Bangladesh-born Australian entrepreneur Robin Khuda has announced a massive plan to invest $30 billion in India’s data center sector by 2030. The announcement followed a high-level meeting between Khuda and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 5 in New Delhi. The investment, executed through his company AirTrunk, aims to develop five gigawatts of data center capacity across multiple Indian states, positioning the country as a cornerstone of the company’s global growth strategy.
Robin Khuda, the founder and CEO of AirTrunk, was born and raised in Dhaka, where he attended the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Government Boys` High School. He moved to Australia at the age of eighteen to pursue accounting, eventually becoming one of the wealthiest individuals in the region. Since founding AirTrunk in 2015, Khuda has built the company into one of the most prominent hyperscale data center operators in the Asia-Pacific region. Although Blackstone and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired the company in 2024, Khuda continues to lead the organization as CEO.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to social media to welcome the investment, stating that such capital injection would strengthen India’s position as a global hub for artificial intelligence and cloud computing. The projects are expected to generate significant employment, bolster local supply chains, and accelerate innovation-led economic growth. The most substantial portion of this investment will be directed toward Maharashtra, where the company plans to establish a three-gigawatt data center hub. Authorities in Maharashtra have already confirmed that a land acquisition agreement for the project has been signed in Raigad, near Mumbai.
Khuda highlighted India’s unique growth trajectory during his discussions with government officials. He noted that the combination of the country’s massive population, high rates of digital adoption, and strategic ambition regarding artificial intelligence makes India a compelling destination for technology investment. The planned infrastructure projects will align with key Indian government initiatives, including the Digital India campaign and the IndiaAI Mission.
The move represents one of the largest digital infrastructure commitments ever proposed in India. AirTrunk, which already operates across Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore, intends to use this investment to create a robust network capable of meeting the next wave of cloud and AI demand. For observers, the investment serves as a clear signal of India`s increasing importance in the global technology ecosystem. For the Bangladeshi community, Khuda’s achievement stands as a testament to the global influence of diaspora entrepreneurs.
