NSEFI and Amazon host landmark Carbon-Free Energy Data Center Summit; Minister Shripad Yesso Naik leads inauguration
New Delhi: The first-ever Data Center Summit on Carbon-Free Energy, jointly organized by NSEFI and Amazon, was successfully held in New Delhi. The historic gathering connected policymakers, renewable energy experts, and industry stakeholders to promote carbon-free, sustainable digital infrastructure in India.
Shri. Deepak Gupta (IAS Retd.), Hon Director General, NSEFI mentioned —
“Data centres can procure solar power directly from farmers’ fields or get green attributes through decentralized agrivoltaic projects. This model creates a virtuous cycle of growth—data centres reduce their carbon footprint, farmers become energy entrepreneurs, and rural India becomes a stakeholder in the digital economy. The digital industry can lead by example, showing how sustainability and growth can move hand in hand.”
Shri. Michael Punke, Vice President, Global Public Policy, Amazon Web Services, highlighting Amazon’s carbon-free data center initiatives and investment journey in India mentioned —
“As we look to the future, we recognize new challenges, including the increasing energy demands of technologies like generative AI. That’s why we’re diversifying our investments across solar, wind, nuclear, battery storage, and emerging technologies. Our commitment to achieving net-zero carbon by 2040 remains unwavering. I want to emphasize that this is a journey we must undertake together. The path to sustainable digital infrastructure requires collaboration between government, industry, and society. AWS is committed to being a partner in India’s sustainable digital transformation, and we look forward to making this vision a reality together.”
Delivering the Chief Guest Address, Hon’ble Minister of State for Power and New & Renewable Energy, Shri. Shripad Yesso Naik, emphasized that —
“Under the visionary leadership of our Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, India has achieved 50% of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources—five years ahead of schedule. Our renewable energy capacity has grown more than four-fold in the last decade, and we are on track to reach 500 GW by 2030. The digital revolution and the clean energy revolution must now converge. India strongly believes that energy transition is not only about megawatts and gigawatts. It is about jobs, skills, and innovation. Every new carbon-free data centre built in India will create green jobs, boost indigenous manufacturing of renewable and storage systems, and generate new business models for digital–energy convergence. It is about farmers supplying biomass for clean energy, engineers developing next-generation cooling systems, and startups innovating in energy management. India’s vision is clear: a digital economy powered by carbon-free energy. This vision is aligned with our broader national goals of Atmanirbhar Bharat, Energy Security, and Net Zero by 2070. With the right mix of policies, innovation, and partnerships, I am confident we can make India a global hub for sustainable digital infrastructure.”
Shri Shripad Yesso Naik ji also launched the new logo and website of NSEFI Green Data Center Coalition, which will act as a nodal resource for both data center and Renewable Energy stakeholders.
Key dignitaries including Dr. Mohammad Rihan, Director General, National Institute of Solar Energy, Shri. Rajesh Kulhari, Joint Secretary, MNRE, and Shri. Ghanshyam Prasad, Chairman, CEA shared insights on policy frameworks, regulatory support, and the roadmap for enabling 24/7 renewable energy adoption in data centers.
