Building critical infrastructure teaches you one thing very early: safety is not a function you add later – it is a decision you make from the very first day.
When you build systems that power businesses, economies, and increasingly, nations, there is no margin for compromise. Availability, reliability, and scale matter, but none of them mean anything if the people building and operating that infrastructure are not protected, empowered, and cared for.
At CtrlS, safety has never been treated as a compliance requirement or an operational checkbox. It has always been a core belief, one that shapes how we design our datacenters, how we run our sites, how leaders take decisions, and how every individual is encouraged to act, even when no one is watching.
Safety as a Cultural Choice
In the early years of CtrlS, India’s digital infrastructure ecosystem was still evolving. Downtime was accepted. Standards varied. Predictability was rare.
From the outset, we chose to build differently.
We believed that world-class infrastructure cannot exist without world-class safety practices. That belief influenced everything, from engineering design and vendor selection to site discipline and leadership accountability. Safety was not assigned to a department; it was embedded into the DNA of how the organization functioned.
Over time, this philosophy evolved into a culture where people are not just trained to follow rules, but empowered to take responsibility, for themselves, for their colleagues, and for the environment around them.
It is this consistency, sustained over years, that recently led to our Mumbai Datacenter Campus being recognised with the Sword of Honour by the British Safety Council.
Making Safety Everyone’s Responsibility
As we scaled, our approach to Environment, Health, Safety, and Well-being (EHS&W) matured from meeting statutory requirements to building a comprehensive, globally aligned EHS management system.
Clear operating procedures, structured risk controls, emergency preparedness frameworks, and regular audits created the foundation. But systems alone do not create safety. People do.
We made a conscious decision to build a culture where employees, contractors, and partners are equally empowered and accountable for safety, on site and in everyday operations.
This means:
- Unsafe acts can be called out without hesitation, regardless of role or hierarchy
- Work can be stopped immediately if conditions are unsafe
- Choosing safety over speed carries no negative consequences
- Negligence toward safety is treated with zero tolerance
This clarity has helped us build an environment of trust and accountability, where safety is not enforced top-down, but owned collectively by everyone who works on or with our campuses.
Leading by Example
A safety-first culture cannot exist unless leadership demonstrates it consistently.
At CtrlS, EHS is not reviewed only after incidents or audits. It is part of everyday decision-making, whether we are planning expansions, introducing new technologies, or executing complex projects under tight timelines.
We have invested heavily in leadership capability building, ensuring our leaders are equipped to balance growth with responsibility. Structured leadership development programs and specialized EHS training have strengthened decision-making, accountability, and communication across levels.
Because when leaders take safety seriously, the organization follows.
Using Technology to Protect People
As a company building AI-ready, hyperscale infrastructure, we also believe in applying technology thoughtfully to strengthen safety outcomes.
Digital tools have become powerful enablers of our EHS strategy:
- Virtual reality–based training helps teams experience and prepare for high-risk scenarios before they encounter them in real environments
- AI-enabled surveillance and analytics improve situational awareness by identifying unsafe practices and access violations in real time
- QR-based reporting systems allow instant reporting of near-misses, unsafe acts, and observations, encouraging proactive intervention
- Wearable-enabled health monitoring supports preventive care and early detection
Engineering for Safety, Not Just Scale
Datacenters are among the most complex built environments, with high-risk electrical systems, dense equipment, and continuous operations.
Our facilities are engineered with this reality in mind, from advanced fire detection and suppression systems to stringent electrical safety protocols, certified personnel, and regular preventive audits. Emergency drills, readiness assessments, and scenario testing are conducted periodically to ensure teams are prepared not just on paper, but in practice.
Preparedness is not an annual exercise. It is a continuous discipline.
Caring for People, Not Just Systems
True safety extends beyond physical risk.
At CtrlS, employee well-being, physical, mental, and emotional, is treated as a critical pillar of sustainable performance. Regular health check-ups, stress-management programs, mindfulness initiatives, and dedicated recreation spaces are designed to create a healthier, more resilient workforce.
Recognition programs, engagement initiatives, and long-service awards further reinforce a culture where people feel valued, respected, and supported.
Because people who feel cared for make safer choices.
Sustainability and Safety Go Hand in Hand
Our approach to EHS is closely linked with our commitment to sustainability.
From transitioning our datacenters to renewable energy through GreenVolt, to eliminating single-use plastics, implementing responsible waste management, and enforcing disciplined chemical handling, we view environmental responsibility as an extension of safety- not a separate agenda.
Protecting people and protecting the environment are deeply interconnected responsibilities.
Recognition as Responsibility:
CtrlS received the Sword of Honour and Sector-Specific Award from the British Safety Council
Recently, our Mumbai Datacenter Campus was awarded the Sword of Honour by the British Safety Council (BSC) – one of the most rigorous and globally respected recognitions in occupational health, safety, and environmental management. Alongside this, CtrlS also received the Sword of Honour – Sector-Specific Award.
What makes this recognition particularly meaningful is the process behind it.
The Sword of Honour follows an independent, in-depth evaluation across more than a hundred parameters, spanning leadership commitment, governance, risk management, workforce engagement, and safety culture. As a prerequisite, organizations must first secure a Five-Star rating in BSC’s Occupational Health & Safety Audit, which itself represents a demanding global benchmark.
Our Mumbai campus achieved this Five-Star rating on the very first attempt, without external training support, gap assessments, or hand-holding. This placed CtrlS among the top-performing organizations globally and made us the first datacenter in India to receive the Sword of Honour.
For us, however, this is not just a moment of celebration – it is a moment of reaffirmation.
It reaffirms that when safety is treated as a foundational decision, embedded into leadership behaviour, operational discipline, and everyday choices, excellence follows naturally. More importantly, it reminds us that safety standards are not upheld for audits or recognition; they must be upheld every single day, long after recognition fades.
The Sword of Honour is not a finish line. It is a responsibility, to stay vigilant, to keep raising the bar, and to ensure that as we scale India’s digital infrastructure for the AI era, we do so with safety, care, and accountability at the core.
The Road Ahead
As India accelerates toward an AI-driven future, the scale and complexity of digital infrastructure will continue to grow. So will the responsibility that comes with building it.
At CtrlS, we remain committed to one simple principle: growth will never come at the cost of safety.
We will continue to invest in people, systems, and technologies that protect life, strengthen preparedness, and build trust. Because in critical infrastructure, safety is not a milestone to achieve – it is a promise to keep.
Sridhar Pinnapureddy, Founder & CEO, CtrlS Datacenters
A first-generation entrepreneur, Sridhar Pinnapureddy has founded and built to scale several companies in the areas of cloud computing, IT infrastructure, Internet services, green energy, and software development. Under his leadership, CtrlS boasts of creating the world’s largest Rated-4 datacenter footprint with 15 certified operational datacenters and many more in various stages of development, taking the overall capacity to over 1,000 MW.
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