Naraj to Host One of India’s Largest Integrated Data Centre Projects as State Doubles Down on AI Infrastructure
A Landmark Clearance for Odisha’s Digital Ambitions
Odisha’s High-Level Clearance Authority, chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, has given the green light to a proposed ₹1.04 lakh crore integrated data centre park to be developed by High Density Data Centre Ltd, a subsidiary of Adani Infra (India) Ltd. The approval marks one of the single largest industrial investment decisions in the state’s history and cements Odisha’s arrival as a serious contender in India’s fast-growing digital infrastructure race, a sector that has traditionally been dominated by states like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana.
A 1-GW Facility Built for the AI Era
The proposed facility is designed to deliver 1 gigawatt of capacity, placing it among the largest hyperscale data centre projects announced anywhere in the country. Around 250 acres of land at Naraj, near Cuttack, have been earmarked for the development, positioning the park strategically close to Bhubaneswar’s expanding tech corridor. The scale of the project reflects the surging demand for computing power as artificial intelligence workloads push data centre requirements to unprecedented levels across India.
Second Only to Reliance’s Andhra Pradesh Project
At ₹1.04 lakh crore, the Odisha park trails only Reliance Industries’ ₹1.08 lakh crore AI data centre and cable landing station project in Andhra Pradesh, underscoring just how significant this investment is on a national scale. It also builds on Adani’s broader ambitions in the space; the group already operates AdaniConneX facilities in Chennai and has projects underway in Mumbai, Pune, and Hyderabad, while a separate ₹50,000 crore hyperscale AI data centre backed by Abu Dhabi’s International Holding Company was announced for Odisha only weeks earlier.
Part of a Record ₹2.47 Lakh Crore Investment Push
The Adani data centre park was one of 27 projects cleared in a single sitting of the High-Level Clearance Authority, together worth ₹2.47 lakh crore across 15 districts, the largest investment pipeline the state has approved in one exercise. Digital infrastructure emerged as the standout theme, with four data centre and AI-related projects, including facilities by HCL Technologies, Sentraforge AI, and RKD Construction, together accounting for close to ₹1.43 lakh crore, more than half of the total package approved that day.
Jobs, Growth, and a Shift in Odisha’s Investment Story
While the project is expected to generate around 1,000 jobs directly, its real significance lies in what it represents: a state historically associated with mining, metals, and minerals is now positioning itself as a hub for high-tech, capital-intensive digital infrastructure. Chief Minister Majhi has tied the push to the state’s “Samruddha Odisha by 2036” roadmap, framing data centres, AI, and semiconductors alongside green energy and advanced manufacturing as the new engines of the state’s industrial growth.