Princeton Digital Group expands India footprint with USD $1bn investment

Princeton Digital Group (PDG) has announced a significant expansion in India, increasing its capacity to a total of 230 MW across two key locations: Mumbai and Chennai. The expansion is part of PDG's broader USD 5 billion investment programme aimed at developing AI-ready data centres throughout Asia.

The Mumbai expansion will see PDG's flagship MU1 campus become one of the largest operational data centre campuses in the city. This will be achieved through the addition of three new buildings, which will triple the current capacity to 150 MW. The first phase of this 100 MW expansion is scheduled to be completed by 2026, and once fully operational, the MU1 campus will cover approximately 15 acres of land.

In parallel with its Mumbai project, PDG is establishing a new data centre in Chennai named CH1. This AI-ready facility will have a capacity of 72 MW and will be located in the northern Chennai Metropolitan Area. The site will occupy 9.3 acres and is designed to be scalable for future expansion.

Rangu Salgame, Chairman, CEO, and Co-founder of PDG, noted the rapid growth driven by AI in the data centre sector. "Over the last 18 months, AI has completely transformed the data centre landscape," he said. "First, we saw the explosion of demand in North America, followed by the initial wave of AI-driven demand in Asia. PDG has been a major beneficiary of this initial surge, and our capacity and capabilities in India have been a significant factor in our success."

Salgame emphasised India's potential to become a global leader in AI and highlighted PDG's commitment to the country's development. "India is well positioned to be a global AI leader, and we are determined to play an important role in making that happen. As one of the fastest-growing data centre operators, our USD 1 billion investment in India is a testament to our deep commitment to the country's AI and cloud ecosystems. By adding three new buildings in Mumbai and by entering Chennai, we are significantly enhancing our hyperscale AI-ready infrastructure footprint in the country," he added.

The facilities in both Mumbai and Chennai will support high-density deployments and incorporate advanced cooling technologies. Vipin Shirsat, Managing Director of PDG India, discussed the strategic importance of the locations. "Mumbai and Chennai have been the pre-eminent hubs for cloud infrastructure in India due to the combination of submarine cable landing proximity, high-quality power supply, availability of renewable energy and robust infrastructure development," Shirsat said. "With the advent of AI in India, both locations are well-positioned to become leading AI infrastructure hubs as well."

Sustainability is also a key focus for PDG. The company aims to power approximately 50% of its expanded Mumbai campus with renewable energy and is seeking more reliable renewable sources for the CH1 data centre as well. Additionally, PDG will offer hybrid cooling options to its customers, aiming to optimise both sustainability and operational efficiency.

PDG's existing MU1 data centre in Mumbai has already garnered recognition for its sustainability initiatives. It was the first in the city to achieve IGBC Platinum certification. This facility was completed in 20 months during the pandemic, overcoming numerous supply chain challenges to meet its deadline.

The expansion in India is part of a larger 500 MW growth strategy across Asia, which includes investments in Indonesia and Malaysia. This extensive investment underscores PDG's commitment to strengthening its presence and capacity in the fastest-growing digital economies across the region.