Chennai makes it to top ten data centre markets to watch for

Chennai has made it to the top ten markets to watch, according to Cushman & Wakefield’s 2021 Global Data Center Market Comparison report.

The top ten markets to watch for include – Nairobi, Stockholm, Cape Town, Moscow, Athens, Abu Dhabi, Santiago, Chennai, Kuala Lumpur and Vienna.

These cities have made the list as they are receiving interest from operators and hyperscalers alike, thanks to local demand from key industries, thus driving future investments in this asset class.

The report also highlights top ten data centre markets globally and Sydney and Singapore in APAC feature in that list.

Cushman & Wakefield’s study evaluated 1,189 data centers around the world, utilising a unique weighted methodology to rank 48 global markets to arrive at the overall top ten markets.

According to the report, secondary markets continue to grow in importance with areas particularly in Europe and Asia gaining interest as some workload move to the edge. These secondary locales often provide greater margins for data centre operators, with some growing to primary market status in the future.

In Asia Pacific in particular, markets like Chennai and Kuala Lumpur are receiving interest from operators and hyperscalers alike, said the report.

Vivek Dahiya, Managing Director – New Initiatives, Cushman & Wakefield India, said, ” While Mumbai and Chennai continue to be leading destinations for data centre firms in India, we expect other Tier-I Indian cities also to witness strong interest. These emerging locations should also add considerable supply in the coming years. The proposed data centre policy and state-level incentives will further support investments in this asset class.”