Digital Connexion launches MAA10 data center in Chennai

Digital Connexion on Friday said it was launching its first data center campus catering up to 100 megawatt (MW) critical IT load capacity in Chennai’s Ambattur Industrial Estate.The company which is a three-way joint venture between Brookfield Asset Management, Reliance Industries and Digital Realty said that during the first phase of the data center, MAA10, will offer 20MW of IT load and features a modular infrastructure design that will enable customers to scale their infrastructure in response to varied workload demands, accommodating anything from single cabinet needs to multi-megawatt requirements.

“We are excited about the launch of our first data center in Chennai. This 100 MW campus in Ambattur is ideal, given the availability of the necessary power supply, high number of submarine cable landing stations in the local area, and the state government’s aspirations to make Chennai the top data center hub in India,” CB Velayuthan, CEO of Digital Connexion said in a statement.

The data center is also equipped to support emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models and also offers standardized configurations and ultra-high-power densities (up to 70 kilowatts per rack) to meet the high-density power, suitable cooling infrastructure, and interconnectivity demands of AI workloads.

The company said that MAA10 leverages Brookfield’s knowledge of the Indian infrastructure market, Digital Realty’s energy-efficient data center platform design and operating procedures, and Jio’s massive digital and connectivity ecosystem and strong enterprise relationships.

It said that the scale and quantum of data generated from the growth of knowledge-based industries in Tamil Nadu, with support from the state government, is expected to drive a demand surge for quality data center infrastructure in the city.

“As India undergoes digital transformation, marked by the digitization of our economy, substantial growth in exports, and Software as a Service (SaaS), Chennai stands prominently as the capital of SaaS in the country. In light of these developments, I anticipate a significant upswing in the establishment and expansion of data centers to meet the demands of our increasingly digitized society,” Minister of Information Technology and Digital Services Palanivel Thiagarajan said while inaugurating the facility.