Gandhinagar, July 9 (IANS) Gujarat plans to develop Dholera into the world’s largest data centre city, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi said on Thursday as the state launched the ‘Viksit Gujarat – Data Centre Policy 2026-29’, outlining a strategy centred on large-scale digital infrastructure, renewable energy and investor facilitation.

Addressing investors and technology companies after Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel unveiled the policy, Sanghavi said Dholera has already been prepared with the infrastructure required for hyperscale data centre projects.

“I say this with great pride: if the world’s highest-capacity data centre city is located in one city, it will be Dholera. Dholera is moving forward as the world’s largest data centre city,” he said.

He said Gujarat had emerged as a preferred destination because of its policy stability, uninterrupted power supply and long-term planning for water availability.

“Data centres require a reliable electricity supply and abundant water. For many years, wherever industries have been established in Gujarat, we have ensured a seamless electricity supply. Similarly, data centres require large quantities of water, and Gujarat has fulfilled that guarantee and will continue to do so,” he said.

Sanghavi said sustainability had been built into the policy, making it mandatory for data centres to source 51 per cent of their electricity from green energy while encouraging desalination to reduce pressure on freshwater resources.

“We will not simply provide water by diverting water meant for other industries or for farmers. We have specifically emphasised desalination and maximising the use of seawater by converting it into freshwater,” he said.

The Deputy Chief Minister also announced measures intended to simplify investment approvals.

“In the coming days, we will convene a stakeholder consultation meeting where investors will be shown the available land parcels. Every company that wishes to invest in Dholera will be assigned a senior officer as a nodal officer so that investors do not have to run from one government department to another,” he said.

He said the state was developing Dholera not only as a destination for data centres but also as a future base for Global Capability Centres (GCCs).

“As Dholera advances towards becoming the world’s leading destination for data centres, the government is also working to ensure that Dholera becomes the headquarters for GCCs in the future,” he asserted.

Sanghavi added that supporting infrastructure was progressing alongside industrial development, including the upcoming operationalisation of Dholera Airport and a planned semi-high-speed rail connection from Ahmedabad.

He said the newly launched policy had an initial capacity of 7.5 GW, while demand from investors had already reached nearly twice that level, with companies from India and overseas submitting requests to establish data centres across Gujarat.

The Viksit Gujarat – Data Centre Policy 2026-29 seeks to attract hyperscale data centre and AI investments through a combination of fiscal incentives, renewable energy requirements and infrastructure support, with Dholera identified as the state’s principal hub for future expansion.

–IANS

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