Andhra Pradesh has enough water, power to meet needs of data centres, says Naidu

VISAKHAPATNAM Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has said water availability would not be an impediment to setting up data centres in Visakhapatnam, asserting that the State has the required resources and technologies.

Responding to a question from journalist Palki Sharma during a fireside chat on Day 2 of the 31st CII Partnership Summit here on Friday, Mr. Naidu said data centres would generate opportunities beyond direct employment, by creating a wider ecosystem around artificial intelligence, knowledge economy and data-driven decision-making.

On concerns over the high water and electricity consumption of data centres, he said the proposed facilities would require around 3.50 TMCFT of water while the State could supply up to 100 TMCFT of water to Visakhapatnam mostly through the Polavaram project. He noted that substantial quantities of water currently flowing into the sea could be utilised, and pointed out that desalination and emerging air-cooling technologies were the other alternatives available.