Once completed, the data centre is slated to be the largest in India. The MoU was signed by Abhishek Lodha, managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of Lodha Developers, at the World Economic Forum 2026 in Davos, Switzerland. The investments will be executed over the next few years between Lodha and its clients.
“For Lodha, the opportunity is to create a very sizable data centre business. We will only be in business lines if the returns are in line with our corporate goals. If our corporate goal is a minimum return on equity of close to 20 per cent or more, then those are the returns we must be able to achieve to be in the data centre business,” Shaishav Dharia, director, Lodha Green Digital Infrastructure, and chief executive officer, extended eastern suburbs and rental assets, told Business Standard.
The data centre will be developed under the government’s Green Integrated Data Centre Park policy in Palava in the Mumbai metropolitan region (MMR). The development is expected to create over 16,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The park will accommodate several major international and domestic players. Amazon has already acquired a land parcel for its data centre and has also made arrangements for its power requirements for the next 15 years. Singapore-based STT Global Data Centres has also acquired a land parcel in the park.
Lodha will play the role of developer for several players who are keen on setting up data centres, the company added.
“Over and above the Rs 30,000 crore commitment last year to develop the data centre park, we have signed another agreement with the government of Maharashtra to invest an additional Rs 1 trillion. The state has already scaled newer heights under the leadership of Devendra Fadnavis, chief minister of Maharashtra. His vision and actions directed towards a developed Maharashtra give us immense confidence in committing to such a large investment,” Lodha said.
So far, the company has transacted “powered land” (land plus power, water and fibre) to its clients. “The next logical step is for us to go into the real estate play and start developing the power shell building, then lease it to our clients, generate rental income from it, and participate in the data centre story. Now we are in talks with multiple other clients, both for powered land as well as the built-to-suit option. Hopefully, over the next few months, we should be able to see progress on the same,” Dharia added.
In 2019, the government of Maharashtra declared integrated data centres a thrust area for industrial growth in the state. To ensure that data centres thrive, it introduced a policy for green integrated data centre parks in 2024.
Under this policy, data centres, which are significant consumers of electricity, will be powered by green and alternative energy sources. To begin with, three parks will be set up under the programme in the Mumbai metropolitan region.
Lodha has over 5,000 acres of land in Palava, out of which 350 acres will be used for its data centre play. According to Lodha’s investor presentation, two large global data centre players entered Palava in 2024 and 2025, with the last land transaction done at a rate of Rs 21 crore per acre.
UAE agrees to establish food cluster in Andhra
UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri on Tuesday agreed during a meeting with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to set up a food cluster in Andhra Pradesh.
The meeting took place during the annual meet of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.
The UAE minister also assured to enable 40 companies to set up shop in the southern state.
“Al Marri agreed to set up a food cluster in Andhra Pradesh’s food processing sector,” an official press release said, detailing the developments at WEF. Further, Naidu and Al Marri deliberated on strengthening the financial partnership between the state and the UAE.
Bullish on the growth trajectory of India, Naidu said he would make Amaravati the best and the most beautiful city in the world and everyone is welcome to be a partner in this endeavour. PTI
 "Union Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu at the India Pavilion inauguration at WEF, in Davos on Tuesday. (Photo: PTI)")