Mangaluru flagged ‘India’s next major data-centre hub’ in feasibility study submitted to K’taka govt
Mangaluru: Karnataka’s digital-economy ambitions received a strong push this week after a detailed feasibility study identified Mangaluru as one of the country’s most promising emerging locations for large-scale data-centre development.
The report, titled Mangalore Today: India’s Next Potential Data Center Hub – A Feasibility Assessment, has been prepared jointly by the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), the Silicon Beach Programme (SBP) and Deloitte. It was formally presented to IT Minister Priyank Kharge and Electronics, IT/BT and S&T Department Secretary Dr N. Manjula during a data-centre session at the Bengaluru Tech Summit.
According to the report, the coastal belt is well positioned to support India’s expanding data-centre ecosystem. It highlights competitive land and power costs, a strengthening GCC presence, rising AI adoption, the potential for an undersea cable landing station and the scope for developing a future-ready 1-GW-plus data-centre cluster powered by green energy.
The national data-centre market is projected to reach USD 21.8 billion by 2030, and the study outlines how Karnataka can anchor this growth through a twin-hub strategy with Bengaluru as the primary hyperscale hub, supported by Mangaluru and Hubballi as regional nodes for edge infrastructure, low-latency computing and AI-driven capabilities. Within this framework, the report positions Mangaluru as one of the strongest upcoming destinations in India for the next phase of data-centre expansion.
The study notes that Mangaluru offers lower land and electricity costs compared with Mumbai and Chennai, a supportive coastal industrial ecosystem, a fast-growing digital talent base, a rising GCC footprint and increasing industry interest along the coastal corridor.
KDEM chairperson B.V. Naidu said the global shift towards AI, data dominance and cloud adoption demands robust and future-proof digital infrastructure. He pointed out that Mangaluru has the right mix of coastal advantage, competitive environment and a growing pool of talent and industry to play a leading role.
Silicon Beach Programme founding member Rohith Bhat described Mangaluru as standing at a turning point. As global digital systems move towards AI, hyperscale computing and high-performance connectivity, he said regions that combine talent with cost efficiency will shape the next decade of digital growth. The study, he added, shows a clear pathway for Mangaluru to evolve into a major data-centre zone with coordinated effort and timely support.
The report concludes that with sustained planning and execution, Mangaluru could emerge as India’s globally competitive “Silicon Beach” and generate thousands of jobs in the digital-economy sector.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Russian military hardware, spare parts for Indian military to be manufactured in India
New Delhi (PTI): Russia agreed to encourage joint manufacturing in India of military hardware and spare parts for maintenance of Russian-origin arms and defence equipment.
Ways to bolster overall bilateral defence cooperation figured prominently during summit talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.
It has been a long-standing grievance of armed forces that the supply of critical spares and equipment from Russia takes a long time, affecting the maintenance of military systems procured from that country.
"Both sides agreed to encourage joint manufacturing in India of spare parts, components, aggregates and other products for maintenance of Russian origin arms and defence equipment under Make-in-India programme through transfer of technology," a joint statement said.
ALSO READ: India, Russia explore cooperation on small modular reactors, floating nuclear power plants
It said both sides also agreed to set up joint ventures for meeting the needs of the Indian armed forces as well as subsequent export to mutually friendly third countries.
The joint statement said the India-Russia defence partnership is being reoriented to take up joint co-development and co-production of advanced defence technology and systems.
In their meeting on Thursday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov resolved to expand bilateral defence cooperation.
In the meeting, the Indian side showed keen interest in procurement of additional batches of S-400 missile systems from Moscow to bolster its combat prowess.
In October 2018, India signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, notwithstanding a warning by the US that going ahead with the contract may invite US sanctions under the provisions of Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
Three squadrons have already been delivered.
The S-400 systems played a crucial role during Operation Sindoor. India may also look at procuring the S-500 missile systems from Russia.
In the Modi-Putin talks, the two sides also agreed to continue jointly developing systems of bilateral trade settlements through the use of national currencies.
Additionally, the two sides agreed to continue their consultations on enabling the interoperability of the national payment systems, financial messaging systems, as well as central bank digital currency platforms.
Modi and Putin appreciated the ongoing intensification of the joint work on a free trade agreement on goods between India and the Eurasian Economic Union, covering sectors of mutual interest, the joint statement said.
They also directed both sides to intensify efforts in negotiations on a mutually beneficial agreement on the promotion and protection of investment, it said.
India and Russia also welcomed steps to ensure long-term supply of fertilisers to India and discussed the potential establishment of joint ventures in this area.
