Sify Technologies plans to start a data centre in Calcutta to facilitate faster digital transformation for businesses in the region.

The Chennai-based technology services firm has picked up 50,000-square-feet space on lease at DLF IT Park in New Town to set up the data centre, which is a fast growing revenue stream for the company.

“We are setting up a 50,000-square-feet data centre in Calcutta which will be inaugurated in February. I am sure customers in this part of the country can take advantage of that. Our objective is to make the adoption of digital very easy. What we as service providers can do is provide the necessary toolsets,” Kamal Nath, CEO of Sify Technologies, said on Thursday at Infocom 2018, an ABP initiative.

He added that measures such as setting up a data centre and making cloud accessible are essential building blocks for the digital transformation of companies. Moreover, recent public policy changes on data protection regulations in India and domiciling of data in the country of origin are key demand drivers of enterprises looking to use data centres in the country.

STPI plan

Omkar Rai, director general of the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), said it was investing Rs 120 crore in Calcutta in a single project in order to expand the scope of delivery of technology services to the east and the Northeast and boost exports from the region.

Expected to be set up on a built-up area of around 2 lakh square feet, the project will house a network operating centre and a data centre and offer high speed data communication services to the IT and ITeS industry in Bengal.

Also at Infocom, Bhaskar Ghosh, group chief executive of Accenture Technology Services, highlighted how enterprises can develop systems for digital transformation. Amitabh Ray, managing director of Ericsson India Global Services, highlighted the role of 5G and Internet of Things to develop a digital ecosystem.