Gandhinagar: US-based multinational technology conglomerate Meta has put Gujarat on its data centre map, showing interest in setting up a 168-MW data centre in the state. Even before the ink has dried on Gujarat’s new data centre policy announced on Thursday, the state has received investment intent worth an estimated Rs 8.5 lakh crore.Some of the country’s biggest business houses and global technology players have proposed projects that exceed the govt’s own capacity target of 7.5 GW under the policy. Senior govt officials said the list of interested investors includes Meta, Reliance Group, Adani Group, Tata Group, Torrent Group, CtrlS, NexGen, Waaree Group, Paytm, UPL and Welspun, among others. Collectively, these projects represent proposed investments of around Rs 8.5 lakh crore.According to top sources, all the proposed facilities are expected to be commissioned by 2029, transforming Gujarat into one of the country’s largest concentrations of digital infrastructure.“Meta is expected to establish a 168 MW data centre in the state. Govt has recommended Dholera as a potential location, with the company is yet to decide the final site,” said a top source in the govt. Officials in the know added that Reliance Group is expected to develop its data centre campus in Jamnagar, while Adani Group, Tata Group, Welspun and several other companies are likely to anchor their projects in Dholera, which is fast emerging as the state’s preferred destination for hyperscale digital infrastructure owing to the availability of large land parcels and planned infrastructure.In one of the largest investment responses to a state policy in recent years, 20 companies have submitted expressions of interest (EOIs) to establish data centres with a combined proposed capacity of 10.5 GW—well above the 7.5 GW envisaged under the Viksit Gujarat Data Centre Policy 2026-29 unveiled by chief minister Bhupendra Patel in Gandhinagar on Thursday.Officials said the response validates the state’s strategy of positioning itself as a preferred destination for AI-driven computing infrastructure, cloud services and hyperscale data centres. The policy offers a package of incentives aimed at attracting large investments while ensuring reliable power availability, faster approvals and supporting infrastructure.Government officials said the proposals received so far are only in the form of expressions of interest and will now move through detailed project planning, land allocation and statutory approval processes.Launching the policy, chief minister Bhupendra Patel said Gujarat is positioning itself to become the country’s preferred destination for data centres and digital infrastructure. He said the policy would strengthen the state’s digital economy while creating a robust ecosystem for next-generation technologies.
