Karnataka planning green data centres, India’s first public AI university: Shivakumar

3 min readJul 14, 2026 12:23 PM IST

Karnataka CM D K Shivakumar hinted at Google's participation in the data centre project. (File Photo)

The Karnataka government is considering creating two next-generation green data centres for artificial intelligence infrastructure, as well as a dedicated AI University, Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said at the opening of the Google I/O Connect India 2026 event on Tuesday.

“We are establishing a next-generation green data centre in a coastal district as well as one near Bengaluru. This is a big discussion which we have taken up,” Shivakumar said while hinting at Google’s participation in the project.

The chief minister, who positioned Bengaluru as a hub for AI innovation, also announced plans to create a government-supported AI University.

“We want to lay the foundation for the first and the largest AI university by the government. We want to create and nurture an AI ecosystem that is world class,” Shivakumar said.

According to Shivakumar, Karnataka aims to become an AI-native state, integrating AI into governance and public service delivery. “We want to create a big ecosystem where our talent is our biggest strength,” he said.

The announcement of green data centres comes at a time when the government is concerned about the environmental sustainability of energy- and water-intensive data centres, which form the backbone of AI technology.

One of the locations being considered for the next-generation data centres is Hoskote, Bengaluru. A 500 MW data centre here would use 60 MLD of secondary-treated water from the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board and solar power from the 2,000 MW Pavagada Solar Park. The other possible location is Mangaluru in coastal Karnataka.

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“AI must help teachers teach better, doctors diagnose diseases earlier, farmers receive better advisory services, citizens access government services with dignity and speed, and small businesses compete confidently,” said Shivakumar, who became the chief minister in June.

Shivakumar noted that 12,000 of Google India’s 18,000 workers are employed in Bengaluru.

A sustainable data centre policy

In May, Information Technology Minister Priyank Kharge noted that the state was also looking at introducing a sustainable data centre policy to deal with the challenge of data centres’ energy and water demands.

“There are technologies that data centres can employ which are better for the environment, which are more energy efficient and emit less heat,” Kharge stated.

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A committee of senior IAS officers has been constituted to submit a report regarding data centres in the state and to identify locations with access to renewable energy supplies, along with power evacuation lines and water.