India’s data centre boom is gathering momentum as more companies are pumping in money and looking to set up their own centres in the region. In such a backdrop, sustainability measures have become part of boardroom discussion in a big way according to Thiru Prakassh, APAC Head at OVHcloud. More reports are flagging concerns about water and energy crisis amid rising data centre projects. To tackle this, Prakassh says companies will have to rehaul their conventional cooling systems to more sustainable alternatives, stressing the need for not just GPU-ready data centres but smart data centres. Edited excerpts:
What is your assessment of the inflow of foreign investment coming towards India?
The government has invested hugely in terms of policies and so big cloud players are investing heavily in India. Also, we have a big workforce in India that allows different skill sets, especially in the development community. It is natural that companies set base and invest here. The power consumption currently is less than 1 per cent for data centres in India. In comparison, Singapore has 7 per cent power consumption. It means there is a huge potential of power availability in India. Hence, large investments are going in.
Considering this, does India have enough infrastructure capacity and werewithal to take on the many data centre projects?
Yes. The capacity is increasing. It is currently 1.5 GW. It has been projected to reach around 6.5 GW in 2030. Still, the key consideration is not capacity but whether AI-ready infrastructure is available. If the infrastructure is not ready from day one, you will not meet the AI demand. Solutions like the direct-to-chip cooling we started 20 years ago put us in a position to align with India’s growth. We should also consider whether companies are ready with the infrastructure.
Based on your conversations with clients, are they ready?
Everybody has a different starting point in the AI infrastructure. Predominantly, you see an air-cooled data center. Those will have to change out the infrastructure to meet the higher computing demand of AI. We already have direct-to-chip cooling and water-cooling technology. Others will have to go through a learning curve, lots of operational issues.
Would you say that sustainability has effectively become a business lever?
Sustainability is no longer a word, it is a minimum requirement to meet. We must be in place to ensure efficiency. Our customers are looking for a more sustainable AI rather than just an expansionary AI. We need to have smart infrastructure in place. For example, we have put in sensors in our data centers that collected data on CPUs, cooling modules, servers, racks. This data is then analysed for predictive analysis and to see which server requires the water flow or energy. The flow is adjusted to the demand of that server for that period. Globally, we’re looking at how we can tap local weather stations and obtain that data and attune our cooling efficiency.
Do you see that mindset in client conversations with CIOs or CISOs?
Of course, everybody’s mind is in sustainability. We give a second and a third lifecycle to components that allow the customer to access diverse components and services in a very cost-effective manner.
How has your business segment performed in India right over the last six months?
Growth is still a priority and we are looking into bringing in AI infrastructure. OVH already has an AI-ready infrastructure. Our direct-chip cooling technology is deployed in India. That is how we are going to grow.
Has that prompted you to increase your workforce in India?
I am quite confident that with the growth and potential in India, it could grow in coming months and years. We are always looking for different functions. We recently recruited an infrastructure technician in India to look at our cooling infrastructure. When considering the AI demand: how do we have expertise within the India region and then build the skills within our local workforce?
Was hiring more technicians for cooling a need of the hour?
When we started in Mumbai, we wanted to bring in our proprietary technology. Direct-to-chip cooling essentially cools the server rather than the room. This kind of technology is very new. So, we recruited people that have that level of expertise and training locally. We are now quite stable in running India operations.
Do you see India attracting more GPU-heavy data centers, or is it still mostly CPU-based storage?
Air-cooled data centres cannot cool the GPUs, it is still a CPU world out there. However, a lot of investments have already taken place and GPUs will be brought in to India. I expect to see more GPUs in the coming years.