India’s Data Centres Set to Drive AI Boom and Jobs Nvidia CEO Explains

India is poised to ride the next wave of economic transformation as AI infrastructure growth and data centre expansion stand to create large-scale employment opportunities across the country. This perspective was articulated by Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang at a recent technology event, where he drew a parallel between the job creation seen during the internet era and what could unfold with the rise of AI data centres in India.

How Data Centres Create Jobs Beyond Tech

At the heart of Huang’s message is a simple idea: building and operating data centres generates far more jobs than just the highly skilled positions inside tech companies. The physical creation of these facilities requires a substantial workforce, from electricians and construction workers to designers and project managers.

“The actual building of the data centre is maybe five thousand people, ten thousand people,” Huang explained, referencing the immediate employment needs in construction and infrastructure.

But the impact extends well beyond the construction site.

Once a data centre becomes operational, Huang highlighted that a whole ecosystem of roles emerges, including:

• Supply chain workers and logistics professionals
• Architecture and design specialists
• Project management teams
• Technical support and operations managers
• Startup founders and service providers who build on top of the infrastructure

This upstream and downstream employment effect mirrors what happened in India with the spread of the internet two decades ago. Millions of jobs were created across sectors as connectivity expanded, and Huang believes the data centre boom tied to AI could replicate that effect.

AI Infrastructure as a Job Multiplier

Huang’s remarks also align with his broader thoughts on how AI is reshaping the landscape of employment globally. While many worry that artificial intelligence will replace jobs, he has often noted that AI will change how jobs are done while also creating new opportunities in unexpected fields. At forums like the World Economic Forum, he has pointed out that the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure — including data centres, chip plants, and AI factories — will drive demand for roles such as electricians, technicians, and trade workers that offer competitive pay.

This combination of labour demand in both skilled and hands-on technical fields suggests that the rise of AI infrastructure could deliver a broad spectrum of high value career paths that go beyond traditional software or office based roles.

Why India Is Well Positioned

India’s economic strategy is already aligning with these opportunities. The Union Budget 2026 introduced an extended tax holiday for data centres operating in the country, a policy aimed at attracting global investment in cloud and AI infrastructure. This kind of incentive is expected to bring in significant capital spending, which in turn fuels employment throughout local and international supply chains.

Global tech companies like Google, Microsoft and Amazon have already committed billions toward establishing AI-ready data centres in India. As these investments take shape, the country’s workforce stands to benefit not just from direct employment but also from ancillary services and technology startups that leverage this infrastructure.

Beyond Hardware Jobs

Importantly, Huang’s outlook extends beyond construction and operations. He notes that once the infrastructure is in place, the presence of world-class data centres can foster a new generation of AI led services, technology platforms and innovative startups that draw on the computing power these facilities provide. This could help India become a hub for AI innovation, not just a market for AI products.

This idea resonates with a larger vision of how AI will shape the future of work. In various international forums, Huang has stressed that AI will redefine roles rather than simply eliminate them, and that those who are ready to work with AI tools and infrastructure will be better positioned in the job market.

What This Means for India’s Workforce

For India’s millions of young workers and the broader labour market, the implications are significant:

• Data centre expansion creates immediate construction and operations jobs.
• Technical services and startup ecosystems rise around AI infrastructure.
• Career paths expand beyond conventional tech roles into trades, design, planning and management.
• New sectors of high value employment emerge, supporting long term economic growth.

This shift highlights a major change in how technology and infrastructure investment intersects with employment, offering a powerful complement to traditional IT and software industries.