Downloads: 0
Research Paper | Economics | Volume 15 Issue 7, July 2026 | Pages: 1574 - 1579 | India
Estimating India's Digital Carbon Footprint: A Preliminary Assessment of Data Centres, Mobile Data Use and Climate Policy
Abstract: This study presents a preliminary estimate of the operational carbon footprint associated with India's digital infrastructure, focusing on commercial data centres, mobile data transmission, and an illustrative artificial intelligence inference scenario. Publicly available data from government agencies and industry reports were combined with transparent assumptions to estimate electricity consumption and associated carbon emissions. Operational data centres are estimated to emit approximately 8.3 MtCO2 annually using the average grid emission factor, while mobile data transmission contributes a comparable amount. Under the operating margin emission factor, the corresponding estimates increase to approximately 11 MtCO2 each. The AI inference scenario contributes only a small share of total emissions but highlights an emerging reporting category. Overall, India's operational digital carbon footprint is estimated at approximately 15 to 17 MtCO2 annually under average emission factors and 20 to 23 MtCO2 under operating margin factors. The findings highlight the need for systematic reporting, stronger energy efficiency measures, and increased renewable electricity use within India's rapidly expanding digital infrastructure.
Keywords: digital carbon footprint, data centres, India, mobile data, energy efficiency, climate policy, PAT scheme, digital infrastructure, greenhouse gas emissions, sustainable computing
How to Cite?: Vedika Shrivastava, "Estimating India's Digital Carbon Footprint: A Preliminary Assessment of Data Centres, Mobile Data Use and Climate Policy", Volume 15 Issue 7, July 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 1574-1579, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26620114353, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26620114353