NTT India to invest $2 bn in data centres, submarine cable, renewables

NTT India has earmarked around $2 bn to boost information and communications technology infrastructure in the country over the next three-four years, aiming to tap the rise in data consumption

NTT India has earmarked around USD 2 billion to boost information and communications technology infrastructure in the country over the next three-four years, aiming to tap the rise in data consumption, a top company official said.

New data centres, cloud computing, submarine cable landing stations and solar parks are key areas where NTT India's capex is planned, he said.

"We will invest USD 500 million annually for the next four years in India. This is over and above the USD 800 million we have already infused in the last two years into ICT infrastructure," NTT India MD & Sr EVP (Global Data Centres & Marine Cables) Sharad Sanghi told PTI.

He was speaking on the sidelines of the ABP Group-organised INFOCOM 2022.

The Indian arm of Japanese IT services major NTT Data Inc is also exploring the idea of setting up a submarine cable landing station in Kolkata, Sanghi said.

The company will roll out submarine cable landing stations, which are physical locations where one or more submarine telecommunication cables connect to land-based power and networking infrastructure, in Mumbai and Chennai by next year.

"Globally, all the NTT group companies offering various services are being merged effective from October 1 as NTT Data Inc. In India, internal operations will be managed by a single company under NTT Data Inc. However, separate legal entities here will continue to exist," he said, when asked about the impact of its global consolidation in India.

NTT is the biggest data centre player in India, having launched the country's first homegrown public cloud computing, the company official claimed.

"At present, we have 12 data centres in India with a 150-MW IT load, spread over 2.2 million sq ft. We have decided to build nine more data centres, which will double our capacity," he said.

On renewables, the company official said NTT India would install 350 MW of solar energy, as the power load of its data centers are expected to touch 400 MW in a few years.

"We already have about 100 MW of installed solar power in Maharashtra, and have signed agreements to the tune of 350 MW with various solar power companies," Sanghi said.

In Kolkata, he said the company has procured 7.5 acres of land at Silicon Valley' in New Town, where a hyperscale data centre campus will come up in phases.

Elaborating on the submarine cable landing stations, Sanghi said: "Currently, the process for landing in Mumbai and Chennai is under progress and it will be completed by 2023.