Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal suggested on Monday that the Rajasthan government could explore the possibility of establishing a township for data centres along the Delhi-Mumbai expressway in the state. Speaking at a session on manufacturing and Industry 4.0 during the Rising Rajasthan Investment Summit, Goyal mentioned that Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma had discussed scouting for land between Delhi and Jaipur to create an artificial intelligence (AI) city or a city dedicated to setting up data centres that would support AI.

According to Goyal, this city could provide job opportunities for professionals and students graduating from universities in the state. He also proposed that the city could be connected internationally through fibre optics.

Goyal highlighted the global demand for green energy in data centres and pointed out that Rajasthan has ample land available to ramp up the deployment of renewable energy. He further suggested that the state could also establish a global AI hub.

During the session, Rajasthan Industries Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore affirmed that the state government is committed to ensuring that MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) effectively utilise the latest technologies, such as robotics, AI, and cloud computing, to enable smart manufacturing.

Rajasthan's Rural Development Secretary, Ashutosh AT Pednekar, noted that digital transformation has become essential for all manufacturers to stay competitive and survive in the marketplace.