Highlights

• Vertiv has deployed a direct-to-chip high-density liquid-cooling system at CLDC Mumbai 01 in Airoli, Navi Mumbai.
• The installation is designed to support 30 MW of AI workloads for an unnamed hyperscale customer.
• The system uses Vertiv’s closed-loop Secondary Fluid Network (SFN) technology.
• Vertiv developed local production capability for manufacturing customised technology-loop skids.
• Installation procedures, system balancing and Level 4 testing were completed before the system was cleared for live workloads.

Vertiv Completes High-Density Cooling Deployment in Navi Mumbai

Vertiv has delivered a direct-to-chip high-density liquid-cooling system at CapitaLand India Trust’s CLDC Mumbai 01 data centre in Airoli, Navi Mumbai. The installation is designed to support 30 megawatts (MW) of AI workloads for an unnamed hyperscale customer, addressing the thermal-management requirements of increasingly dense computing infrastructure.

Announced on October 12, 2026, the project uses Vertiv’s Secondary Fluid Network (SFN) technology. Vertiv describes the installation as India’s first direct-to-chip high-density liquid-cooling deployment, a claim that has not been independently established by the announcement. The project also demonstrates how data-centre infrastructure providers are building engineering and manufacturing capabilities to support the next generation of AI facilities. (Vertiv announcement)

The 30 MW figure represents the AI workload capacity the cooling deployment is intended to support. It should not be interpreted as independently verified live utilisation or as a measurement of the amount of heat removed by the liquid-cooling system.

Why AI Data Centres Are Turning to Liquid Cooling

AI workloads place growing demands on data-centre power and thermal infrastructure. Accelerators used for model training and inference can concentrate substantial computing power in individual racks, increasing the amount of heat that must be removed reliably.

Traditional air cooling remains important across data centres, but its effectiveness can become constrained as equipment density rises. Direct-to-chip liquid cooling addresses this challenge by circulating coolant through cold plates positioned close to heat-generating components. The heat is transferred through a liquid circuit to the facility’s wider cooling infrastructure.

This approach can support high-density computing configurations that are more difficult to accommodate with air cooling alone. It also places greater emphasis on fluid distribution, contamination control, system balancing and commissioning, because the cooling network becomes an integral part of the computing environment.

For hyperscale operators, the objective is not simply to install a more advanced cooling system. The infrastructure must operate consistently alongside servers, power systems and facility controls, without compromising reliability or maintainability.

Vertiv’s Secondary Fluid Network Connects Facility Cooling to Chips

Vertiv’s SFN system uses a closed-loop network to carry coolant from the facility’s cooling infrastructure towards the chip-level cooling circuit. The arrangement provides the fluid infrastructure needed to transfer heat away from high-density computing equipment.

The company manufactured, tested and commissioned customised technology-loop skids for the project. These assemblies form part of the cooling system and must be integrated carefully with the data centre’s wider infrastructure.

Vertiv also worked with CapitaLand Investment, which owns and operates CLDC Mumbai, to establish installation and commissioning procedures intended to minimise dust entering the technology loop during installation. Protecting sensitive cooling components from contamination is important when introducing liquid-cooling equipment into a live or near-operational data-centre environment.

After installation, Vertiv demonstrated technology-loop balancing using its SFN-Tab kits. The company then conducted comprehensive Level 4 testing at the facility to validate system performance before the deployment was cleared to support live IT workloads. (Express Computer)

These commissioning steps are significant because the performance of a liquid-cooling installation depends on more than the equipment specifications. Fluid distribution, system integration and operating conditions all influence how reliably cooling capacity can be delivered across a deployment.

Local Manufacturing Capability Supports Future Deployments

The project also prompted Vertiv to establish production capability for manufacturing customised technology-loop skids at scale. The facility was designed to support larger deployments while protecting sensitive components from contamination.

Vertiv India Managing Director Subhasis Majumdar said the collaboration with CapitaLand Investment helped accelerate the development of the company’s manufacturing and engineering capabilities. The company sees increasing demand for high-density liquid cooling as hyperscale and AI-focused data centres expand in India.

Local production capability could help Vertiv adapt equipment to project-specific requirements and prepare for future installations. However, the announcement did not disclose the facility’s investment value, production capacity, additional headcount or the number of future deployments it is expected to support.

The project therefore represents both a customer deployment and an opportunity for Vertiv to develop the operational processes required for more complex liquid-cooling installations.

What the Deployment Means for India’s AI Infrastructure

India’s AI infrastructure ambitions depend on more than access to advanced processors. Data centres must also secure sufficient power, deploy suitable cooling technologies and integrate these systems into facilities capable of supporting demanding workloads.

Liquid cooling is becoming an increasingly important consideration as operators plan higher-density AI infrastructure. Its adoption requires coordination between cooling specialists, data-centre developers, equipment manufacturers and the teams responsible for operating critical facilities.

The Vertiv–CapitaLand project provides a concrete example of that coordination. The partners worked across design, manufacturing, installation and commissioning to prepare the cooling infrastructure for the intended AI workload.

The hyperscale customer has not been identified, and the announcement does not disclose contract value, measured energy savings, water-consumption results or comparative cooling-efficiency figures. Those details will be important for assessing the deployment’s operational and commercial impact beyond its stated capacity.

Cooling Becomes a Strategic Part of AI Data-Centre Design

As AI computing requirements increase, thermal management is becoming a strategic infrastructure decision rather than a secondary facility consideration. Cooling architectures influence how densely computing equipment can be deployed and how effectively data centres manage the heat generated by high-performance workloads.

Vertiv’s Navi Mumbai installation highlights the engineering work involved in bringing direct-to-chip liquid cooling into a large-scale data-centre environment. The combination of a closed-loop SFN system, customised manufacturing, controlled installation procedures and pre-go-live testing illustrates the practical requirements of deploying the technology.

The next measure of progress will be how the system performs under operating conditions and whether the approach can be replicated across additional AI facilities. For India’s data-centre ecosystem, projects of this kind point to a growing need for specialised cooling infrastructure, local engineering expertise and closer collaboration between technology providers and facility operators.

https://www.konsulteer.com/article/vertiv-deploys-30-mw-liquid-cooling-system-for-ai-data-centre-in-navi-mumbai?shem=aimgspe,