₹1.05 LAKH CRORE DATA CENTRE PROPOSAL PUTS KHURDA AT THE CENTRE OF ODISHA’S DIGITAL ECONOMY

A proposed ₹1,04,550 crore integrated data centre project in Khurda has emerged as the single largest investment proposal in Odisha’s latest clearance round, highlighting the growing importance of the state in India’s digital infrastructure expansion. High Density Datacentre Ltd has proposed the project with an estimated employment potential of around 1,000 positions. The proposal comes alongside major investments from HCL Technologies and Sentraforge AI, taking the overall value of approved IT, IT-enabled services and data-centre projects to nearly ₹1.43 lakh crore. The concentration of such projects around Bhubaneswar, Khurda, Cuttack and Puri could create an emerging technology corridor in central Odisha. Data centres require enormous quantities of reliable electricity, high-speed telecommunications, cooling systems, land and uninterrupted infrastructure, meaning their arrival can generate demand far beyond the facilities themselves. The projects could also attract cloud-service providers, technology vendors, construction companies, power suppliers, security firms and other specialised businesses. For Odisha, the potential economic benefit therefore extends beyond direct employment. The state could develop a supporting ecosystem around data storage, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital services. At the same time, large data centres require substantial energy and infrastructure planning, making power availability and grid reliability critical to their long-term success. If the proposal progresses into construction and operations, Khurda could gain a significant role in India’s expanding data-centre economy, particularly as demand for artificial intelligence and cloud computing continues to increase.