Modi wants India to power the AI age. Residents are pushing back
AMZN•Residents near Mumbai are protesting an Amazon data centre planned as part of the company’s $21 billion India AI infrastructure investment by 2030, citing concerns about power, water and noise. Amazon says the facility will use water-free cooling and dedicated power separate from homes.
1. Protests near Mumbai site
Residents are opposing a planned Amazon data centre near Mumbai, where trees have been cleared for the 54-acre facility. More than 1,000 nearby residents say the project proceeded without meaningful consultation, and hundreds protested on September 8 demanding it be moved.
2. Amazon’s response
Amazon says the data centre will use water-free cooling, a dedicated power supply separate from homes and noise-mitigation measures. The company is drawing up community outreach plans to address residents’ concerns, while local authorities and Amazon say the project will not burden public utilities.
3. Broader resource concerns
India’s data centres are clustering in cities facing water shortages. S&P Global estimates 60% to 80% of Indian data centres could face high water stress this decade; research firm Mordor Intelligence estimates the sector used about 150 billion litres of water in 2025, projected to more than double by 2030.
