NTT DATA, a global digital business and technology services provider, has announced the commissioning of its Malaysia, India, Singapore Transit (MIST) submarine cable system by June 2025. MIST is an 8,100-kilometer cable that can carry over 200 terabits per second (Tbps). It is one of the largest cables in Asia, and will connect Malaysia, India, Singapore and Thailand.
In a press release the company said that this project will be NTT DATA’s first cable system to establish direct connectivity to and from India, enhancing global connectivity and adding critical infrastructure for the country’s rapidly growing digital economy. MIST was connected to NTT DATA’s Mumbai landing station in February 2023 and its Chennai landing station in May 2023.
“We are proud to accelerate India’s digital future with the commissioning of MIST—the latest milestone in strengthening global digital highways that connect new markets and power AI innovation,” said Abhijit Dubey, CEO, NTT DATA, Inc. “Our USD 3 billion investment in India’s digital infrastructure over the last decade reflects our confidence in the region’s exceptional talent and robust tech ecosystem. We remain committed to expanding our presence and strategic investments in the country that will elevate India to one of our top five markets within the next three years.”
The investment in augmenting India’s connectivity ecosystem stems from the demand created by the company’s own growth in the subcontinent. NTT has been growing and investing in India for over a decade. Moreover, NTT DATA has now opened its biggest data center campus in India, a facility that can hold over 500 MW of power, when fully operational. NTT DATA said that it is scaling its global capacity from over 1,500 MW to exceed 2,000 MW. With significant growth in India, where it holds leading market share, it aims to add 400 MW more in the coming years.
“India is key in our global strategy, fuelled by its rapid economic and digital expansion. We’re proud to say that NTT DATA has powered the IT infrastructure in India and globally, notably in data center capacity. Currently, India is one of our top 10 revenue-generating markets,” said Akira Shimada, President and CEO, NTT. “We are investing ¥ 8 trillion (~US$ 59 billion) globally over five years from FY2023 to FY2027 into growth areas, including data centers and Artificial Intelligence (AI).”
NTT DATA also announced that it is upgrading and expanding its Innovation Centre in Bengaluru, India. The center will focus on AI, digital twin and quantum computing projects. With this, the company has 11 global innovation centers across 11 countries that will boost hiring of specialized talent to manage projects for global companies, driving AI-led technology solutions, particularly with agentic AI.
“The Indian economy is currently in a growth phase both as a top market and a hub of innovation, talent and opportunity,” said Avinash Joshi, CEO, India, NTT DATA. “Over the years we have grown through acquisitions and currently have 3000 clients in India. We will continue to build on this momentum to drive transformation across key industries such as banking, manufacturing and automotive.”
Meanwhile, NTT’s Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN), a next-generation All-Photonics Network (APN) technology has been used to interconnect data centers in the Mumbai region, facilitating higher performance data transmission at lower costs. IOWN’s first information and communication processing infrastructure in India is in its early implementation stages. It aims to provide fast, high-capacity network access using photonics-based technologies. NTT is aiming to make this technology available to organizations globally by 2030.