Australian data-centre operator AirTrunk, owned by Blackstone Inc., has announced plans to establish a new facility in India, driven by surging demand for infrastructure to support artificial-intelligence workloads.
The company’s CEO, Robin Khuda, said that construction plans are already “pretty advanced,” and highlighted India’s large, digitally active population as a key factor in the decision.
The expansion is part of a broader strategy: AirTrunk was acquired by Blackstone in a deal valued at about A$24 billion (~US $16 billion). The move marks a clear recognition that the AI-driven surge in compute needs is creating growth opportunities beyond established markets, and India is emerging as a critical node in that infrastructure build-out.
From a strategic viewpoint, this indicates that global investors and infrastructure players are keen on India not just as a consumer market, but as a major location for foundational digital infrastructure.
Despite the optimism, the article also notes challenges — notably around electricity supply and grid readiness. Blackstone’s broader infrastructure work has previously warned about power constraints for new data-centres. For India, this means that while the opportunity is significant, successful execution will depend on navigating power, cooling, land and regulation issues.
