August 21, 2026
India’s artificial Intelligence (AI) future may depend not just on better algorithms, but on something more basic: energy, data, and computing infrastructure.
In his Hindustan Times column, Vital Signs, OHT’s Dr. Ramanan Laxminarayan writes that while India lags behind the U.S. and China in AI chips and advanced computing, it has a major advantage in solar power. With solar capacity growing rapidly, India could use energy storage to turn daytime solar power into reliable, round-the-clock electricity for AI data centers.
However, this growth needs careful planning. Data centers must address electricity demand, water use, and noise, especially in water-stressed cities such as Bengaluru and Chennai. Using batteries and other storage technologies, reclaimed water, closed-loop cooling, and better noise controls can reduce their environmental impact.
Dr. Laxminarayan suggests that with clear, simple regulations, India could attract investment and build a strong AI infrastructure sector. The opportunity may lie not only in developing AI, but in turning abundant, sustainable energy into computing power and intelligence.
Read it here.
