Gujarat's Data Centre Policy 2026-29

Why in news?

The Gujarat government has launched its first-ever Data Centre Policy to attract significant investments and develop data centre capacity.

Key points

1. 1Aims to attract ₹6 lakh crore in investments and create 7.5 GW of data centre capacity.
2. 2Offers fiscal and non-fiscal incentives including capital and interest subsidies, power tariff support, SGST reimbursement, and stamp duty exemptions.
3. 3Includes financial assistance for captive desalination plants due to the high water requirements of data centres.
4. 4Seeks to position Gujarat as a preferred destination for hyperscale data centres, cloud computing, and AI-driven digital infrastructure.
5. 5Aims to compete with existing hubs like Telangana, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu.

Background & context

Data centres are critical infrastructure for the digital economy, supporting cloud computing, AI, and data-intensive sectors. States are competing to attract investments in this growing sector.