Home / Business and Economy / West Bengal Eyes Data Centre Hub Status
West Bengal Eyes Data Centre Hub Status
10 Sep
Summary
- Unused land in 18 industrial parks may host data centres.
- State aims to capture share of India's growing data centre capacity.
- New policy to offer strengthened incentives for data centres.
The West Bengal government is exploring a significant initiative to designate unused land within 18 of its industrial parks for data centre development. This move aligns with the state's ambition to become a prominent data centre hub, aiming to secure a larger share of India's expanding market. National data centre capacity is anticipated to reach 6 GW by 2029, a substantial increase from 1.6 GW in mid-2026.
Officials highlighted that existing industrial parks often possess the necessary large land parcels and dedicated power supply crucial for AI data centres. Parks with intermittent industrial demand may be prioritized, such as Haldia, which has 194 acres of unutilized land. The state is also revising its 2021 data centre policy, which expires this year, to offer more robust incentives, including stamp duty reimbursement and electricity duty waivers.
As of early 2026, West Bengal ranks sixth in India for data centre capacity, with 11 private hubs operational. Key projects like Reliance's hyperscale data centre and Airtel Nxtra's 25 MW unit are nearing completion. The government is also considering repurposing 32 IT parks for smaller, edge data centres, further diversifying the state's digital infrastructure landscape.
