New Delhi, Dec. 30 -- If data is the new oil, data centres are the refineries converting it into AI-ready fuel. And India is fast emerging as the next global hub.

The country generates nearly 20% of the world's data but hosts only 3% of global data centre capacity. This creates a structural supply gap that global technology companies are now rushing to address.

According to Colliers India, India's installed data-center capacity has expanded from 0.3 gigawatt (GW) in 2018 to 1.26 GW by April 2025. This was driven by a nearly 30-fold rise in data traffic since FY17, driven by smartphones, OTT platforms, digital payments, and e-commerce.

So, it's still early days. Jefferies estimates capacity could quintuple to 8 GW over the next five yea...