New Delhi, July 19 -- IT services majors are stepping into the asset-heavy data centre business, betting on artificial intelligence (AI)-driven demand and data localization rules. Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS) and HCL Technologies Ltd (HCLTech) see AI infrastructure as the next frontier, positioning themselves as full-stack players in the digital economy. Mint explains.

TCS plans to invest $6-7 billion over the next decade to build 1GW of data centre capacity through its AI-focused venture, HyperVault. HCLTech is committing Rs.3,500 crore (around $360 million) to build up to 50MW of capacity and has invested $150 million in sovereign AI platform Sarvam AI.

The moves signal a strategic pivot: the top-tier IT firms want to anchor AI...