Data centre REIT Equinix (NASDAQ: EQIX) has opened a Global Center of Excellence (GCoE) in Bengaluru, India, to develop automated and scalable digital technologies to improve digital infrastructure resilience of its customers and employees.

This will include the development of emerging technologies, corporate applications, data engineering and analytics, among other IT domains that can be used to serve a range of industries including automotive technologies, cloud computing, healthcare, manufacturing, payments infrastructure and more.

The operator said it will hire 500 IT professionals by 2024 to work at the centre.

Manoj Paul, MD of Equinix India, said: “The launch of the GCoE in Bengaluru underscores India’s strategic importance in our global business roadmap.

“At Equinix, we will continue to invest locally to drive innovation aligned with market requirements and nurture IT talent in India.”

Also commenting, Murugesh Nirani, Minister of Large and Medium Industries in the Karnataka government, said: “India continues to leapfrog the world in many areas as it continues to be a strong torchbearer for innovation, start-ups and technology development.

“It is essential that the ecosystem is fostered with the right care and attention and in this regard, we welcome the commitment to India by Equinix, by investing in Bengaluru.”

Equinix’s Bengaluru GCoE joins the company’s other global hubs in Dallas and San Francisco in the US, Singapore in Asia and Warsaw in Europe. 

Equinix CIO Milind Wagle, said: “India is a strategic market for Equinix, and the launch of GCoE is an extension of our commitment to the market. The expansion of our IT team reflects our confidence in the talent and market potential in India.

“To help us deliver market-leading solutions for the world’s digital leaders, we want to attract the brightest and best employees. Bengaluru, a key hub in India’s digital economy, is going to play a significant role in creating world-class products.”

Equinix currently operates two data centre facilities in India in the city of Mumbai.

The entry to the market was done via acquisition that saw the American multinational buy local operator GPX Global Systems, Inc. for US$161 million.

The facilities will add more than 90,000 square feet of colocation space to Platform Equinix when fully built.

2021 has been an exceptionally active year for the Indian data centre market with several major international players, private equity and asset management firms announcing developments in the country.

Publicly announced capital commitments in the last 11 months have reached over $10 billion, with the real sum potentially being at least three times higher when taking into account the longer 10-year commitments under joint ventures of the likes of BAM Digital Realty and AdaniConneX.