Who approves a data center, what its power costs and how it is allocated, which tax breaks apply, where data must stay and what water rules bind. Every rule carries its status, its date and a source. Countries are added as they are researched.
Since about mid-2024 Malaysia has stopped approving new data centres that do not serve AI or high-technology use, according to the Prime Minister. Every new project now needs clearance from a federal Data Centre Task Force, and that clearance depends on spare power and water. Johor hosts most of the country's capacity and has paused new water-cooled builds until about mid-2027.
Singapore controls data centre growth by handing out power in competitive government calls. The latest round in August 2026 gave 200MW at a new Jurong Island park to four operators, on condition that each site is highly efficient and draws at least half its power from green sources. A Digital Infrastructure Bill, first read in Parliament on 8 September 2026, would require a licence for every data centre of 3MW or more and is waiting for its Second Reading.
Thailand has frozen its data centre pipeline while it rewrites the rules. On 4 September 2026 a new Cabinet-level board paused construction on 49 projects and froze approvals for 117 more. New standards on building definition, zoning, power tariffs, water and fuel storage are being finalised in October 2026. Until those standards are approved and published, no new project should expect permits, utility connections or BOI approval.
India has no national data centre policy in force, so each state sets its own terms on land, power and incentives. Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka all issued new or expanded data centre policies in 2026, and most now tie support to renewable power or efficiency targets. The largest national change is the data protection regime, which brings most obligations and the cross-border transfer rules into force on 13 May 2027.