Karnataka govt. approves sustainable data centre to address AI’s environmental footprint

The Government of Karnataka has approved the Karnataka Sustainable Data Centre Policy 2026-2031, a five-year policy framework designed to establish the State as a globally competitive and sustainable destination for data centre investments.

The policy targets 1 GW of cumulative data centre IT load by 2031, with an ambition to account for 10-12% of India’s AI-ready data centre capacity. It proposes a ₹1,300.45 crore revised budget framework for implementation.

The revised policy envisages sustainable data centre development, with emphasis on renewable energy adoption, energy efficiency, advanced cooling, water management, carbon emission mitigation, and monitoring of power usage effectiveness and water usage effectiveness.