India's AI expansion threatened by soaring data center water use

India Jun 14, 2026

India's push to become an AI powerhouse is hitting a big snag: water.
Data centers powering AI models used about 150 billion liters of water in 2024-25, and that number could jump to 358 billion liters a year by 2030, according to CEEW.
With tech giants like Google near Visakhapatnam and Microsoft building across multiple Indian cities, the problem is only getting bigger.

AI cooling drives India water demand

AI isn't just about algorithms: it needs massive cooling, which means lots of water.
Training models like ChatGPT-4 alone used hundreds of millions of liters.
Experts say solutions like reclaimed water and smarter cooling might help, but climate change and rising temperatures make it tough for India to keep up with growing demand.