Equinix, a data center co-location giant, today announced its expansion into Chennai with its first International Business Exchange (IBX) data center, called CN1.
The facility is designed to support the needs of enterprises and hyperscalers, including AI deployments, to help businesses capitalise on the digital opportunity in India and accelerate the country's goal of becoming a $1 trillion digital economy by 2027-2028.
With an initial investment of $65 million, CN1 spreads over nearly 6 acres of land at Chennai's thriving tech landscape in Siruseri and is expected to open in Q4 2024.
The data center will be connected to Equinix's three existing high-performance data centers in Mumbai, providing robust digital infrastructure and ecosystems to drive innovation and digital transformation in India.
"We are witnessing India's growing prominence as a pivotal data center hub in South Asia, driven by strong interest from major global players looking to anchor and expand their operations here, along with Indian enterprises expanding their digital infrastructure to support the growth of one of the fastest growing economies in the world," said Manoj Paul, Managing Director, Equinix India.
CN1 will serve as a hub for startups, enterprises, network and cloud service providers, fostering a vibrant environment for groundbreaking initiatives. This move will elevate Chennai's status on the global stage and unlock new opportunities for international customers seeking to capitalise on the city's strong tech ecosystem.
Chennai presents customers with a dual-city redundancy option, enhancing resilience and ensuring uninterrupted business operations. The city showcases vigorous infrastructure development, attracting investment in the digital sector, bolstered by proactive government initiatives and a thriving business ecosystem.
CN1 will be strategically located in the SIPCOT land in Siruseri, approximately 28 km from the bustling Central Business District and near anticipated submarine cable landing sites. The four-story data center will ultimately provide a total capacity of 4,950 cabinets when fully built, with the first phase scheduled to open in Q4 2024, offering 850 cabinets.
Equinix's commitment to expanding its presence in India is further demonstrated by the recent opening of the MB4 IBX data center in Mumbai, adding 350 cabinets, and the announcement of MB3, set to open in Q4 2024 with an initial capacity of over 1,375 cabinets. The company hosts over 300 companies in Mumbai, including around 200 network providers, 5 internet exchanges, and the densest cloud ecosystem in India with on-ramps to 8 cloud service providers.
In line with Equinix's global goal to achieve climate neutrality by 2030, the company's facilities in India, including CN1 and MB3, are expected to be 100% covered by renewables. In 2023, Equinix achieved an impressive 96% renewable energy coverage across its worldwide operations.
Globally, Equinix operates 260 data centers across 71 metros in 33 countries. In the Asia-Pacific region, the company currently has 56 data centers in key metros across 8 countries, solidifying its position as a leading digital infrastructure provider.
The addition of the Chennai data center extends Equinix's ecosystem to customers in a new key metro area, complementing its Mumbai campus. This expansion supports India's rapid digital transformation and growing prominence as a strategic data center hub in South Asia.
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