The Prime Minister inaugurated the National Data Centre for the North Eastern Region (NDC-NER) at Amingaon, Kamrup, near Guwahati. Built at a cost of ₹348.66 crore by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) through NICSI, this facility strengthens India’s digital governance infrastructure. Importantly, it becomes a key pillar of the National Government Cloud (MeghRaj) and brings high-performance computing and cloud services closer to the eight Northeastern States.
For APSC and UPSC aspirants, this development is highly relevant under Science & Technology, Digital Governance, Infrastructure, and Regional Development.
Aspirants seeking quality UPSC coaching in Assam can benefit from structured guidance aligned with current UPSC trends.
What is the National Data Centre (NDC-NER)?
The National Data Centre for the North Eastern Region (NDC-NER) is a state-of-the-art digital infrastructure facility. It supports cloud computing, secure data storage, AI workloads, and mission-critical e-governance applications.
The Prime Minister virtually inaugurated the centre from Lachit Ghat, Guwahati. Strategically located at Amingaon, the centre will serve all eight Northeastern States.
Key Purpose of NDC-NER:
- Firstly, it will strengthen digital governance in Northeast India.
- Secondly, it will support secure data hosting for government departments.
- Moreover, it will help to reduce regional digital divide and promote digital sovereignty.
- Overall, it will improve government service delivery to citizens.
Therefore, the NDC-NER marks a major step in India’s digital transformation journey.
Why is the National Data Centre at Amingaon Important?
The establishment of the NDC-NER is not just an infrastructure project. It has long-term governance and development implications.
1. Strengthening Digital Governance:
The NDC-NER will host Central and State government digital platforms, Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) applications, and mission-critical e-governance services. Consequently, it will enhance reliability, strengthen data security, and improve overall service efficiency.
2. Bridging the Digital Divide in Northeast India:
Earlier, many digital services relied on distant data centres. However, the new facility brings computing power closer to the region. This will reduce latency, improve digital access, enhance citizen services and strengthen regional digital inclusion. Thus, it ensures balanced regional development.
3. Promoting Digital Sovereignty:
Digital sovereignty refers to a nation’s control over its data and digital infrastructure. The NDC-NER stores sensitive government data within India and strengthens cybersecurity frameworks. Therefore, it supports India’s Atmanirbhar Digital Infrastructure. Therefore, it enhances national security and data protection.
Key Features of the National Data Centre (NDC-NER):
The NDC-NER stands out as a technologically advanced and environmentally sustainable digital infrastructure facility. Its key features can be understood under the following categories:
- Firstly, it has advanced computing capability with petabyte-scale, GPU-enabled, AI-ready infrastructure. All these will support high-performance workloads.
- Secondly, the NDC-NER has massive data storage capacity. Over 70 Petabytes (PB) of storage to handle transactional, analytics, and AI-based applications.
- Moreover, the data centre has robust power infrastructure. Its 8.5 MW total power capacity will ensure uninterrupted functioning. In addition, 4 MW IT load scalable from an initial 2 MW is to meet growing demands.
- In addition, scalable design:
- Capacity expandable from 200 to 400 high-density racks.
- Spread across a built-up area of 43,000 sq ft.
- Moreover, ensuring high performance and reliability: The NDC-NER guarantees 99.98% uptime, adheres to Tier III international standards for fault tolerance, and incorporates N+1 redundancy to maintain uninterrupted operations even during system component failures.
- Furthermore, strong sustainability features: The NDC-NER is an IGBC Gold-rated Green Data Centre, built with environmentally responsible design standards. Moreover, it incorporates energy-efficient architecture to reduce power consumption and operational costs. It also follows sustainable operational practices to ensure long-term, eco-friendly digital infrastructure management.
Therefore, the NDC-NER effectively integrates performance, reliability, scalability, and sustainability into India’s digital governance ecosystem.
National Government Cloud (MeghRaj):
The NDC-NER forms an integral part of the National Government Cloud (MeghRaj) network.
To effectively harness the benefits of cloud computing, the Government of India launched the ambitious GI Cloud initiative. It is popularly known as MeghRaj. The primary objective of MeghRaj is to accelerate the delivery of e-governance services while optimizing government ICT expenditure. Moreover, it promotes effective utilization of digital infrastructure. Therefore, it aims to speed up the development and deployment of e-governance applications.
The architectural outline of MeghRaj consists of multiple cloud environments across different locations, built on existing or upgraded infrastructure. Moreover, they are guided by standardized protocols and policies issued by the Government of India.
Aims of MeghRaj:
- Firstly, it aims to provide cloud services to government departments.
- Secondly, it enables cost-effective IT infrastructure.
- Moreover, it supports digital governance initiatives and promotes scalability and efficiency.
With the addition of the Amingaon facility, MeghRaj expands its regional coverage and strengthens its capacity.
Impact of National Data Centre on Governance and Citizens:
For Government Departments:
- Enhancing administrative efficiency: Firstly, the NDC-NER enables faster processing of government applications and services.
- Strengthening data management: Moreover, it improves storage, retrieval, and management of official data.
- Enabling data-driven governance: In addition, it supports advanced analytics and AI-based decision-making for better policy formulation.
For Citizens:
- Improves service delivery: The NDC-NER ensures faster and more reliable digital services.
- Reduces system downtime: It minimizes disruptions in online government platforms.
- Ensure secure access: Moreover, it provides safe and protected access to government portals.
- Enhance ease of living: Finally, it strengthens citizen-centric digital governance across the Northeast region.
How This Development Supports Northeast India:
- Firstly, accelerating digital transformation: The NDC-NER strengthens e-governance systems and modernizes digital service delivery across the Northeast region.
- Secondly, encouraging AI adoption: It provides AI-ready infrastructure that supports advanced analytics, innovation, and data-driven governance.
- Moreover, supporting the innovation ecosystem: The facility creates opportunities for startups, research institutions, and technology-driven enterprises to thrive.
- In addition, strengthening regional digital infrastructure: It enhances secure data storage, cloud computing capacity, and high-performance computing within Northeast India.
- Furthermore, improving regional economic competitiveness: By enabling reliable digital infrastructure, it attracts investment and boosts economic growth.
- Finally, positioning the Northeast as a digital hub: The NDC-NER establishes the region as an emerging centre for digital infrastructure and technological advancement.
Institutions offering UPSC coaching in north east India play a vital role in nurturing region-specific civil services aspirants.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the inauguration of the National Data Centre (NDC-NER) at Amingaon represents a strategic advancement in India’s digital governance architecture. It strengthens the National Government Cloud (MeghRaj), enhances secure data storage capacity, and reinforces India’s digital sovereignty. Moreover, by bringing high-performance computing and AI-ready infrastructure to the Northeast, it addresses regional digital disparities and promotes balanced regional development.
From a UPSC and APSC Mains examination perspective, this development reflects the integration of digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, e-governance, and inclusive growth. It aligns with broader national initiatives such as Digital India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, and sustainable digital transformation.
Thus, understanding the significance of the NDC-NER in Northeast India will enrich answer writing. Therefore, it will improve conceptual clarity for both APSC and UPSC Mains examinations.
Mains Practice Question:
Q. Discuss the significance of the National Data Centre at Amingaon in strengthening digital governance, promoting digital sovereignty, and bridging the regional digital divide in Northeast India.
Source:
Frequently Asked Questions:
The National Data Centre at Amingaon (NDC-NER) is a state-of-the-art digital infrastructure facility inaugurated to strengthen secure digital governance in Northeast India. It forms a key part of the National Government Cloud (MeghRaj) and supports cloud computing, AI workloads, and mission-critical e-governance applications.
The National Data Centre at Amingaon reduces regional digital divide by bringing high-performance computing and cloud services closer to the eight Northeastern States. It strengthens digital infrastructure, improves service delivery, and promotes digital sovereignty in the region.
The NDC-NER offers 70+ Petabytes of data storage, 99.98% uptime with Tier III compliance, N+1 redundancy, AI-ready GPU-enabled infrastructure, and IGBC Gold-rated Green Data Centre certification. It supports scalable, secure, and sustainable digital governance.
The National Data Centre at Amingaon operates under the MeghRaj (GI Cloud) initiative, which aims to accelerate e-governance services and optimize government ICT spending. It enhances digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, and cloud-based governance platforms across the Northeast.
The National Data Centre at Amingaon is highly relevant for UPSC and APSC preparation under topics like Digital Governance, Science and Technology, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Development, and Inclusive Growth. It can be cited in Mains answers related to digital transformation, regional development, and data sovereignty.
