The rapid growth in demand for computing power for cloud services and artificial intelligence has encountered an unexpected problem. Russian data centers are not yet considered industrial facilities, which prevents the industry from fully utilizing a number of state support measures.
According to Forbes, Rostelecom's subsidiary, "Data Storage Center" (RTK-TsOD), proposed to the Ministry of Industry and Trade to amend the law "On Industrial Policy." The initiative will allow the mechanism of special investment contracts (SPIC) to be extended to data center projects, which provides for tax benefits and other support measures for large investors.
In addition, the industry proposes to enshrine the concept of data centers in several regulatory acts, as well as to consider preferential provision of land plots, special electricity tariffs, and the possibility of direct connection to generating capacities.
The main goal of the initiative is to recognize the construction and operation of data centers as part of the industrial infrastructure. This is especially important for projects focused on using Russian equipment and software. Industry representatives also propose establishing localization requirements that should gradually reach 80–90%.
Experts warn that without legislative changes, investors may face tax risks. If data centers continue to be classified exclusively as information services, tax authorities may refuse to apply the benefits provided for industrial production.
The development of data centers is becoming one of the key tasks of the digital economy: these facilities ensure the operation of cloud platforms, artificial intelligence services, state information systems, and corporate infrastructure.