Australian-Bangladeshi Billionier to Invest $30 Billion in India
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Australian-Bangladeshi industrialist Robin Khuda will invest $30 billion by 2030 in data center projects in India to capitalize on growing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing in the neighboring country.
Khuda held meetings with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other officials as part of his investment plans. The announcement was made shortly after those discussions.
AirTrunk, the data center company founded by Khuda, is backed by US private equity firm Blackstone.
In a statement released on Friday, AirTrunk said it plans to build around five gigawatts of data center capacity across India. Praising the investment, Prime Minister Modi said on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that such initiatives would further strengthen India’s position as a global hub for cloud computing and AI.
The largest project will be developed in the western state of Maharashtra. Earlier this week, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on X that AirTrunk will build a three-gigawatt data center hub in the state. The Sydney-based company has already signed a letter of intent to acquire land for the project in Raigad, near Mumbai.
In an email to Forbes Asia, AirTrunk CEO Robin Khuda said that few markets align so closely with future demand at the scale of ambition the company is pursuing, and India is one of them. He said each market has its own strengths, but India’s growth trajectory is unique, driven by a large population, rapid digital adoption, and strong AI ambitions.
He said the company had already been optimistic about India even before entering the market through Lumina. Following recent discussions with government leaders, the firm now intends to further strengthen its commitment. He added that the company has received a clear indication that India is fully prepared for investment and is determined to compete in next-generation AI and cloud infrastructure, which he said will transform the country’s industry and economy for generations.
AirTrunk is steadily expanding its presence across the Asia-Pacific region, with current operations in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore.
According to Forbes real-time data, Robin Khuda’s net worth stands at approximately $2.1 billion. Born in Bangladesh, he is now among Australia’s wealthiest individuals. He founded AirTrunk in 2015, building its strong presence across the Asia-Pacific region.
