Big Tech’s AI spending spree: Why Sterlite Tech could be the hidden winner
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Global data centre capacity will more than double to 219 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, from 82 GW in 2025, as per global consulting firm McKinsey's estimates. Of this, 156 GW alone will come from artificial intelligence (AI)-related workloads.
The expansion will require substantial capital expenditure and is projected to drive demand across allied sectors, including fibres and cables, cooling systems, and power infrastructure. Most of this expansion will be driven by hyperscalers such as Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta. In fact, they have announced cumulative capex of $640 billion in 2026 to date, up from $430 billion in 2025.
This acceleration in AI-led infrastructure spending is creating a structural demand tailwind for companies embedded deep within the digital connectivity value chain. However, not all fibre manufacturers will benefit equally. The key differentiator will be technological capability, geographic positioning, and the ability to supply high-fibre-density solutions required in GPU-intensive AI clusters.
In this context, Sterlite Technologies' positioning in optical fibre preforms and its localised North American manufacturing align it structurally with the AI infrastructure cycle. The company's share price has also surged 63% over the past month following announcements by hyperscalers of capex plans and tariff reductions. Sterlite Technologies Ltd (STL), part of the Vedanta Group, is a global optical and digital connectivity company.
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