The Tamesis
Robin Khuda, founder and CEO of AirTrunk.
© 2026 Bloomberg Financial Limited
air trunk——Data center company founded by Australian billionaire Robin Cuda Backed by U.S. private equity firm Blackstone, India will invest more than 3 trillion rupees ($30 billion) in data center projects by 2030 to meet growing demand for artificial intelligence and cloud computing in the world’s most populous country.
Hooda made the announcement after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other Indian government officials. AirTrunk plans to build around 5 GW of data center capacity across India, according to a statement released on Friday. “Such investments will strengthen India’s position as a global hub for cloud computing and artificial intelligence while creating jobs, supporting local supply chains and accelerating innovation-led growth,” Modi said on X (formerly Twitter).
The largest of these projects will be in the western state of Maharashtra. Earlier this week, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Announce According to X, AirTrunk will develop a 3 GW data center hub in the western Indian state, which will require an investment of approximately Rs 2 trillion. The Sydney-based company has signed a letter of intent to purchase land for a project in Raigad, a suburb of Mumbai.
“India is one of the few markets where the scale of future demand has the potential to match the scale of our ambitions,” AirTrunk CEO Khuda said. Forbes Asia Via email. “Every market has advantages, but India’s growth trajectory is unique. The combination of demographics, digital adoption and AI ambitions is difficult to replicate.”
AirTrunk has been expanding its footprint in the Asia-Pacific region, with operations in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore. In April, it acquired Mumbai-based Lumina CloudInfra, a data center developer founded by AirTrunk shareholder Blackstone. Lumina plans to build 600 MW of data center capacity across India, with a development potential of up to US$5 billion.
“Before entering the market through Lumina, we were bullish on India,” Khuda said. “After discussions with government leaders this week, we want to double down on that commitment. We heard a clear message that India is open to investment and determined to compete for the next generation of artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure that will transform India’s industry and economy for generations to come.”
The data center boom has also attracted India’s billionaires. Reliance Industries, controlled by Mukesh Ambani, and Adani Enterprises, led by Gautam Adani, both plan to invest about $100 billion in data centers and other digital infrastructure projects across India in the next few years.
Estimated net worth is $2.1 billion Forbes Live data shows Bangladesh-born Khuda is one of Australia’s richest people. He founded AirTrunk in 2015 and grew the company to have a strong presence in the Asia-Pacific region. In 2024, a consortium led by Blackstone and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired AirTrunk for $16 billion. Cuda retained a small but valuable stake in the company.
