Bharti Airtel’s data centre subsidiary Nxtra Data Ltd is planning to raise around $1 billion to accelerate the expansion of its data centre capacity and strengthen its position in India’s fast-growing digital infrastructure market. The proposed capital raise will involve new investor Alpha Wave Global and existing stakeholders Bharti Airtel and Carlyle.
According to reports, Alpha Wave Global is expected to invest about $400 million in the company, while Airtel and Carlyle are likely to contribute roughly $300 million each as part of the funding round. The investment is intended to significantly expand Nxtra’s infrastructure and support its ambition of scaling up to gigawatt-level data centre capacity in the coming years.
Nxtra currently operates around 14 core data centres and over 120 edge data centres across India, with a total operational capacity estimated at about 120–130 megawatts. The fresh capital infusion is aimed at building larger facilities capable of supporting the surging demand for cloud computing and artificial intelligence workloads.
India’s data centre market is witnessing rapid growth as digital services, AI applications, and data localisation requirements drive the need for large-scale computing infrastructure. Airtel is positioning Nxtra as a key player in this ecosystem, competing with other major groups investing heavily in data centres, including Reliance Industries and the Adani Group.
Nxtra currently holds an estimated 12% share of India’s data centre market and is targeting around 25% market share over the next three to four years as it scales its infrastructure. The company also plans to strengthen its balance sheet through this fundraise, which could support future expansion and potentially pave the way for a public listing in the longer term.
The investment also highlights growing investor interest in digital infrastructure assets, particularly data centres, as the global surge in artificial intelligence and cloud computing continues to drive demand for high-capacity computing facilities.
