A new report by proptech firm Square Yards projects that India's proposed data centre pipeline of approximately 9,030 MW has the potential to generate nearly 4.33 lakh ecosystem jobs and drive demand for an estimated 195 million square feet of residential space by 2030.
The report frames the jobs projection in broad terms: data centres attract power infrastructure, fibre connectivity, logistics and commercial services that gradually transform surrounding regions into thriving urban ecosystems. In other words, the bulk of employment creation is expected to come from the industries that cluster around facilities, not from the facilities themselves.
The report notes that the strongest residential impact is unlikely to emerge within data centre campuses themselves. Instead, it identifies a 5–15 km 'Golden Ring' surrounding major facilities where infrastructure upgrades, mixed-use developments, residential townships, retail centres and civic amenities are expected to flourish.
Square Yards notes that India currently produces nearly 20 per cent of the world's digital data but accounts for only 4 per cent of global data centre capacity, leaving substantial room for infrastructure expansion.
The geographic spread of projected housing demand is uneven. Maharashtra is projected to generate over 54 million sqft of residential demand, followed by Karnataka with nearly 28 million sqft, Andhra Pradesh with over 23 million sqft, Uttar Pradesh with approximately 22.7 million sqft, Telangana with 21.6 million sqft and Tamil Nadu with 19.4 million sqft.
With AI, cloud computing and enterprise digitisation accelerating investments, India's installed data centre capacity is expected to grow significantly, bringing with it a new wave of infrastructure-led real estate development, the firm said.
A separate industry note from NLB Services points to a skills dimension that the Square Yards report does not detail. India's data centre sector is expected to create nearly one lakh engineering jobs by 2030, but industry experts caution that the shortage of skilled professionals could become a significant hurdle to sustaining digital infrastructure growth. The sector is creating demand for professionals with expertise spanning AI infrastructure, cloud operations, automation, power systems and critical facilities management.
