Lightstorm launches India’s AI Superhighway to SE Asia; Secures ₹2,500 cr debt facility from IndusInd Bank
As India emerges as one of the fastest growing AI markets, Lightstorm today announced the launch of India’s ‘AI superhighway’ – a utility-grade, deep trenched, high-capacity fibre network spanning domestically across the southern corridor connecting India’s AI zones and extending internationally to Singapore and Malaysia via I-2SEA subsea cable system.
To support this next phase of growth, the company (rated CARE AA- with a stable outlook), has secured a ₹2,500 crore debt facility led by IndusInd Bank a major investment in digital infrastructure designed to position India at the centre of Asia Pacific’s AI connectivity landscape. The facility carries a 10-year tenor and is on a fully underwritten basis.
India is fast becoming one of the world’s most important AI compute markets. Hyperscalers are deploying data centres and GPU clusters across the country at an accelerating pace, and the infrastructure connecting that compute must match the ambition.
Lightstorm is building exactly that foundation through India’s AI Superhighway, a high-capacity, deep trenched fibre network engineered for the low latency, and deterministic performance that AI workloads demand. Extending beyond India’s borders through the I-2SEA subsea cable system, the network creates a direct, high-capacity route linking Indian AI infrastructure to the hyperscale hubs of Singapore and Malaysia.
Lightstorm’s network already serves as the connectivity layer of choice for the world’s leading hyperscalers operating in India, spanning 30,000+ km of terrestrial fibre, 21,000+ km of subsea fibre, and 100+ connected data centres globally. This investment accelerates the next phase of that buildout, scaling domestically and extending the network’s reach across the region to meet demand where it is growing fastest.
Scott McGibbony, Group Chief Financial Officer, Lightstorm said: “India is building the compute infrastructure of the AI era, and the network connecting that compute needs to be built to the same standard: purpose-built, performance-guaranteed, and designed to scale. The AI superhighway we are creating spans the length and breadth of India and reaches internationally into Southeast Asia, giving hyperscalers and enterprises a single, high-performance connectivity layer from the subcontinent to the region’s major AI hubs. This facility gives us the capital to accelerate that build with conviction. IndusInd Bank has backed this with a fully underwritten, long-tenor facility that reflects genuine confidence in what we are building and the scale of the opportunity ahead.”
Niraj Shah, Head – Corporate & Institutional Banking, Gems & Jewellery, IndusInd Bank said: “IndusInd Bank is pleased to partner with Lightstorm in its mission to build India’s AI Superhighway and strengthen the country’s position as a leading digital and AI infrastructure hub. As India accelerates its investments in AI, cloud computing, and hyperscale data centres, robust and future-ready connectivity infrastructure will be critical to supporting this transformation. Lightstorm’s vision of creating a high-capacity, low-latency network connecting India’s key AI corridors with rest of the world aligns strongly with the next phase of the region’s digital growth. Through our Rs. 2,500 crore fully underwritten long-term debt facility, we are proud to support the development of infrastructure that will enable seamless data flows, foster innovation, and enhance India’s competitiveness in the global digital economy. This partnership reflects IndusInd Bank’s commitment to backing businesses that are building strategic infrastructure for the future and contributing to the country’s technology-led growth agenda.”
