Engineering hiring in India’s data centre industry may reach 1 lakh by 2030

India's rapidly expanding data centre industry is emerging as one of the country's biggest employment generators, with demand for nearly one lakh skilled professionals by 2030, a report said on Tuesday.

The data compiled by NLB Services showed that India's installed data centre capacity is projected to grow from around 1.5 GW currently to nearly 6.5 GW by the end of the decade, while the market is expected to exceed $22 billion.

Cumulative investment commitments in the sector have already crossed $126 billion, making it one of the fastest-growing infrastructure segments in the country, the report added.

However, industry experts warn that a widening skills gap could threaten the sector's ambitious growth plans unless education, industry and policymakers work together to prepare a future-ready workforce.

Sachin Alug, CEO, NLB Services, said that the country’s data centre and AI infrastructure expansion represents far more than an infrastructure story -- it is a nation-building opportunity for our young workforce.

“As the country accelerates its digital transformation, the sector is creating demand for a new generation of professionals with expertise spanning AI infrastructure, cloud operations, automation, power systems, and critical facilities management,” he stated.

“This is not simply about filling jobs; it is about building a workforce capable of powering India's digital economy for decades to come,” Alug added.

On the digital side, the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence is driving demand for professionals skilled in AI infrastructure engineering, cloud operations, platform engineering, DevOps, MLOps and data centre automation.

With AI workloads expected to account for nearly 30 per cent of India's total data centre capacity, AI infrastructure literacy is becoming an increasingly important competency for engineers entering the industry, the report noted.

At the same time, the physical infrastructure segment is witnessing growing demand for specialised professionals such as AI Infrastructure Operations Engineers, Liquid Cooling Engineers, Energy Optimisation Specialists, Critical Facilities Engineers and Power Systems Experts.

These roles are becoming increasingly important as next-generation AI-enabled data centres require advanced cooling, energy management and critical infrastructure capabilities.