When investors evaluate a data-centre site, they ask "is there power?" That is the wrong question.
The right question
The right question is: how many MW can be delivered to this substation within 24 months, contracted, with a written letter from the utility?
That is a very different question. And in most of India, the answer is "less than you think."
Why 24 months matters
A hyperscale data centre needs 18–24 months from land closing to first rack. If power is not contracted in the first 90 days, the project slips a year. A year of slip on a ₹3,000 crore project is fatal.
How we evaluate it
We insist on three things before we recommend a site:
- A written load-availability letter from the utility
- A bay-allocation confirmation at the upstream substation
- A site visit with the utility's local field officer
If any of these is missing, the site fails our power screen — regardless of how attractive the land or the tariff appears.