AI, Data Centres and India’s Energy Dilemma: Can Solar and Wind Power the Digital Future?
The Cloud Is Not Weightless Artificial Intelligence is often imagined as a clean, invisible revolution. It lives in apps, search engines, chatbots, algorithms and cloud platforms. But behind this digital magic stands a very physical machine: data centres, servers, chips, cooling systems, transmission lines, water, land and electricity. AI may appear weightless on the screen, but it is deeply material behind the screen. This is why the debate around AI cannot remain limited to technology, innovation and productivity. It must also become an energy debate . The International Energy Agency estimates that data centres consumed around 415 TWh of electricity in 2024 , about 1.5 per cent of global electricity consumption , and could rise to around 945 TWh by 2030 . AI is one of the major drivers of this growth. For India, this raises a serious question: Can the country build an AI-powered digital future without weakening its renewable energy transition? AI Exposes the Weakness...