Nxtra's FY25 sustainability report highlights emissions reduction and AI-driven efficiency

In its Sustainability Report for FY 2024–2025, Nxtra Data Limited (Nxtra by Airtel), a subsidiary of Bharti Airtel, outlined key developments across environmental performance, governance practices, and social inclusion initiatives.

“As AI, cloud computing, and digital connectivity reshape how we live and work, we believe the infrastructure enabling this transformation must be future-ready, technologically, operationally, and environmentally,” said Ashish Arora, CEO of Nxtra, in the report released on Sunday. “The data centre industry is entering a period of unprecedented growth, and Nxtra is proud to be at the forefront of this evolution,” he added.

Environmental performance

Nxtra reported a 15% year-on-year reduction in emissions, amounting to 188,507 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e) saved during the financial year. Renewable energy sources supplied 49% of the electricity used in its core data centre operations.

The company also contracted 482,800 MWh of renewable energy during the year, double the amount from its baseline year of 2021. In the same period, Nxtra recorded a 10% reduction in its average Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE). According to the company, it is the first data centre operator in India to use artificial intelligence (AI) at scale to enhance operational efficiency and optimise energy consumption.

Nxtra’s NxtWave talent development programme, aimed at increasing the representation of women in engineering roles, led to a 130% increase in female engineers within the company.

The organisation also reported 6.15 million safe person-hours on construction projects and received an employee engagement score of 85/100. In terms of supply chain management, 99% of suppliers were based in India, and 98% of strategic partners had completed environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reviews.

Network expansion and renewable energy commitment

Nxtra currently operates more than 120 edge data centres and over 14 large facilities across India, forming the country’s largest data centre network. The company is on track to expand its capacity from 220 MW to 450 MW over the next three years, serving a broad customer base that includes domestic and international enterprises, government bodies, cloud and OTT platforms, internet service providers, and internet exchanges.

“Sustainability is embedded in every decision we make regarding design, construction, and operations,” Arora noted. “We became the first data centre company in India, and only the 14th organisation in the country, to join the global RE100 initiative, committing to power all operations entirely with renewable energy. We have also pioneered the use of AI at scale to improve energy efficiency and enhance operational performance.”

Renewable energy partnership

In July 2025, Nxtra expanded its renewable energy partnership with AMPIN Energy Transition through a new power-wheeling agreement for 125.65 MW of solar-wind hybrid energy via Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) connected plants. This brings the total renewable energy capacity under the partnership to over 200 MW.

According to Nxtra, this development will support infrastructure efficiency, deeper decarbonisation, and continued improvements in operational performance, reinforcing the company’s position in India’s data centre market as a provider of sustainable digital infrastructure.