The green shift: Rethinking how digital infrastructure is built

The world runs on digital. From boardroom strategy to the shows people stream, a cloud-first reality is no longer a futuristic concept—it is already there. Digital public infrastructure is now considered the foundation of economic growth. Amid the never-ending excitement for digital-first products and solutions, the question now is: can the industry also build responsibly and sustainably? The answer is yes. But it requires discarding the old rulebook.

Every click, every search, and every AI query is powered by data centres, which are massive, energy-hungry facilities that are the hidden giants of the digital age. Reports indicate that power consumption by data centres globally is around 2–3% of the world's total electricity consumption. This accounts for more than the annual energy consumption of many countries.

As AI workloads continue to increase, this number is expected to rise sharply. As a growing hotspot for data centres, India’s facilities could soon account for 8% of the country’s total electricity usage. In this context, integrating sustainability thinking into every layer of digital infrastructure will no longer be optional; it will be essential to ensure long-term resilience, efficiency, and environmental responsibility.

Sustainability: A Design Challenge, Not Patchwork Fix

Sustainability needs to be integrated from the grassroots level and not as an afterthought. Adding solar panels or purchasing carbon offsets as an afterthought for conservation is not a long-term solution. Conservation should be a key consideration at the design stage itself, where the approach is centred around it.

Carbon neutrality in infrastructure demands systemic thinking which will include use of liquid cooling systems instead of legacy air cooling for rising rack densities, prioritising onsite renewable integration, selection of data centre sites based on climate resilience, access to clean grids and optimal environmental impact and lastly but most importantly, the industry needs to hold itself to higher operational benchmarks targeting Power Usage Effectiveness scores of below 1.3 and not settle for the global average of 1.6.

The above may sound like aspirational goals, but they need to become engineering imperatives for an increasingly AI-driven world.

Global Leaders are Moving—India Must Act Now

Much of the data centre industry in India still relies on diesel-based backup systems, which are often built in areas without long-term grid resilience. It operates with limited transparency around energy consumption or emissions.

Globally, the goalpost has already shifted toward sustainable thinking, with the European Union taking a firm stance that requires large data centres to report their energy and water usage publicly. Countries like Germany are also exploring laws that would mandate the reuse of waste heat from data centres to be rerouted to residential and commercial buildings, ensuring better resource management.

These policies reflect a long-term perspective that aligns with our digital ambitions without compromising environmental responsibility. They offer a roadmap that India could emulate. Without a rethink in approach, the country risks not only global irrelevance but also fuelling a growing ecological crisis at home.

India’s Opportunity to Lead with Climate-First Infra

As a country poised to become one of the largest digital economies globally, India will require substantial investments in cloud, edge, and AI infrastructure. No wonder, then, the country has a tremendous opportunity to lead in a new, more carbon-conscious way from day zero. However, to achieve this, the industry must go beyond merely incremental changes.

Along with high-performing infrastructure, there is a need for newer skillsets—engineers who not only understand data loads but also energy flows. There is also a need for research and development initiatives to focus on efficiency and sustainability, rather than just speed or capacity.

These fundamental shifts will require significant time and effort, including rethinking procurement strategies, recalibrating site selection, and updating cooling and power standards. However, the alternative may still prove to be far more detrimental in the future.

Beyond Infrastructure: Reimagining Impact

The next decade of digital transformation and its shape, specifically in India, is entirely in the hands of today’s decision-makers. The industry can choose to continue down the path of short-term optimisation and instant gratification, but what awaits that decision is long-term regret. Choosing a course of future-proof, performance-ready, and planet-friendly by design infrastructure would be the ideal choice to make.

India must lead and not wait for mandates to dictate the building of infrastructure that will serve future digital needs and support environmental responsibility. The demand for digital will not slow down, but this moment presents an opportunity to reimagine how digital ecosystems are designed and powered in harmony with the planet.

With thoughtful action today, it is possible to create a future that is both digitally advanced and environmentally resilient. Central to this vision is the need to build and scale carbon-neutral infrastructure, data centres, and digital frameworks that do not come at the cost of environmental degradation but instead actively contribute to climate-conscious progress. A carbon-neutral approach is not a distant ideal; it is an imperative for nations, industries, and innovators who seek to lead with both purpose and impact in the digital age.

The author is the Founder and CEO of NeevCloud.