Singapore-based Princeton Digital Group (PDG), Asia’s leading data centre provider, unveiled a major growth plan for India by expanding capacity to a total of 230 MW in the country, driving an investment programme of $1 billion. This is part of PDG’s new $5-billion investment programme for AI-ready data centres in Asia.

The expansion makes PDG’s flagship MU1 one of the largest operational campuses in Mumbai with the addition of three new buildings that will triple the campus’ existing capacity to 150 MW. The first phase of the 100 MW expansion is scheduled for delivery in 2026. Upon completion, MU1 will occupy around 15 acres of land.

In addition to expanding its MU1 campus, PDG is entering Chennai, one of the most established cloud hubs in India. Named CH1, the 72 MW AI-ready campus is located in the northern Chennai Metropolitan Area, which houses some of the world’s leading hyperscalers. The hyperscale data centre facility will be built over 9.3 acres with scalability for future expansion, says a release. (A hyperscale data center is one that houses critical computing and networking infrastructure to support data processing, storage, and computing services. It must also be capable of being scaled up or down. The International Data Corporation (IDC) defines a hyperscale data center as a facility that has at least 5,000 servers and 10,000 square feet of floor space.)

The company is a developer and operator of Internet infrastructure with presence and operations in Singapore, Japan, India, Indonesia, China, and Malaysia. Its portfolio of data centres powers the expansion of hyperscalers and enterprises in the fastest-growing digital economies across Asia.

“As one of the fastest growing data centre operators, our $1 billion investment in India is testament to our deep commitment to the country’s AI and cloud ecosystems” says Rangu Salgame, Chairman, CEO and Co-founder, PDG, in the release. “By adding three new buildings in Mumbai and by entering Chennai, we are significantly enhancing our hyperscale AI-ready infrastructure footprint in the country.”

Both MU1 and CH1 are AI-ready campuses supporting high density deployments and cutting-edge cooling technologies.

Pre-Eminent hubs

“Mumbai and Chennai have been the pre-eminent hubs for cloud infrastructure in India due the combination of submarine cable landing proximity, high-quality power supply, availability of renewable energy and robust infrastructure development. With the advent of AI in India, both locations are well-positioned to become leading AI infrastructure hubs as well,” said Vipin Shirsat, Managing Director of PDG India.

Sustainability is a core business focus at PDG. The company’s MU1 data center in Mumbai is contracted to be powered around 50 per cent with renewable energy. The company is procuring more reliable and viable renewable energy for its expanded Mumbai campus and the new CH1 data center campus. PDG will also provide hybrid cooling options for its customers that will optimise their sustainability and operational efficiency goals.

PDG’s MU1 was the first data center in Mumbai to achieve the coveted IGBC Platinum certification. The facility was delivered in an unprecedented 20 months, during the height of the pandemic, where the company overcame myriad supply chain challenges to deliver on time.

The company recently unveiled its 500 MW expansion strategy across Asia with a $5 billion investment program that will see PDG increase its capacity and presence in India, Indonesia and Malaysia, the release said.

An AI-ready data centre has three key aspects that differentiate them from other data centres: Scale, density, and flexibility. AI is driving growth in cloud services for hyperscalers, which means there is an added challenge of building data centres with the capacity to match this significant growth.

“A data center may be designed to accommodate a density of 10-15kW per rack. Meanwhile, an AI-ready data centre is designed to accommodate high-density workloads, with racks that are able to accommodate much more than non AI-ready data centre. Density affects the type of cooling used, therefore, an AI-ready data centre also needs to be designed with the flexibility to incorporate next-generation cooling technologies,” said Shirsat.

For example, the company’s AI-ready data centers are designed to incorporate flexible cooling solutions. We are developing a R&D center to advance cutting-edge data center technologies, including liquid cooling systems, he said.

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