Captain Brijesh Chowta Meets MeitY Secretary to Push for Mangalore as a Data Centre and IT Hub
New Delhi: Dakshina Kannada MP, Captain Brijesh Chowta, met Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Shri S. Krishnan, in New Delhi, today to discuss the immense potential of Mangalore as a hub for hosting large-scale data centres and positioning the city as a key player in India’s digital infrastructure growth story.
During the meeting, Captain Chowta highlighted Mangalore’s strategic advantages—a coastal location with low seismic risk, abundant water resources, and proximity to undersea internet cable routes—making it an ideal location for establishing a Cable Landing Station. Such an infrastructure, he said, would improve internet latency and speed for the region while significantly boosting India’s data capacity and security.
Captain Chowta urged the Ministry to consider setting up a Data Centre Special Economic Zone (DCSEZ) in Mangalore, offering policy and institutional support to attract private investment. “Globally, data centres are now recognised as critical infrastructure—essential for everything from AI and cloud computing to financial systems and national security. Mangalore can be a vital node in India’s regionalised data backbone,” he said.
He also requested MeitY’s support in bringing initiatives under the India AI Mission to Mangalore, including the possibility of organising AI Hackathons to identify and nurture local talent. Discussions also covered broader possibilities to develop Mangalore and the surrounding region into a thriving IT and innovation hub, creating jobs, stimulating manufacturing linked to data infrastructure, and driving export gains via New Mangalore Port.
He emphasised that this initiative is part of his ongoing effort to position Mangalore as a strategic digital and technology hub in line with national goals. Regarding the meeting, Captain Chowta said, “In line with enabling IT development beyond Bengaluru and building our region as the Silicon Beach, I shared my vision for Mangalore as a hub for data centres and discussed bringing India AI Mission initiatives to the city, contributing to PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji’s vision of a Viksit Bharat. This will also enable and incentivise Mangaloreans across the world to come back to Ooru and be a part of the IT wave on our shores.”