Connect | India // Debate: Beyond the metros - Where will India's next gigawatt come from?

Power constraints in established metros are fundamentally reshaping India's data center geography. Operators now scout locations based on where power is available first, driving billions in investment to emerging hubs like Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad. States like Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh are competing aggressively with land, power, and tax incentives to attract operators. Yet critical barriers remain: connectivity gaps, underdeveloped infrastructure ecosystems, and acute workforce shortages in non-metro locations. As the industry shifts from proximity-based to power-based site selection, operators must navigate which emerging markets represent genuine long-term opportunity versus expensive missteps. This session will explore:

• What makes an emerging market viable: power guarantees, connectivity infrastructure, and state commitment beyond initial incentives
• The hidden costs of building outside metros: infrastructure gaps, longer supply chains, and talent acquisition realities
• Real-world lessons from early movers: what worked, what failed, and costly mistakes to avoid
• Site selection criteria that separate genuine opportunities from locations that look good on paper but fail operationally