NTT DATA commissions $400-mn submarine cable for better data centre connectivity across Malaysia, India, Singapore

MIST was connected to NTT DATA's Mumbai landing station in February 2023 and its Chennai landing station in May 2023

NTT DATA on March 17 announced an 8,100-km long Malaysia, India, Singapore Transit (MIST) submarine cable system to be commissioned by June 2025. This project estimated to cost $400-million overall will be the Japanese technology giant’s first cable system for data centre connectivity to and from India.

“This cable connects from India to Singapore. With this submarine cable we can maximise our data centre connectivity in the world. And we are going to invest more, especially in India,” said Shuichi Sasakura, CEO of Global Technology Services at NTT DATA during a media roundtable in Mumbai.

As one of the largest cables in Asia, MIST is an 8,100-kilometer cable that can carry over 200 terabits per second (Tbps). MIST was connected to NTT DATA's Mumbai landing station in February 2023 and its Chennai landing station in May 2023.

On the data center side, NTT DATA is has invested over $3.6 billion in India for building data centers over the years, and spends around $500 million every year to keep expanding, said Abhijit Dubey, CEO, NTT DATA Inc.

He added, "Our $3 billion investment in India's digital infrastructure over the last decade reflects our confidence in the region's exceptional talent and robust tech ecosystem. We remain committed to expanding our presence and strategic investments in the country that will elevate India to one of our top five markets within the next three years."

Doug Adams President and CEO, Americas, NTT Global Data Centers said, “In India, we are the largest data centre provider with 30 percent market.”

NTT DATA also announced the opening of its biggest data center campus facility in Navi Mumbai, that can hold over 500 MW of power when fully operational.

“The company operates almost two-thirds of its data centers in India on renewable energy. It is committed to using 100% renewable energy by 2030 in all its data centers and operations,” the company said in a note.

Globally, NTT DATA is the third largest data center provider and is in the midst of scaling its global capacity from 1,500 MW to over 2,000 MW. In India, it plans to add 400 MW more in the coming years.

Akira Shimada, President and CEO, NTT Holdings said, "India is key in our global strategy, fuelled by its rapid economic and digital expansion. We're proud to say that NTT DATA has powered the IT infrastructure in India and globally, notably in data center capacity. Currently, India is one of our top 10 revenue generating markets.”

He added, "We are investing 8 trillion Yen ($59 billion*) globally over 5 years from FY2023 to FY2027 into growth areas, including data centers and Al. We are committed to delivering our integrated full-stack proposition to our clients across Data Centers, Network, Applications, BPaaS, Managed Services, Cloud, Security, and Al solutions."

NTT DATA is also upgrading and expanding its Innovation Centre in Bengaluru, India. The center will focus on Al, digital twin and quantum computing projects. This takes the total to 11 global innovation centers across 11 countries that will boost hiring of specialized talent to manage projects for global companies, driving Al-led technology solutions, particularly with agentic Al, the company said.