In support of India’s goal of becoming a $1 trillion digital economy by 2027-2028, Equinix, Inc.,the world’s digital infrastructure company, announced its expansion into Chennai with its first International Business ExchangeTM (IBX) data center, called CN1. This facility is designed to support the needs of enterprises and hyperscalers, including AI deployments, to help businesses capitalise on the digital opportunity in India.
With an initial investment of $65 million, CN1 spreads over nearly 6 acres of land in Chennai’s thriving tech landscape in Siruseri and is expected to open in Q4 2024. CN1 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.
Manoj Paul, Managing Director, Equinix India, commented: “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. Equinix has the most hyperconnected data center campus in Mumbai with the largest concentration of cloud on-ramps, telecom service providers, Over-the-top (OTT) media service providers, internet exchanges and financial ecosystem. The addition of our Chennai data center will further extend this ecosystem to customers in Chennai. We are grateful for the support we have received from the Industries and IT Department, Government of Tamil Nadu; SIPCOT; and Guidance Tamil Nadu, which have facilitated our entry into the Chennai market.”
Equinix CN1 will serve as a dynamic hub for startups, enterprises, network and cloud service providers, among others, fostering a vibrant environment for groundbreaking initiatives and transformative endeavours. This pivotal move will not only elevate Chennai’s status on the global stage but also unlock new opportunities for international customers seeking to capitalise on Chennai’s strong tech ecosystem.
Bolstered by proactive government initiatives and a thriving business ecosystem, Chennai showcases vigorous infrastructure development, attracting investment in the digital infrastructure sector. As Equinix’s second metro in India, Chennai presents customers with a dual-city redundancy option, enhancing resilience and ensuring uninterrupted business operations.
