- AirTrunk has announced plans to invest ₹3 lakh crore (USD 30 billion) in India and build 5 GW of data centre capacity, making it one of the largest digital infrastructure commitments in the country.
- The investment follows AirTrunk’s acquisition of Lumina CloudInfra, giving it access to key markets including Mumbai, Chennai, and Hyderabad.
- The project aims to support India’s growing AI, cloud computing, and digital economy, while creating jobs and strengthening local supply chains.
On June 5, 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Robin Khuda, the founder and CEO of AirTrunk, at his New Delhi office. What followed was an announcement that set a new benchmark for foreign investment in India’s digital economy.
Modi announced AirTrunk’s plans to invest around Rs 3 lakh crore (USD 30 billion) in India and develop 5 GW of data centre capacity. “This is among the largest proposed investments in the country’s digital infrastructure ecosystem,” he said in a post on X.
Modi added: “Such investments will strengthen India’s position as a global hub for cloud computing and AI, while generating employment opportunities, supporting local supply chains and accelerating innovation-led growth. It is clear that the future of the world’s digital economy is increasingly being shaped in India.”
Who Is AirTrunk and Why Does This Matter
AirTrunk is not a new entrant to the hyperscale data centre space. It is one of the largest and most respected players in the Asia-Pacific region.
AirTrunk is one of Asia-Pacific’s largest hyperscale data centre operators. Founded in Sydney in 2015, the company built its reputation on delivering large-scale, power-dense data centres for cloud and AI workloads. It currently operates campuses across Australia, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.
Blackstone acquired AirTrunk in a transaction completed in 2024, which became the private equity firm’s largest investment in the Asia-Pacific region and one of the largest global digital infrastructure acquisitions to date.The deal was backed by Canada Pension Plan Investment Board as well.
When AirTrunk commits $30 billion to a market, it is not a speculative announcement. It is a strategic decision backed by one of the world’s most powerful alternative asset managers and one of the largest sovereign pension funds.
How AirTrunk Entered India
The investment announcement did not come out of nowhere. AirTrunk spent months building a foundation before making this commitment.
AirTrunk entered India’s data centre market with the acquisition of Lumina CloudInfra in April 2026. Following the acquisition, AirTrunk’s total operating and planned capacity exceeds 3GW across 20 campuses in six markets, including Australia, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and now India.
The deal gave AirTrunk immediate access to Lumina’s development pipeline, existing contracts and relationships, and operating capabilities. This included an approximately 600 MW portfolio of planned capacity, representing up to USD 5 billion of future development potential.
Lumina CloudInfra operates across three Tier 1 markets in India, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad, all established data centre hubs with strong connectivity and enterprise demand. 
The Scale of the Commitment
To understand how significant 5 GW of data centre capacity is, context is essential.
India’s installed data centre capacity stood at roughly 1.5 GW in 2025 and is projected to reach around 10 GW by 2030. AirTrunk alone is targeting half of that projected growth.
The company has already moved beyond announcement. AirTrunk has signed a letter of intent for land allotment at Maharashtra’s Raigad Penn Growth Centre, near Mumbai, for a USD 21 billion, 3 GW facility. Alongside that, the broader USD 30 billion programme targets over 5 GW of capacity across multiple states and union territories by the end of the decade.
AirTrunk said it plans to invest more than Rs 3 lakh crore by 2030 to expand digital infrastructure capacity, positioning India as a cornerstone of its global growth strategy.
What Robin Khuda Said
AirTrunk CEO Robin Khuda was direct about why India was chosen.
“India has the scale, talent, and ambition required to become a global AI powerhouse. AirTrunk is excited to support that vision,” he said in a company statement.
Khuda said that during the week there was “a genuine sense of urgency” around AI investment in India.
Khuda positioned the Lumina acquisition as an important strategic step, saying: “India is one of the largest and fastest-growing markets for hyperscale and AI infrastructure worldwide, and expanding in this market is a significant milestone for AirTrunk’s broader APAC strategy. By acquiring Lumina CloudInfra, we are uniquely positioned to deliver the scale, speed and performance our customers need as they expand across the APAC region.”
The Conditions AirTrunk Is Asking For
The announcement was significant. But AirTrunk’s discussions with the Indian government were not only about celebrating a commitment. They were also about what India needs to deliver to make it happen.
During his visit, Khuda met state chief ministers and ministers in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh to discuss the infrastructure, energy and policy requirements needed to support AI-driven growth. The discussions focused on access to reliable and cost-effective power, renewable energy, sustainable water supply, talent development, streamlined approvals processes and greater coordination between state and federal authorities.
AirTrunk said initiatives such as Digital India, the IndiaAI Mission and the India Semiconductor Mission have positioned the country as an attractive destination for cloud and AI infrastructure investment.
Power remains the most critical bottleneck. Data centres are power-intensive facilities. A 5 GW data centre buildout requires reliable, affordable, and ideally renewable electricity at a scale that will test India’s grid infrastructure significantly.
India’s Broader Data Centre Moment
AirTrunk is not the only global player accelerating into India’s data centre market. The country is experiencing a convergence of demand from cloud computing, AI workloads, 5G expansion, and data localisation requirements.
OpenAI has been scouting for a 1 GW facility in India, and Google is building a new data centre in Visakhapatnam. AirTrunk’s $30 billion pledge puts it near the top of the pile among global commitments. 
Blackstone, which backs AirTrunk, is already a major investor in India, directing almost 40% of its $50 billion in India investments to Maharashtra. The firm has also made significant investments in Indian real estate, committing over $20 billion across top cities including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, NCR, Chennai and Kolkata.
The AirTrunk announcement is the largest single digital infrastructure commitment India has received. It signals that global capital is no longer treating India as an emerging option for data centre investment. It is treating India as a primary destination. The next question is whether India’s power grid, policy environment, and approval infrastructure can keep pace with the ambition.
Clear Cut Startups, Research Desk
New Delhi, UPDATED: June 08, 2026 05:00 IST
Written By: Ayushman Meena
