MeitY working with power and renewable energy ministries for boosting AI and data center infra: S Krishnan

Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology S Krishnan

Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology is working with the power ministry, renewable energy ministries and other agencies to ensure India has enough power for data centers and AI compute facilities, IT ministry secretary S Krishnan said on December 9.

Speaking at the India Internet Governance Forum in New Delhi, Krishnan said, "Do we have the data center capacity within the country to store all of the data that we need?... Immediately it raises the issue of power. Globally all the big major technology companies are trying to figure out ways in which they can secure adequate power for AI applications. Related to that is data centers."

"How do you ensure that this power supply comes in a way that we are able to address this issue? This is something that MeitY is looking into right now to make sure that along with the Ministry of Power, along with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy Sources and all other related agencies," he added.

Krishnan said that the government is planning for this capacity to ensure that India has enough power for data centers and for AI compute, "which will underpin what needs to be happening on the internet".

Krishnan’s remarks come as India prepares for the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Riyadh and the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) review next year.

India, with its 955 million internet users, has a significant stake in shaping global internet governance policies. According to Krishnan, the IIGF serves as a platform to consolidate India’s stance on key issues and ensure its voice resonates in these international discussions.

Krishnan also underscored the need for stronger internet resilience. With India heavily reliant on submarine cables for global internet connectivity, any disruption could have widespread implications, Krishnan pointed out.

He stressed the importance of ensuring domestic stability in internet services, advocating for more robust infrastructure that could sustain essential services even during such disruptions.

"What are the interests that need to be protected -- ways in which that overall the interest of India's internet consumers, India's internet users are fully protected? Because it's no longer a matter of, you have to protect it the way you protect the electricity grid, you have to protect it the way you protect any other piece of essential infrastructure that the country has. You can't treat it as just an amateur game where you just keep expanding it. It has now become essential, it has become central," Krishnan emphasised.

Other broader internet issues 

Krishnan also brought attention to other critical internet governance concerns:

• Infrastructure development: While 90 per cent of India’s internet access is mobile data-driven, Krishnan raised the question of whether this reliance is sustainable. He advocated for expanding broadband networks through the National Fiber Optic Network to improve resilience.
• Internet governance and KYC for domains: Krishnan advocated for mechanisms like Know Your Customer (KYC) for domain registration to prevent misuse and ensure accountability.
• Localised internet access: The IT ministry secretary lauded the adoption of internet domain names in Indian languages, enabling inclusivity and greater participation in a multilingual country like India.
• Intermediary responsibility: The growing complexity of internet intermediaries necessitates a review of their responsibilities under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, especially in the AI context, Krishnan indicated.