Digital Connexion has announced the successful completion of the three-way joint venture (JV) between Brookfield Infrastructure, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and Digital Realty marking a significant step towards developing data centres in India. The transaction, initially announced on July 24, 2023, will result in the three companies becoming equal shareholders, with each owning one-third (33.33 per cent) stake in the JV. With this announcement, the JV will assume a new identity as ‘Digital Connexion: A Brookfield, Reliance Jio and Digital Realty company’.
According to Digital Connexion, it leverages the distinctive capabilities of each partner: Brookfield Infrastructure’s in-depth knowledge of the global and Indian infrastructure industry, Jio’s massive digital and connectivity ecosystem and strong enterprise relationships, and Digital Realty’s industry-leading global data centre platform and expertise in the cloud- and carrier-neutral data centres. The three partners bring complementary expertise and resources, an understanding of local market complexities and customer needs, global innovations, advanced technological solutions, and decades of leadership experience in their respective domains.
The JV is actively progressing the development of strategically located data centres in Chennai and Mumbai. Its flagship greenfield data centre, MAA10, with 20 megawatts (MW) of IT load capacity on a potential 100 MW campus in Chennai, is set to launch in January 2024. Additionally, the recent acquisition of 2.15 acres of land in Mumbai will expand the JV’s footprint with the planned construction of a 40 MW data centre. These data centres, situated in key locations, will not only be connected to critical terrestrial infrastructure but also linked to undersea cables, making them ideal connectivity hubs for Indian enterprises and gateways for multinational corporations tapping into the Indian market opportunity.
Commenting on the development, CB Velayuthan, chief executive officer, Digital Connexion, said, “The successful conclusion of this transaction signifies a crucial milestone in bolstering India’s digital infrastructure. The data centres developed by the JV will leverage Brookfield’s in-depth knowledge of the Indian infrastructure market, Digital Realty’s industry-leading energy-efficient data centre platform design, and Jio’s massive digital and connectivity ecosystem and very strong enterprise relationships.”
