This May, W.Media is returning to Che- nnai with the third edition of Chennai Cloud and Datacenter Convention and Awards. The day-long event, that will be held at ITC Chola on May 21, will bring together over 500 delegates, including C-level executives, digital infrastructure pro- fessionals including architects, engineers and consultants (AECs), key buyers, de- cision makers, data center owners and operators.

What makes Chennai special?

Chennai is the capital city of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, and is one of India’s top three data center markets alongside Mumbai and Bengaluru.

According to Mordor Intelligence, “The Chennai data center market is valued at 135.6 MW in the current year and is expected to register a CAGR of 22.18 percent during the forecast period, reaching 566.2 MW by the next five years.”

Today Chennai is home to data centers by AdaniConnex, CapitaLand, Colt DCS, CtrlS Datacenters, Digital Connexion, NTT, Nxtra by Airtel, Sify, STT GDC, and many others such as Yotta have projects in the pipeline. Ambattur and Siruseri have emerged as locations of choice for data centers in Chennai.

One of the reasons why Chennai is such as sought after data center market is that it is well connected to the global subsea cable network. Mordor Intelligence acknowledges this saying, “Chennai, an integral part of global undersea cable infrastructure, serves as an alternative data exchange hub for APAC with some natural advantages, like a large pool of available land that can be developed into state-of-the-art data center facilities.”

Government support to Data Center industry

Moreover, Tamil Nadu has a clear data center policy, which also helps attract data centers to Chennai. Tamil Nadu hopes to become a trillion-dollar economy by 2030, and the state government sees the cloud and data center industry playing and important role in achieving this goal.

In its Tamil Nadu Vision 1 Trillion document, the state government has stated, “Within IT, Tamil Nadu can aim to attain leadership in SaaS, while becoming the preferred choice for industry players looking at IT expansion into tier 1/2 cities, and establishing itself as a leading data center hub in India.” As per the same government report, “Data centers projected to grow at ~20% CAGR, a $4.5 Bn58 opportunity,” and “Tamil Nadu offers superior policies, fiber availability, DC hub proximity, and reliable power.” It lists the following steps in achieving this goal:

• Allocate 3-5 acre lands with infrastructure for 20 MW in Chennai metropolitan area
• Enhance the power infrastructure
• Streamline approval processes

W.Media’s Research findings

“While India is growing fast in terms of digital, Tamil Nadu is growing faster. The recency of growth means Chennai is emerging as a 'next-gen' market with a stronger investment emphasis than the nation overall on cloud as well as data centres and interest also in upcoming and evolving technologies including renewable sources of power, edge computing and AI-driven cooling,” says Nick Parfitt, who handles Research, Content and Production at W.Media. Parfitt helmed W.Media’s research into the Indian datacenter market. The survey received 400 responses out of which 60 were from Tamil Nadu.

According to W.Media’s research, “Planned changes to IT infrastructure over the next 12 months across Tamil Nadu indicate a greater focus on private and public cloud than the national average.” But Parfitt warns, “Tamil Nadu responses indicate a strong concern about the availability of people with suitable qualifications and skills. As demand for digital services expands through the State, there is also concern about network adequacy.”

You can read a snapshot of W.Media’s findings here:

Tamil Nadu + India Datacenter Summary Report (W Media)

What to expect at Chennai Cloud & Datacenter Convention and Awards 2024

The day long convention will include several power-packed panel discussions, where the best and brightest minds in the industry will share their ideas on important subjects such as the impact of emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) on the Cloud and Data Center industry, how to best use Edge Computing, challenges in switching to renewable energy sources, and many other pertinent topics. building at scale to meet growth requirements, the era of connectivity, future of data centers in India, trends in liquid cooling, the role of Edge, and much more.

There will also be insightful presentations by industry leaders on a wide variety of subjects such as minimising power wastage, role of Hyperscale in Tamil Nadu’s digital future, data center infrastructure, and new innovations. The Convention will also include a modest technology expo that will showcase the latest innovations and futuristic technologies and advancements in the cloud and data center industry.

REGISTER NOW!

So, what are you waiting for? Come, join us at ITC Chola on May 21st, 2023, for the Chennai Cloud & Datacenter Convention and Awards. If you haven’t booked your passes yet, hurry! Click here to register, and learn more about the agenda, speakers, schedule, and session information.

Source: Press Release