TN IT Minister launches Digital Connexion’s state-of-the-art MAA10 data center in nation’s SaaS capital

With the launch of our first greenfield data center in Chennai, we are ready to redefine connectivity and empower businesses to thrive in the digital age.

Click on the link to know more: https://t.co/QwdbovWm43@RIL_Updates @reliancejio @Brookfield @digitalrealty @ptrmadurai pic.twitter.com/YyZbjFK58v

— Digital Connexion (@D_Connexion) January 12, 2024

The minister inaugurated the facility in the presence of CB Velayuthan, CEO, Digital Connexion; M Balachandran, Mentor & President, Reliance Industries Limited; Greg Wright, Chief Investment Officer, Digital Realty; Udhay Mathialagan, Managing Director, Infrastructure and Global CEO Data centers, Brookfield.

• The convergence of entities such as Jio, Digital Realty, and Brookfield at this event is indeed a commendable collaboration: Dr Palanivel Thiagarajan
• The data center will support India’s digital transformation journey with high-density ready infrastructure, seamless connectivity to data communities across the nation, global and Tamil Nadu
• The resultant scale and quantum of data generated from the growth of knowledge-based industries in Tamil Nadu, with support from the state government, is expected to drive a demand surge for quality data center infrastructure in the city

Inaugurating facility Dr. Palanivel Thiagarajan said, “I extend my sincere gratitude for the invitation to attend the inaugural ceremony of Digital Connexion’s premier data center. I am delighted to observe Chennai’s rapid emergence as a highly sought-after hub for data centers within the Indian landscape. The convergence of entities such as Jio, Digital Realty, and Brookfield at this event is indeed a commendable collaboration. As India undergoes digital transformation, marked by the digitization of our economy, substantial growth in exports, and Software as a Service (SaaS), Chennai stands prominently as the capital of SaaS in the country. In light of these developments, I anticipate a significant upswing in the establishment and expansion of data centers to meet the demands of our increasingly digitized society.”

CB Velayuthan, CEO, Digital Connexion said, “We are excited about the launch of our first data center in Chennai. This 100 MW campus in Ambattur is ideal, given the availability of the necessary power supply, high number of submarine cable landing stations in the local area, and the state government’s aspirations to make Chennai the top data center hub in India. We look forward to making it a destination of choice for our customers, partners, cloud and service providers looking to expand their reach in India, starting with MAA10, the state-of-the-art first phase of this highly scalable campus.”

Addressing media persons CB Velayuthan said that the data center campus will cater up to 100 megawatt (MW) critical IT load capacity. The facility is located on a 10-acre campus in the midst of an important industrial and manufacturing hub located close to Chennai’s city center, airport, and other major IT services.

Address by Shri Mukesh D Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director, Reliance Industries Limited, at the Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet – 2024 in Chennai on 7th January 2024#TNGIM2024 pic.twitter.com/2YacmVrAYK

— Reliance Industries Limited (@RIL_Updates) January 7, 2024

Construction of second Data Centre of Digital Connexion is going on at full pace in Mumbai and it will be inaugurated on December 25, 2024, he added.

Features & capability of MAA10 Data Centre

The first phase of the data center, MAA10 in Chennai, will offer 20MW of IT load and features a modular infrastructure design enabling customers to scale their infrastructure in response to varied workload demands, accommodating anything from single cabinet needs to multi-megawatt requirements. It is equipped to support emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models.

The facility also offers standardized configurations and ultrahigh-power densities (up to 70 kilowatts per rack) to meet the high-density power, suitable cooling infrastructure, and interconnectivity demands of AI workloads. The resultant scale and quantum of data generated from the growth of knowledge-based industries in Tamil Nadu, with support from the state government, is expected to drive a demand surge for quality data center infrastructure in the city. MAA10 was built to address diverse customer requirements, helping them navigate new technologies.

MAA10 leverages Brookfield’s in-depth knowledge of the Indian infrastructure market, Digital Realty’s industry-leading energy-efficient data center platform design and operating procedures, highly-repeatable Pervasive Data Center Architecture (PDx®) approach and relationships with global customers, and Jio’s massive digital and connectivity ecosystem and very strong enterprise relationships.

The facility is also a vital addition to PlatformDIGITAL®, Digital Realty’s global data center platform hosting a rich connected data community of customers, partners, cloud and network service providers on a footprint of 300+ facilities in 50+ metros across 25+ countries on 6 continents. It is slated to be ServiceFabric™-enabled this year, which will further allow customers to rapidly configure and provision connectivity across their digital infrastructure on demand to fit their needs.

Digital Connexion believes sustainability is integral to enterprise growth and fosters a culture of innovation to ensure its data center management practices have a positive impact on the community. MAA10’s design, construction, and operational practices are driven by sustainability principles with a focus on maximizing energy and water efficiency and conserving resources.

The facility also seeks to employ renewable energy sources where possible, starting with harvesting solar power via rooftop solar panels on-site, deploying the renewable energy expertise of Brookfield, the officials added.