The Physical World Behind AI, the Tech Innovations library
Economics
Economics
If You Invest ₹100 in a Data Centre, Where Does It Go?
In a modern AI data centre, most of the money goes not into the building but into the computers inside it, which also wear out fastest.
Economics
What Does It Really Cost to Build a Data Centre?
Published figures range widely because they measure different things, and AI-ready facilities cost more than traditional ones, mostly for cooling.
Economics
Who Actually Makes Money from an AI Data Centre?
An AI data centre is a stack of businesses, from the building owner to the company selling computing by the hour, and each layer earns in a different way and carries a different risk.
Economics
Is Electricity the Biggest Cost of Running an AI Data Centre?
Electricity is usually the largest running cost, but for an AI data centre the bigger cost over time is replacing the computers.
Economics
Why Might Two Similar Data Centres Be Worth Very Different Amounts?
Two buildings with the same megawatts can be valued very differently, depending on their contracts, customers, power, connections and location.
Economics
Should a Data Centre Owner Also Own the GPUs?
Buildings last decades and AI servers a few years, so owning both means running two very different kinds of asset with very different risks.
Economics
Can a Data Centre Be Profitable Before It Is Full?
Much depends on contracts signed before the building is finished: space leased in advance and long committed contracts change the whole cash-flow picture.
Economics
Where Should the Next Data Centre Be Built?
Power now decides more than anything else, but land, water, fibre, customers, climate and government policy all have to line up in the same place.