Data center firm Submer and Indian telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) are partnering to potentially develop data centers across India.

Submer India Private Limited (Submer) and BSNL Tower Corporation Limited (BTCL), a wholly owned subsidiary of BSNL, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) this week at the India Mobile Congress 2026 to “explore the development of sovereign, AI-ready data center infrastructure across India.”

The companies said they will jointly assess opportunities around GPU-as-a-Service and sovereign AI cloud infrastructure, Edge and micro data centers, and larger-scale data center projects of up to 20MW.

The firms will also evaluate the suitability of BSNL's existing premises and data center facilities for transformation into distributed Edge infrastructure.

Shri Robert Jerard Ravi, BSNL chairman and MD, said: “This MoU marks an important step in evaluating how BSNL’s nationwide infrastructure and connectivity footprint can support sovereign AI capabilities. Our collaboration with Submer will help us explore an infrastructure model designed around India’s long-term digital priorities.”

Founded in 2000, BSNL is the fourth-largest mobile operator in India and also offers fiber services across the country.

The company currently has nine data centers across India in New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Faridabad, Alappuzha, Bangalore, Jaipur, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Ludhiana. As well as a portfolio of telephone exchanges powering its legacy copper network, the company operates thousands of cell towers across the country for its 4G and 5G networks.

“India has the talent, demand, and digital reach to become a global AI infrastructure leader. The next step is to build the physical capacity that turns that ambition into deployable compute,” added Anupam Shrivastava, Submer India head. “Together with BTCL, we are bringing infrastructure, network reach, and engineering expertise into one model. Our goal is clear: make sovereign AI capacity available where it is needed, from strategic Edge locations to large-scale AI data centers.”

Spanish firm Submer was founded in 2015. Originally focused on immersion cooling, the company has expanded into data center development and providing AI cloud services through its Rubix Data Centers and Radian Arc units. It also offers modular data center infrastructure through its new Corenix business.

Submer has made multiple moves in India this year. The firm’s AI cloud subsidiary, Radian Arc, is set to deploy its GPU-as-a-Service offering within GTPL Broadband's network and in TeleIndia Datacentre (Datasamudra) data centers in the country. Submer is also set to deploy 1GW of liquid-cooled AI data centers in Madhya Pradesh. The company has also partnered with Indian real estate developer Anant Raj to develop data centers in India.