The Maharashtra government has signed a significant Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Lodha Developers Ltd for the development of a Green Integrated Data Centre Park in Palava, located within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). This ambitious project entails an investment of ₹30,000 crore and is poised to transform Maharashtra’s digital infrastructure landscape through sustainable and eco-friendly technologies.
Key Highlights of the Agreement
The MoU commits ₹30,000 crore investment for establishing a green data centre park with a planned capacity of 2 gigawatts (GW).
The project is expected to generate around 6,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities during construction and operations.
This park will host several international and domestic data centre operators, serving as a major hub in India’s growing digital ecosystem.
Maharashtra’s Green Integrated Data Centre Parks Policy, launched in October 2024, mandates that data centres under this initiative must be powered primarily by renewable energy sources.
Background and Strategic Importance
Maharashtra identified Integrated Data Centres as a core industrial sector in 2019, recognizing the surging demand due to cloud computing, artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and other digital services. The state government thus prioritized the development of dedicated data centre parks to meet expanding tech infrastructure needs while ensuring environmental sustainability.
Lodha Developers, a leading real estate and infrastructure firm, brings its extensive project delivery expertise to this collaboration. The company will serve as the master developer, facilitating infrastructure, regulatory support, and management for the data centre complex.
Green Integrated Data Centre Park Features
The park will focus on a sustainable approach with several key features:
Use of clean and renewable energy, including solar and wind, to power energy-intensive data centre operations.
Implementation of modern cooling techniques and energy-efficient technologies to reduce power consumption and environmental impact.
Smart infrastructure with real-time monitoring capabilities for power, water, and waste management.
Environmentally responsible construction methods incorporating eco-friendly materials and waste reduction strategies.
Economic and Employment Impact
The project is expected to have a substantial impact on Maharashtra’s economy:
Creation of approximately 6,000 new jobs spanning construction, operations, maintenance, and ancillary services.
Boost for local businesses and service providers through increased demand for materials, logistics, and workforce.
Attraction of further domestic and foreign investment, reinforcing Maharashtra’s position as a technology and innovation hub.
Government Vision and Industry Response
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis emphasized the role of such investments in fueling the state’s economic growth and job creation efforts. The Green Integrated Data Centre Parks initiative aligns with Maharashtra’s broader goals of sustainable industrial growth, clean energy transition, and digital leadership.
Abhishek Lodha, Managing Director and CEO of Lodha Developers, highlighted the importance of green infrastructure, stating that the project will not only provide economic benefits but also contribute toward India’s vision of clean and sustainable development by 2047.
Looking Ahead
The data centre park in Palava is part of an anticipated series of three such parks to be developed in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. These efforts will support the scaling demands of India’s burgeoning digital economy while setting new standards for eco-conscious infrastructure development.
As digital adoption accelerates and data generation explodes, these integrated green data centre parks will be critical in enabling future-ready technology ecosystems powered by sustainability principles.
Conclusion
The ₹30,000 crore pact between the Maharashtra government and Lodha Developers marks a landmark step toward combining technological advancement with environmental stewardship. The green integrated data centre park is poised to drive sustainable economic growth, foster innovation, and place Maharashtra at the forefront of India’s digital transformation journey.
Source: The Hindu Business Line, Economic Times, Business Standard, Reuters
