Gandhinagar: After unveiling an ambitious data centre policy to attract large-scale investments, the Gujarat govt has now turned its attention to developing cable landing station (CLS) infrastructure, a key component of the state’s digital ecosystem.Official sources said govt has initiated discussions with leading players in the cable landing station sector and is considering policy measures, including financial incentives, to encourage the establishment of CLS facilities along Gujarat’s coastline.Cable landing stations, the critical gateways that connect undersea internet cables to terrestrial networks, are set to become the state govt’s next focus as it seeks to strengthen the ecosystem around its recently announced data centre policy.“Companies investing in large data centres are also keen on developing cable landing stations,” said a govt official.The official said that, if required, dedicated incentives for CLS projects could be incorporated into the recently announced data centre policy.“India currently has around 14 cable landing stations, concentrated mainly in Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. Gujarat, despite having the country’s longest coastline and emerging as a major destination for digital infrastructure investments, does not have a single cable landing station,” said the official.Cable landing stations are usually established near the coast, where undersea fibre-optic cables make landfall before connecting to terrestrial telecom and internet networks. Their presence significantly improves international connectivity, reduces latency and enhances network resilience — factors that are increasingly important for hyperscale data centres, cloud service providers, and digital businesses.
