CtrlS Datacenters is making waves in India’s energy landscape with its ambitious plans to operationalize a 50MW solar installation within the next 12 to 15 months. This initiative is part of a broader strategy aimed at transitioning all its sites to solar energy generation. Vipin Jain, the company’s president of data center operations, has made it clear that CtrlS is not just dipping its toes into renewable energy; they are going all in. “We have 50MW of solar plant up and running, and in another 12 to 15 months, we are trying to get another 50MW solar power plant operational. This is how we plan to go 100 percent solar,” he stated.
This approach sets CtrlS apart in a market still heavily reliant on coal-fired power plants. While many companies are opting for renewable energy through power purchase agreements, CtrlS is taking the bull by the horns by investing in its own solar power infrastructure. This not only positions them as a leader in sustainability but also as a pioneer in a sector that desperately needs a shake-up.
The company’s future plans are equally ambitious. CtrlS intends to raise $300 million this financial year, with allocations earmarked for land acquisition, data center infrastructure, and renewable energy generation. A breakdown reveals that 10 to 15 percent will go towards acquiring land, a hefty 60 percent will bolster data center infrastructure, and the remaining 15 to 20 percent will fuel its renewable energy initiatives. This financial strategy underscores a commitment to not just growth, but sustainable growth.
To support this expansion, CtrlS is gearing up to significantly increase its workforce, planning to hire over 300 new employees in 2024. This would bring its total headcount to around 1,300, signaling a strong belief in the potential for growth within the data center sector.
The year 2024 has already been a landmark year for CtrlS. In August, the company acquired land in Patna for an Edge data center, investing around Rs 400 crore ($477.2 million) in a facility that will host 10MW of IT capacity and around 1,000 racks at full build-out. Just a couple of months earlier, in June, CtrlS announced plans for a data center campus in Kolkata, with a staggering investment of Rs 2,200 crore ($264 million) to create a facility that will ultimately offer more than 60MW of IT capacity.
This aggressive expansion, coupled with a strong focus on renewable energy, could very well set a new benchmark in the Indian data center industry. As CtrlS leads the charge towards a greener future, its moves may inspire other players in the market to rethink their energy strategies. The question now is whether CtrlS can maintain this momentum and influence a broader shift towards sustainability in an industry long dominated by fossil fuels. The stakes are high, and the implications for energy consumption, environmental impact, and corporate responsibility are profound.