Mumbai is poised to become a new node in India’s rapidly expanding digital infrastructure landscape as APAC real estate firm ESR announces its entry into the country’s data center sector. The company plans to develop a multi-story facility in Rabale, Maharashtra, on a 3.25-acre site, with a total facility load of up to 60MW and an estimated investment of $100 million. The development, named ESR Rabale MU1, has reportedly been pre-leased to a major information and communications technology operator.
Industry experts note that India is emerging as one of the fastest-growing markets for data centers globally, driven by surging digital adoption, localisation requirements for data storage, and increased reliance on cloud computing and artificial intelligence workloads. For Mumbai, one of the country’s key commercial hubs, the addition of large-scale data infrastructure is expected to strengthen the city’s role as a technology and finance centre while supporting broader economic growth. ESR’s move marks a significant expansion beyond its traditional logistics real estate operations, where it has long held the position of the largest provider in APAC. The firm’s foray into data centers builds on an existing pan-Asia Pacific portfolio, which exceeds 3GW of pipeline capacity across markets such as Hong Kong, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Australia. Analysts observe that Mumbai’s established connectivity, robust power supply, and proximity to business districts make Rabale a strategic location for such high-demand infrastructure.
A senior company official highlighted that ESR intends to leverage its vertically integrated development expertise to deliver a facility combining scale, operational resilience, and power security. The project is part of a broader regional strategy to create high-quality data center clusters that can accommodate growing enterprise and cloud requirements. From an urban planning perspective, such developments also underscore the need for energy-efficient design, responsible land use, and integration with local infrastructure to mitigate environmental impacts. While ESR’s investment introduces new digital infrastructure capacity, urban planners caution that careful coordination with municipal utilities, power grids, and transport networks will be critical to ensure sustainable operations. Data centers are energy-intensive and their location decisions carry implications for electricity demand, microclimate effects, and surrounding land use patterns.
Mumbai’s commercial real estate and technology sectors are expected to benefit from enhanced local data processing capabilities, potentially attracting additional ICT investment and supporting cloud adoption among enterprises. ESR’s MU1 project represents a step towards consolidating the city’s digital backbone while highlighting the evolving intersection of urban development and technology infrastructure.
ESR India launches Mumbai Data Enter With 60MW Load
