Data centers, today, are widely adopting energy-efficient infrastructure like high-efficiency chillers, renewable energy integration, rainwater harvesting, and recycling systems. Industry certifications, including IGBC and LEED, have become increasingly essential benchmarks that environmentally conscious clients look for, shared C R Srinivasan, CEO, Digital Connexion in an exclusive interaction with Kaanchi Chawla of Elets News Network (ENN). Edited excerpts: 

What architectural and operational changes are required to support AI workloads, and how do these differ from traditional data center operations?

The accelerated adoption of AI workloads among Indian enterprises is increasingly prompting a fundamental transformation in data center architecture. Traditional centers, optimised for standard IT operations with densities between 5–10kW per rack, struggle with today’s AI and GPU-intensive workloads requiring upwards of 30–70 kW per rack. 

Across industry, we’re seeing facilities re-engineered from the ground up, incorporating modular designs for scalability. Advanced cooling systems such as liquid immersion and direct-to-chip cooling are becoming critical to support the GPU-intensive operations required for AI training. 

At our Chennai AI data center, we have integrated cutting-edge solutions alongside a robust electrical backbone, high-capacity substations, and redundant power feeds. We provide up to 150kW per rack, allowing for smooth AI operations, and offer a global web of network service providers and vendors through PlatformDIGITAL, setting an industry benchmark in accommodating India’s surging enterprise demand for AI and high-performance computing. 

How can data centers ensure scalability and high performance for enterprise clients while also maintaining energy efficiency and meeting sustainability benchmarks?

As a response to the adverse effects of AI operations on the environment, globally, enterprises are adopting a protective mindset, seeking data centers that can deliver performance and scalability while actively contributing to their sustainability objectives. Data center operators are responding to this shift by rethinking traditional approaches to energy and water usage. 

Intelligent cooling management has become industry best practice, significantly reducing energy consumption without compromising operational capacity. 

At our AI data center, which holds IGBC Green Data Center Platinum certification, our advanced cooling technologies underscore our commitment to aligning high performance and environmental stewardship.

What are the major infrastructural and network challenges involved in preparing data centers for the rising demand in high-compute operations such as AI training and GPU-as-a-service?

The data center industry today faces substantial infrastructure and network transformation due to the rapid growth in the demand for GPU-as-a-service and other compute-intensive services such as training and running AI. 

One significant test is ensuring sufficient electrical and cooling capacity to manage high-density deployments. Across the industry, we see operators responding by adopting next-gen cooling solutions to mitigate heat effectively. High-performance computing also requires data centers to significantly enhance their connectivity infrastructure, ensuring ultra-low latency and high-bandwidth capabilities. 

At Digital Connexion, recognising evolving demands, our Chennai campus incorporates advanced power infrastructure and high-capacity, resilient network architectures to enable sustained performance under intense compute workloads.

How is the industry responding to the increasing customer preference for data centers that support enterprise sustainability goals?

Today, global enterprises actively seek data centers that support their environmental and sustainability goals. The industry response involves embedding sustainability into core operations rather than treating it as an add-on. 

Data centers, today, are widely adopting energy-efficient infrastructure like high-efficiency chillers, renewable energy integration, rainwater harvesting, and recycling systems. Industry certifications, including IGBC and LEED, have become increasingly essential benchmarks that environmentally conscious clients look for.

With growing focus on data localisation and emerging AI regulations in India, how are companies future-proofing their infrastructure to meet compliance and data sovereignty requirements?

India’s evolving regulatory landscape around data localisation and AI governance is expected to increase the demand for high-quality purpose-built AI data centers in India. These data centers need to cater to the dense power requirements of the AI workloads and provide access to high-speed networks within and outside of the data center.  These data centers will need to focus on sustainability by improving energy efficiency and maximising the use of renewable energy sources.

Data centers play a significant role in enabling the nation’s progress as they are the foundational block for the digital capabilities of any nation. Digital Connexion is committed to building state-of-the-art data center facilities in the country and will continue investing in India’s digital infrastructure. Therefore, it is important for operators to have a seat at the policy table to best serve the nation’s digital mission. In response to the emerging needs of India’s digital infrastructure, data centers are increasingly being designed for full auditability, robust physical security, and sovereign infrastructure management.

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What technologies or strategies are being used to improve Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) in Indian data centers?

Enhancing Power Usage Effectiveness has become a priority for the data center industry as it seeks to mitigate power constraints and reduce water consumption, particularly in resource-stressed areas. Operators are increasingly shifting away from conventional, water-heavy cooling methods and adopting next-generation technologies that lower both energy and water use. 

Power efficiency goes beyond just cooling. In markets like India, where energy demand is rising and grid reliability can fluctuate, especially during peak hours, data centers must build resilient and energy-smart systems. This includes deploying high-efficiency UPS units and transformers designed to reduce energy loss, ensuring that a greater share of incoming power directly supports IT operations. Additional strategies include automated lighting, real-time energy monitoring, and airflow optimisation. Together, these measures are helping data centers lower PUE, improve operational resilience, and support India’s growing demand for sustainable digital infrastructure.

How is Digital Connexion addressing infrastructure and network constraints to ensure long-term scalability for its customers?

Digital Connexion addresses long-term scalability through modular data center design and strategic network integration. Our Chennai and Mumbai campuses are built to scale to 100+ MWs in the near future to meet rising demand. Our Chennai facility is a carrier-dense, carrier-neutral model, with four diverse fiber paths and major providers ensuring seamless interconnection, both locations offer proximity to the highest number of subsea cable landings, ensuring low-latency global connectivity. Integrated with Digital Realty’s global PlatformDIGITAL®, our infrastructure allows enterprises to scale workloads seamlessly across regions. This combination of infrastructure scalability, network strength, and global consistency positions us to meet evolving customer demands for high-performance, future-ready digital infrastructure.

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