• STPI’S own data centre in the State to be operational by the end of this year
Kolkata, January 16, 2026: Shubhanjan Das, Secretary, Department of Information Technology and Electronics, West Bengal, on Friday said that the West Bengal government is soon coming up with a proposal which would allow companies to use its data centres for building AI models.
The government’s data centre in Siliguri has very “high computational capacity”. STPI is also coming up with its own data centre, which is going to be operational this year.
“We are open to ideas where maybe the private players, the private companies, if you want to use our data centre for building AI models or AI training, you will be most welcome in the near future,” Das said at the 10th edition of TechMeet organised by Assocham here today.
The Bengal’s Silicon Valley spread on close to 250-acre land is expected to generate employment opportunity for close to 7,500 people and poised to draw an investment of around Rs 30,000 crores. As many as 41 companies have already taken land there, and work was on full swing, he said. The Secretary also extended cooperation to enhance ease of doing business in the State.
“In the field of data centre business, India ranks third in Asia in terms of number of data centers, and within India, West Bengal as of today ranks sixth with 11 private data centres,” he pointed out.
STPI is particularly focusing on the development of various technology segments and to that effect it has created close to 24 Centre for Entrepreneurship across the country. “We have supported more than 2,000 startups already and have given support in various ways, including funding support,” Manjit Nayak, Director, STPI, Kolkata, said.
On the occasion STPI Export Excellence Awards was presented by IT Secretary to companies all over Bengal. Mr Nayak congratulated winners.
According to Bhaarat Dave, Acting Deputy High Commissioner, British Deputy High Commission, Kolkata, West Bengal government’s upcoming GCC policy is designed to position the State as the next generation technology power.
Dave said that UK is looking to partner with India in three key areas which includes innovation and emerging technology; skills and future workforce and data protection and secure digital futures.
“Digital cooperation is a central pillar of India-UK shared vision. With India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act creating new frameworks for trust and accountability and the UK’s strong credentials in data governance, this is a natural area for deeper cooperation. Tech-driven threats are global, and tackling them requires a shared ecosystem. As we stand at the defining moment of a global digital economy, the United Kingdom sees India not just as a partner of today, but a technology partner of the future. Together, we can shape secure digital pathways,” Dave said.
According to Sushil Mohta, Chairman, World Trade Center, Salt Lake, Bengal is emerging as a compelling destination for GCCs, with its strong academic institutions, deep talent base, and improving infrastructure.
