Instagram Reels has taken the nation by storm since filling the short video void left by TikTok’s departure in 2020. Now, it seems parent company Meta wants to double down on Reels’ massive Indian success by building their first-ever data centre in the country.
Sources reveal Meta is in the early feasibility stages of constructing a 10-20 megawatt cache-focused facility, estimated to cost between 500-1200 crores. Such a large investment reflects Reels’ stratospheric growth, outmatching even global downloads alongside new rival TikTok.
India proved pivotal in catapulting Reels to the top – no doubt the ban’s removal of TikTok from the popular app market created the perfect opening. Within months, Instagram had rolled out Reels worldwide but found their biggest fanbase in India.
Data shows that over two years later, Reels continue dominating short video consumption. So it’s no surprise Meta wants infrastructure close to the action to power the addiction. A local data centre could supercharge Reels by storing content low-latency for India’s billions of mobile users.
If approved, construction on the mammoth project may start as early as 2024. One thing is for sure – Meta is betting big that Reelsmania in India is just getting started. With a home-field advantage, don’t be surprised if it cements Reels’s place at the top for years.
