Equinix, Inc., the world’s digital infrastructure company, has opened its first AI-ready International Business Exchange data center in Chennai. Known as CN1, the state-of-the-art facility marks a significant milestone in India’s digital journey, designed to fuel innovation, strengthen resilience, and support the country’s ambitions of becoming a global leader in AI.
A New Digital Hub for South India
Located on a nearly six-acre plot in Siruseri, CN1 will be interconnected with Equinix’s three existing data centers in Mumbai, creating a powerful digital backbone for enterprises and service providers. With an initial investment of $69 million, the first phase delivers 800 cabinets of capacity, with plans to scale to 4,250 cabinets.
The facility boasts 99.999% uptime reliability, a suite of interconnection services via Equinix Fabric®, and readiness for liquid cooling technology—a critical requirement for managing high-density, compute-intensive AI workloads. Its strategic location near submarine cable landing sites further strengthens Chennai’s positioning as a hub for global connectivity and AI-driven innovation.
Driving India’s AI and Tech Ambitions
India has set its sights on leading the next wave of global technology, with heavy investments in AI, quantum computing, blockchain, and edge computing. These advancements demand significant computational power and digital infrastructure. By launching CN1, Equinix is not only expanding India’s data center capacity but also enabling businesses to access scalable, sustainable, and AI-ready infrastructure.
Currently, Equinix hosts more than 300 companies in India, including network providers and five internet exchanges. Its Mumbai campus connects customers to a robust cloud ecosystem, including direct access to Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and Oracle Cloud. With CN1, enterprises in Tamil Nadu can now tap into this ecosystem with low-latency connectivity, bridging businesses with partners, customers, and service providers across India and the world.
Leadership Perspective
“We are delighted to announce the launch of our state-of-the-art IBX data center, CN1, in Chennai, marking Equinix’s expansion in India and a pivotal step in advancing the nation’s digitalization journey,” said Manoj Paul, Managing Director, India, Equinix.
“Our success in building the most interconnected ecosystem for cloud, carrier, content and enterprises in Mumbai will now be extended to customers in Tamil Nadu. Similarly, global enterprises planning to come closer to their customers in southern India now can leverage Equinix’s IBX facility in Chennai. This milestone highlights our commitment to empowering India’s position as a global technology hub while ensuring sustainability and innovation remain at the core of our operations.”
He also acknowledged the support of the Tamil Nadu Government, including the Industries Department, Guidance, and SIPCOT, in making the project a reality.
Sustainability and Innovation at the Core
Equinix has built CN1 with a strong emphasis on sustainability. The facility incorporates:
-Liquid cooling readiness for high-performance AI workloads.
-Fault-tolerant design guaranteeing 99.999% uptime.
-Multiple diverse fiber paths for resilient connectivity.
-A long-term commitment to renewables, including solar and wind energy investments.
-Globally, Equinix achieved 96% renewable energy coverage in 2024, a benchmark it continues to uphold in India.
Global Footprint, Local Impact
Equinix operates more than 270 data centers across 77 markets in 36 countries, serving over 10,000 businesses. In Asia-Pacific alone, its portfolio exceeds 60 facilities across key economies including Japan, Singapore, Australia, and now India’s southern hub, Chennai.
With CN1, Equinix not only reinforces its global leadership in digital infrastructure but also signals its commitment to supporting India’s digital future—enabling enterprises to innovate, scale, and thrive in an AI-driven era.
Source: expresscomputer
