Girish Dhavale, CTO, Data Center Services, Sify Technologies Limited
A subsidiary of Sify Technologies Limited, a Fortune India 500 company, Sify Infinit Spaces Limited, or SISL, is a leading provider of data centre colocation services in India. The company offers a range of services, including managed hosting, cloud services and disaster recovery solutions. With a robust footprint of data centres spread across the country, SISL is a preferred choice for businesses looking for reliable and secure colocation services.
In the recent past, the unprecedented crisis created by the Covid-19 outbreak has propelled the data centre business forward, providing an unexpected tailwind. Technology adoption and digitisation across sectors were fast-tracked globally and India also leapfrogged at least a decade in the past couple of years. The government’s initiative and drive towards a digital economy were accelerated further as all aspects of daily life from banking to education and shopping were compelled to switch and adapt to the digital ecosystem. This led to increased data consumption and internet bandwidth across the country, driven by the ever-expanding reach of social media, increased use of smart devices, data localisation, increased adoption of cloud services, and digital transformation journeys of several Indian companies.
Currently, SISL owns and operates 11 concurrently managed data centres in India with plans for another eight in the next four years. Today, with operational IT power in excess of 110 MW, SISL serves India’s insatiable appetite with approximately one-fifth of the data centre capacity it requires. When its projected capacities go live, SISL will cater to almost one-third of the market while hosting a mix of hyperscalers and retail clients. With the proposed capacity under construction across cities such as Navi-Mumbai (RABALE), Chennai (Siruseri), Noida, Bengaluru (Cyber Park, Electronic City), we will be adding further capacity in the next two to three years. SISL is exploring additional capacity and edge node sites across India in the next three to five years. All this from a humble beginning in the year 2000 when Sify opened India’s first commercial data centre at Vashi, Mumbai.
SISL offers power optimised designs as well as built-to-suit designs incorporating state-of-the-art technologies. Another key differentiator of SISL is its commitment to sustainability. The company has implemented several green initiatives in its data centres, including energy efficient cooling systems, use of renewable energy sources and e-waste management practices. These initiatives not only help reduce the company’s carbon footprint but also provide cost savings to customers.
Sify has entered into renewable power agreements for the installation of 200 MWp of hybrid capacity, inclusive of solar and wind across India, of which 100 MW capacity is operational to replace over 30 per cent conventional power to reduce its carbon footprint. Sify has adopted ESG guidelines for environment and social sustainability. It is committed to replacing more than 75 per cent of conventional power with renewable and responsibly sourced power by 2027. The company’s top priority is improvement in operational efficiency.
