According to DCD, Indian data center startup Yotta Data Services has signed an agreement with Tajikistani company Darya.ai to develop a green AI data center in Tajikistan’s Darvoz district. The facility will be powered by hydropower and house Nvidia GPUs, with capacity starting at 2MW and potentially expanding to 100MW. This international expansion represents a significant strategic shift for the Indian data center operator.
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Understanding the Strategic Play
Yotta’s move into Tajikistan represents more than just geographic expansion—it’s a calculated bet on sustainable computing economics. Tajikistan’s abundant hydropower resources offer a compelling advantage for power-intensive AI workloads, where electricity costs can constitute up to 60% of total operational expenses. The partnership structure suggests Yotta is providing the technical expertise and GPU access while leveraging Darya.ai’s local market knowledge and energy infrastructure relationships. This model could become increasingly common as data center operators seek jurisdictions with renewable energy advantages rather than traditional connectivity hubs.
Critical Challenges and Risks
The ambitious 2MW to 100MW expansion plan raises immediate questions about execution feasibility. Tajikistan’s infrastructure limitations, including potentially unreliable grid connectivity outside major urban centers, could complicate rapid scaling. The political stability of the region and data sovereignty concerns may also give potential enterprise clients pause. Furthermore, the absence of established data center ecosystem in Tajikistan means Yotta and Darya.ai will need to build everything from scratch—from fiber connectivity to skilled technical workforce development. The timeline ambiguity in the announcement suggests the companies themselves may be uncertain about the scaling pace.
Broader Industry Implications
This development signals a new frontier in the global AI infrastructure race. As prime locations in North America, Europe, and developed Asian markets become increasingly competitive and power-constrained, operators are looking to untapped regions with renewable energy advantages. The partnership demonstrates how Indian technology firms are leveraging their domestic scaling experience to pursue international opportunities. It also highlights the strategic value of Nvidia’s ecosystem—Yotta’s participation in the Lepton platform gives them access to a global customer base that might otherwise hesitate to use capacity in an unproven market.
Market Outlook and Strategic Positioning
If successful, this project could establish a blueprint for sustainable AI computing in emerging markets. The combination of cheap renewable energy and high-performance Nvidia infrastructure addresses two critical constraints in the AI boom: power availability and computational capacity. However, the real test will be whether international clients trust their AI workloads to a facility in a market with limited data center track record. Yotta’s parallel expansions into Bangladesh and Nepal suggest they’re building a regional network strategy rather than isolated projects. The success of this approach could pressure traditional data center operators to reconsider their geographic focus and partnership models.
