Let’s Debate Data Centres

Let’s have a practical discussion about data centres, not as a political issue, but as an infrastructure question that affects all of us.

Over the past few days, I’ve seen many discussions saying data centres consume large amounts of electricity and water, and generate some noise. At the same time, AI usage is growing rapidly. We use AI tools to generate videos, edit images, write code, and automate tasks. But we rarely talk about the infrastructure that makes all of this possible.

Every Reddit discussion including this one, every WhatsApp or Instagram photo shared, every UPI or credit card transaction, and every Amazon order runs through data centres somewhere. Digital convenience depends entirely on physical infrastructure.

Now coming to resource use. Yes, data centres require significant power. However, around 49-50% of installed power capacity already comes from renewables, hydro, and nuclear combined. As a tropical country, we have a strong advantage in solar energy, and many modern data centres increasingly rely on long-term clean energy sourcing.

On water usage, concerns are valid, especially in water-stressed areas. But newer facilities are adopting air-cooled chillers, closed-loop systems, liquid immersion cooling, and in many cases using treated wastewater instead of drinking water. Designs today focus heavily on reducing water usage effectiveness.

There’s also a strategic angle. We often talk about intellectual property, digital sovereignty, compliance, and geopolitics. If we don’t build and control our own infrastructure, critical data ends up being stored and processed outside our borders.

So the real question is not whether data centres should exist. Digital demand is only increasing. The more relevant debate is: how should they be planned, regulated, and powered to balance sustainability, resource constraints, and strategic control?

Interested to hear different perspectives. What's the middle path?