India and Malaysia data centre booms drive jobs and strain power supplies

India’s data centre industry is set to expand its installed capacity from about 1.5 GW today to nearly 6,5 GW by 2030, with the market projected to exceed $22 billion. Cumulative investment has already passed $126 billion, and analysts estimate the sector could generate around 100 000 engineering jobs by the end of the decade.  Sachin Alug, CEO of NLB Services, said the growth “is not simply about filling jobs; it is about building a workforce capable of powering India’s digital economy for decades.”  The surge is being driven by AI workloads, creating demand for specialists in AI infrastructure, cloud operations, liquid‑cooling, energy optimisation and critical facilities management.

In Malaysia, the data‑centre sector is projected to consume 73 274 GWh of electricity annually by 2035 – roughly 31 % of the country’s total power demand – a level that would exceed Singapore’s entire annual consumption.  The rapid approvals of projects between 2020 and 2025 have outpaced regulatory scrutiny, and the government’s short‑term fix relies on extending thermal plant life and adding more gas generation, raising concerns about long‑term fossil‑fuel dependence.  Renewable‑energy schemes and water‑use considerations are also highlighted as insufficient to match the sector’s expanding needs.