India's data centre boom could create 1 lakh engineering jobs by 2030
New Delhi, July 14
India's rapidly expanding data centre industry is emerging as one of the country's biggest employment generators, with demand for nearly one lakh skilled professionals by 2030, a report said on Tuesday.
The data compiled by NLB Services showed that India's installed data centre capacity is projected to grow from around 1.5 GW currently to nearly 6.5 GW by the end of the decade, while the market is expected to exceed $22 billion.
Cumulative investment commitments in the sector have already crossed $126 billion, making it one of the fastest-growing infrastructure segments in the country, the report added.
However, industry experts warn that a widening skills gap could threaten the sector's ambitious growth plans unless education, industry and policymakers work together to prepare a future-ready workforce.
Sachin Alug, CEO, NLB Services, said that the country's data centre and AI infrastructure expansion represents far more than an infrastructure story -- it is a nation-building opportunity for our young workforce.
"As the country accelerates its digital transformation, the sector is creating demand for a new generation of professionals with expertise spanning AI infrastructure, cloud operations, automation, power systems, and critical facilities management," he stated.
"This is not simply about filling jobs; it is about building a workforce capable of powering India's digital economy for decades to come," Alug added.
On the digital side, the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence is driving demand for professionals skilled in AI infrastructure engineering, cloud operations, platform engineering, DevOps, MLOps and data centre automation.
With AI workloads expected to account for nearly 30 per cent of India's total data centre capacity, AI infrastructure literacy is becoming an increasingly important competency for engineers entering the industry, the report noted.
At the same time, the physical infrastructure segment is witnessing growing demand for specialised professionals such as AI Infrastructure Operations Engineers, Liquid Cooling Engineers, Energy Optimisation Specialists, Critical Facilities Engineers and Power Systems Experts.
These roles are becoming increasingly important as next-generation AI-enabled data centres require advanced cooling, energy management and critical infrastructure capabilities.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Sounds promising but I'm cautious. We've heard similar predictions about other sectors before. The key is whether these jobs will actually materialize in smaller cities or only stay in Bangalore/Hyderabad. Rural engineering colleges need access to this training too.
Finally India is moving beyond call centers and coding farms! Data centres are the backbone of digital economy. But we need to ensure these are high-value engineering roles and not just maintenance jobs. Also, renewable energy integration with these energy-hungry centres must be mandatory. 🇮🇳
As someone working in cloud infrastructure abroad, I can see amazing potential here. But we need to be realistic - $126 billion investment is massive, but is that actual committed or just MoUs? India has a habit of announcing big numbers. Let's hope this translates to real jobs and not just hype.
My brother is an electrical engineer and he's been looking for specialised roles. This liquid cooling engineer and power systems expert roles sound perfect for traditional engineers who can upskill. Hope our IITs/NITs start offering specialised certifications in these areas. Also, need more women in these roles!
Worked in data centre design in the US. India has the talent pool but needs to focus on reliability standards. Our power grid fluctuations are a nightmare for data centres. Good to see energy optimisation specialists being mentioned - that's where the real value is.
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