window + tax relief narrows cost of capital for Tier-2/3 expansion.
- Differentiate via latency footprints, managed services, and compliance SLAs.
- Consortiums can pool demand for open-access RE and grid upgrades.
Checklist: site, power, financing
| Track | What to line up now | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Site control | Clean title, zoning, flood & seismic maps | Avoid late-stage rework when approvals compress |
| Power | Firmed RE PPAs + backup grid route; battery/storage plan | PUE targets and AI-rack density require assured MWs |
| Capex | Blended finance (ECB + domestic) with hedges | Rate volatility lifts carrying cost for phased builds |
| Talent | 24×7 ops, compliance, DCIM, incident drills | Likely tighter audit and uptime standards |
FAQ
- Is the policy final? Not yet—consultations are ongoing; timelines depend on inter-ministerial alignment.
- Are long tax holidays confirmed? Still under discussion; eligibility and caps may change at notification.
- How soon could approvals speed up? If SLAs arrive alongside state alignment, lead times could compress within the first year of rollout.