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Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said advanced interconnectivity and the ability to increase bandwidth instantly will be very useful for the government, especially in handling heavy online traffic during implementation of schemes, reported news agency PTI.

“During online implementation of various government schemes, lack of bandwidth was a major issue. Especially when online application processes for farmers were started, sudden increase in internet traffic could lead to system failure. In such a situation, advanced interconnectivity and the ability to immediately scale bandwidth in data centres will be very useful for the government,” he said, reported PTI.

He was speaking after inaugurating the MB3 data centre of Equinix at his official residence `Varsha`.

Equinix is one of the world`s largest data centres and interconnection service providers, with a network of 280 data centres across 77 metros in 36 countries. The MB3 facility is the company`s first fully owned and newly built data centre in India, an official release issued said, reported PTI.

The project has been developed on about 3.7 acres with a total investment of around USD 750 million (about Rs 6,000 crore). Once fully operational, it will have a capacity of more than 4,200 cabinets, reported PTI.

The MB3 data centre is equipped with advanced technology and is capable of supporting Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based services. It also provides hybrid multi-cloud interconnection, enabling connectivity with Equinix data centres worldwide and more than 11,000 customers.

From a sustainability perspective, a 26.6 MW solar power project in Yavatmal (in Vidarbha region) is supplying a significant portion of the energy required for the data centre. At present, about 60 per cent of the energy used by Equinix`s Mumbai data centres comes from this solar project, the official release stated.

Vietnam`s Vingroup to invest USD 8.5 billion in Maharashtra: Fadnavis

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Wednesday that Vietnam-based Vingroup has committed to investing USD 8.5 billion in the state over the next two years in projects, including electric mobility solutions, social and public infrastructure, tourism and entertainment, reported PTI.

The projects have the potential to create nearly 24,700 jobs, he said.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Vingroup, the state industries department and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority in the presence of the CM, an official release said, reported PTI.

Fadnavis said the investment will support sustainable development, modern infrastructure and a dynamic transport system in the state.

“Vingroup is investing at the right time and in the right place. The Mumbai and Raigad region will emerge as one of the most dynamic urban areas globally,” he said, adding that the project will create a strong and vibrant urban ecosystem, reported PTI.

The chief minister assured full support from the state government and asked the company to directly reach out to the authorities concerned if they face any issues. He said the administration is capable of resolving problems.

Under the MoU, Vingroup has proposed to invest about USD 8.5 billion over the next two years to develop projects across around 5,000 acres, generating an estimated 24,700 direct jobs, the release said.

The projects will come up in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and other selected locations in the state, it said.

The investment will span sectors such as smart residential townships, electric mobility solutions, social and public infrastructure, renewable energy, tourism and entertainment, reported PTI.

A key focus will be on developing large smart townships over about 2,700 acres, designed as integrated and environmentally friendly urban spaces for a population of around 2,00,000, the release said, reported PTI.

In the mobility sector, the company has proposed to roll out large-scale electric taxi services and develop a mobility-as-a-service platform to boost electric mobility in the state.

(With inputs from PTI)