Lightstorm has secured a ₹2,500 crore, 10‑year debt facility from IndusInd Bank. The loan will help the company expand its fibre network for AI infrastructure as hyperscalers invest in data centres and GPU clusters across India.
The loan will fund the new “AI Superhighway”, a terrestrial fibre system that connects AI and data‑centre hubs in India and reaches Singapore and Malaysia through the I‑2SEA subsea cable. Part of the facility may also refinance existing debt.
Lightstorm aims for the network to cover roughly 60 % of India’s data‑centre footprint. The company plans to create AI zones in major cities and link them to Southeast Asia’s hyperscale hubs.
“There is a lot of talk about data‑centre investment, but not about the digital grid that ties them together,” said CEO Amajit Gupta. He added that this is the first major fundraise for AI fibre infrastructure.
Gupta explained that AI workloads need a different network design. Models run across GPU clusters using parallel processing, so low latency and predictable performance are crucial.
“Artificial intelligence is a distinct application compared to the internet or cloud,” he said. The business model for AI depends on factors such as “time to token” and processing speed.
He expects AI infrastructure to become more distributed, similar to how cloud computing evolved from single‑cloud to hybrid and multi‑cloud setups. Multiple large‑language‑model providers and specialised GPU clusters will be spread across many cities.
Lightstorm’s strategy also covers regional connectivity. The I‑2SEA subsea cable will link Indian AI nodes with Singapore and Malaysia, creating a high‑capacity route to Southeast Asia’s hyperscale markets.
The company currently operates over 30,000 km of terrestrial fibre, 21,000 km of subsea fibre, and connects more than 100 data centres worldwide. The new investment will speed up expansion in markets where AI demand is growing fast.
Last year Lightstorm raised ₹700 crore from NIIF Infrastructure Finance Limited. Gupta said that loan is likely to be refinanced under the new IndusInd Bank facility.
He said choosing debt over equity shows Lightstorm’s strong balance sheet. “The ability to raise a large loan for new AI infrastructure demonstrates our financial solidity,” he said.
The company may still consider equity or additional debt if bigger growth opportunities arise. For now, the facility is mainly growth capital.
Gupta declined to comment on IPO plans, stating that updates will come when there is something concrete to share.