Fire NOC for a data centre: E-II rules, server rooms, batteries, DG sets and state policies

Fire NOC for a data centre at a glance: 12 facts

Data centre fire NOC lines beside state data centre policies: 18 states

How to get a fire NOC for a data centre: 10 steps

1. 1

   Fix the class and the state line

   Treat the building as Group E business: E-3 in NBC 2016, E-II in NBCS 2026. Then read your state's business line in the table above; a server room inside an office follows the office building.

2. 2

   Run the fire risk assessment at concept

   Annex F wants one at planning and again during operation, covering ignition sources, fire load, electrical risks and HVAC.

3. 3

   Plan the envelope and compartments

   Type 1 construction only, at most 2 basements, 2-hour rooms for server, UPS, battery and network equipment, and 2,000 m² sprinklered compartments.

4. 4

   Place the batteries and the DG sets

   No battery, UPS or fuel rooms in basements; batteries behind 120 minute construction; DG sets at ground or first basement, or stacked beside the building as Annex F allows.

5. 5

   Choose detection and suppression room by room

   Use Table 9: aspirating smoke detection and clean agent or pre-action sprinklers for data halls; pre-action or water spray, never clean agent or mist, for lithium-ion battery rooms.

6. 6

   Size the water and pumps by calculation

   Every data centre row in Table 7E needs a wet riser, yard hydrant and sprinklers; a cluster of up to 3 buildings may share pumps with an added diesel pump and double storage.

7. 7

   Apply for the fire scheme with the building plan

   Haryana's policy promises the Fire Fighting Scheme within 10 working days through HEPB; elsewhere apply on the state fire portal with the drawings the documents page lists.

8. 8

   Take the petroleum and electrical permissions

   Diesel above the licence-free limits needs a licence from the District Authority or PESO; battery systems answer to the Electrical Inspector, and from 1 April 2027 to the CEA BESS chapter.

9. 9

   Test, then apply for the certificate before go-live

   Install, test and commission the systems; the fire officer inspects before the certificate or Occupation Certificate is issued.

10. 10

    Diary renewals, filings and audits

    Uttar Pradesh renews every 3 years, Odisha every 2, Maharashtra files Form B each January and July, and BESS above 650 V needs a third-party fire audit within 3 months of 1 April 2027.

Where a data centre sits in the codes: E-3, E-II and Annex F

Both national codes put a data centre in Group E, business. NBCS 2026 is the first to give it a subdivision of its own and an annex of rules.

EE-3, NBC 2016 clause 3.1.6

Electronic data processing centres, computer installations, IT parks and call centres share one subdivision with people-heavy IT offices. 5BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4

NNBC 2016 clause 6.5.2(b)

For E-3, E-4 and E-5: automatic detection and alarm, with clean agents, mist or hypoxic air for special locations and CO2 or inert gas flooding for electrical panels. 5BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4

EE-I, NBCS 2026

Business buildings that people occupy: offices, labs, IT parks, call centres. 1NBCS 2026 Annex F

EE-II, NBCS 2026

Datacentres as a machine environment, classed by primary use, scale and the process equipment inside. 1NBCS 2026 Annex F

AAnnex F, NBCS 2026

Requirements for data centres in 9 clauses: risk assessment, construction, detection, suppression, electrical and HVAC, egress, seismic bracing, security and optional energy indicators. 1NBCS 2026 Annex F

DData hall

The rack space. Table 2 plans it at 50 m² gross a person against 10 m² for the admin areas. 4NBCS 2026 Tables 2, 4, 6

BBBU

A backup battery unit inside the rack. Table 7E Notes 10 and 12 turn on whether a rack's lithium-ion BBU exceeds 20 kWh. 2NBCS 2026 Table 7E

CCL-6

The protection level Note 11 asks of internet, hyperscale and colocation data centres, and Note 14 of any building with lithium-ion storage over 600 kWh a floor. 2NBCS 2026 Table 7E

BBattery energy storage system

In the CEA's 2026 amendment, a stationary system connected to the electricity system that stores energy electrochemically, with its power conversion and battery management. 14CEA

NBCS 2026 Annex F for data centres: 16 points to design to

Annex F and Table 7E, paraphrased clause by clause. NBCS 2026 is voluntary unless your state or a rule like UP's OSH rule 12 brings it in.

Server, UPS and battery room protection in NBCS 2026 Table 9

Table 9 marks each detection and suppression system suitable (S) or not suitable (NS) for each room type. These are the 5 rows a data centre uses, read off the page image.

Every row marks fuel leak detection, linear heat sensing cable, modular rack suppression with heat-sensitive tubing, wet chemical and aerosol systems NS. Server rooms and network rooms mark gas, flame and video detection NS. Table 9's title says A to F occupancies while clause 5.4 speaks of G to J; the rows are the same either way. Clause 4.5.3.2 separately asks every server, UPS, battery, network and telecom room to be enclosed in 2-hour construction whatever its size.

Data centre fire limits in NBCS 2026: 14 numbers

The figures NBCS 2026 sets for data centre buildings, read off the page images of Tables 2, 4, 6 and 7E and Annex F.

• 20 m² a person

  Gross occupant load for a data centre building (Table 2); general business is 7.1 m² net 4NBCS 2026 Tables 2, 4, 6

• 50 m² a person

  Gross occupant load in data halls, server and equipment rooms 4NBCS 2026 Tables 2, 4, 6

• 10 m² a person

  Gross occupant load in a data centre's admin areas 4NBCS 2026 Tables 2, 4, 6

• 60 m

  Longest travel to an exit in a sprinklered data centre building; Table 4 gives no unsprinklered figure 4NBCS 2026 Tables 2, 4, 6

• 2,000 m²

  Largest sprinklered compartment in a data centre building (Table 6); it must be sprinklered to have one 4NBCS 2026 Tables 2, 4, 6

• 2 hours

  Fire rating for every server, UPS, battery and network room, whatever its size (4.5.3.2) 4NBCS 2026 Tables 2, 4, 6

• 120 minutes

  Fire-rated construction round battery rooms (F-5.2) 1NBCS 2026 Annex F

• 1.5 m

  Least width of each of the 2 pressurised staircases (F-6.2) 1NBCS 2026 Annex F

• 2 basements

  Most a data centre should have, none larger in total than the ground floor (F-2.4) 1NBCS 2026 Annex F

• 60 %

  Ground coverage Annex F suggests as the ceiling (F-2.7); UP's policy allows the same 1NBCS 2026 Annex F

• 5 generators

  How many DG sets Annex F suggests may be stacked beside the building (F-5.1) 1NBCS 2026 Annex F

• 3 buildings

  Cluster of data centres that may share pumps and storage with an added diesel pump and double water (Note 13) 2NBCS 2026 Table 7E

• 1,000 m²

  Floor area that splits Table 7E's data centre rows; both bands ask the same systems 2NBCS 2026 Table 7E

• 1 car space

  Per 100 m² of the admin building (F-2.5); the data centre block is planned by trucks 1NBCS 2026 Annex F

Lithium-ion batteries in a data centre: 6 rules, rack to BESS

Lithium-ion appears at 4 scales in a data centre: in the rack, in a battery room, across a floor, and as grid-connected storage. Each has its own rule.

Fire clauses in 4 states' data centre policies

Flamekite read 6 official instruments from Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Haryana and Odisha. They relax building norms and speed approvals; none waives the fire NOC.

• Uttar Pradesh, G.O. 536 of 9 July 2026

  UP Data Centre Policy 2026

  5 years; repeals the 2021 policy. FAR 3.0 free plus 1.0 chargeable, DG space outside FAR, single-floor height unrestricted subject to structural and fire safety rules, and multi-level DG stacking only with a Fire Safety Department NOC. 9UP DC Policy 2026

• Uttar Pradesh, 2021 as amended in 2022

  UP Data Center Policy 2021

  The same DG stacking clause, and a special task force with the Fire Safety department to suggest better regulatory norms. Windows allowed only with modern fire-fighting equipment installed. 10UP DC Policy 2021

• Tamil Nadu, G.O.(Ms.) No. 33 of 23 November 2021

  Data Centre Policy of Tamil Nadu 2021

  A separate data centre category under TNCDBR 2019; DG stacking structures up to G+5 subject to clearances; windows up to 5% of the facade within building and fire safety rules. It covered data centres incorporated by 31 March 2026. 11TN DC Policy 2021

• Haryana, 7 July 2022

  Haryana State Data Center Policy 2022

  Valid 7 years. Building plan, temporary power, Fire Fighting Scheme and consent to establish within 10 working days; Occupation Certificate, permanent power and consent to operate within 15, through HEPB's Single Roof Clearance System. 12Haryana DC Policy 2022

• Haryana, Gazette of 22 November 2023

  Data centres as an infrastructure industry

  Data centres under the 2022 policy declared a separate Infrastructure Industry by notification No. 02/13/2023-4IB-II. 20Haryana Gazette

• Odisha, 2022

  Odisha Data Centre Policy 2022

  No fire clause; it lists fire detection and control among a data centre's physical infrastructure, refunds 50% of building fees up to Rs 2 lakh, and treats data centres as essential services. 13Odisha DC Policy 2022

Uttar Pradesh's rule on stacked DG sets at data centres

Both of Uttar Pradesh's data centre policies tie stacked generators to the fire service. Para 8.3(vii) of the 2026 policy reads:

The 2021 policy carried the same words at para 8.3(ix). Tamil Nadu's 2021 policy allows DG stacking structures up to G+5 "subject to necessary clearances and orders of the Government" without naming the fire service. NBCS 2026 Annex F suggests up to 5 stacked generators beside the building with the maker's advice, while its clause 3.5.5.4 keeps DG sets inside a building to the ground floor or first basement.

DG sets and diesel tanks at a data centre: 5 dos and 4 don'ts

From NBCS 2026 clause 3.5.5.4 and Annex F, Uttar Pradesh's policy and PESO's Petroleum Rules SOP. Each line names its source.

Does your data centre or server room need a fire NOC? 12 cases

Find the first line that fits. A data centre crosses the same line as any business building in its state; a server room follows the building it sits in.

1. If Uttar Pradesh, any data centre

   Yes: section 26(3) covers every business building; below 10 m and 500 m² no agency certificate is needed. Fire NOC UP 21UP Rules 2024

2. If Delhi, over 15 m or 5 storeys

   Yes, under Rule 27; certificates run 3 years for non-residential buildings until 20 May 2027. Fire NOC Delhi 22DFS

3. If Haryana or Chandigarh, a floor over 500 m²

   Yes, as a special building at any height: scheme first, then the certificate. Fire NOC Haryana 18Government of Haryana

4. If Karnataka, 21 m or more

   Yes, the section 13(3) NOC; lower buildings fall outside the state's line. Fire NOC Karnataka 23Government of Karnataka

5. If Telangana, above 15 m

   Yes; business buildings sit in risk class R3. Fire NOC Telangana 24TSDRFS circular 2016

6. If Odisha, 12 m or 500 m² built-up

   Yes: a Fire Safety Recommendation, then the certificate for 2 years. Fire NOC Odisha 25Odisha Rules 2019

7. If Rajasthan, 9 m or a floor over 500 m²

   Yes, with fees by square foot, generally every year. Fire NOC Rajasthan 26Rajasthan UDH

8. If Kerala, over 1,000 m² or over 15 m

   Yes; 300 to 1,000 m² files an Appendix L self-declaration. Fire NOC Kerala 27KMBR amendment 2025

9. If Maharashtra, any height

   Schedule-I applies at every height and Form B goes in each January and July. Fire NOC Maharashtra 28Amendment Act 2023

10. If A UP data centre of 5 floors or 20 m

    Besides the certificate, OSH rule 12 binds the employer or owner to NBCS 2026 Part F, which carries Annex F. OSH Code 2020 8UP Gazette

11. If A server room inside an office building

    No separate NOC: the office building's certificate covers it, but NBCS asks a 2-hour enclosure and Table 9 systems. Fire NOC for Office 4NBCS 2026 Tables 2, 4, 6

12. If Below every line in your state

    No certificate, but extinguishers, detection and the building's own fire rules still apply; check with the free checker. Do I need a fire NOC? 2NBCS 2026 Table 7E

Data centre fire NOC fees in 10 official schedules

A data centre pays the business or non-residential rate where a state publishes one. Each line is from an official schedule; vendors' and consultants' charges are not shown.

What a data centre risks without fire clearance: 8 penalties

A data centre answers to the fire law, to the petroleum law for its diesel and, as an employer, to the OSH Code. Each line names the law that sets it.

Every state's penalty ladder is on the fire NOC penalties page.

Data centre fire NOC worked cases: 8 facilities

Each case applies the instruments to a described facility. They are Flamekite's worked examples, not decisions of any fire service.

1. Case 1

   A 12 MW colocation building in Greater Noida

   6 floors, 30 m, lithium-ion UPS rooms.

   What applies A UP fire certificate for 3 years at any size, a data centre unit under the 2026 policy (over 2 MW, under 40 MW), a fire NOC before any stacked DG sets, and OSH rule 12 bringing in NBCS Part F at 20 m. 9UP DC Policy 2026

2. Case 2

   A 20 MW campus in Gurugram, 2,500 m² a floor

   4 floors on a 4 acre plot.

   What applies A floor over 500 m², so a special building: the Fire Fighting Scheme is promised within 10 working days and the Occupation Certificate within 15 under the 2022 policy. 12Haryana DC Policy 2022

3. Case 3

   A 24 m data centre in Bengaluru, 20,000 m² built up

   Non-residential high-rise.

   What applies 21 m or more, so a section 13(3) NOC: 20,000 x Rs 60 = Rs 12,00,000, above the Rs 5,00,000 floor. 29Seva Sindhu

4. Case 4

   A 14 m edge site in Hyderabad

   Ground plus 2, 600 m² a floor, 1 MW.

   What applies Below Telangana's 15 m business line, so no NOC under the 2016 circular; Table 7E would still ask a wet riser, hydrant and sprinklers. 24TSDRFS circular 2016

5. Case 5

   A 6,000 m² data centre in Bhubaneswar

   3 floors, 15 m.

   What applies Over 12 m: a Fire Safety Recommendation and a certificate at Rs 2 per m², Rs 12,000 each, renewed every 2 years. 33OFES FSR service

6. Case 6

   A 30 m data centre in Chennai

   Built under the 2021 policy, DG structure of ground plus 3.

   What applies Above 18.3 m, the Director's NOC with no fee; the policy allowed DG stacking to G+5 subject to clearances. 11TN DC Policy 2021

7. Case 7

   A 40 m² server room on an office floor in Kolkata

   Inside a 20 m office building.

   What applies No separate NOC; the building's certificate covers it. NBCS asks a 2-hour enclosure, and Table 9 points to aspirating detection with clean agent or pre-action sprinklers. 3NBCS 2026 Table 9

8. Case 8

   A floor with 800 kWh of lithium-ion storage

   A battery hall serving the UPS.

   What applies Over 600 kWh a floor: the building complies with CL-6 (Note 14); the battery room takes pre-action sprinklers only, with no clean agent or water mist. 2NBCS 2026 Table 7E

Where data centres fail on fire safety, and the fix: 8 cases

Faults the codes and policies anticipate in data centres, each with the clause that answers it.

Data centre fire safety myths, checked against NBCS 2026

6 claims repeated online, including in the top search result, and what the instruments say.

• You may have read

  NBCS 2026's data centre rules start at 15 m or 750 m² on a floor.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  Table 7E's data centre rows start below 15 m with floors up to 1,000 m², and ask the same systems at every size; Flamekite found no 750 m² line in Table 7E or Annex F. 2NBCS 2026 Table 7E

• You may have read

  A data centre's admin area is planned at 7.1 m² a person.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  Table 2 gives 7.1 m² net for business in general, but 10 m² gross for a data centre's admin areas and 20 m² gross for the building. 4NBCS 2026 Tables 2, 4, 6

• You may have read

  Sprinklers are never allowed in a data hall.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  Every data centre row in Table 7E asks wet sprinklers, and Table 9 marks pre-action sprinklers and water mist suitable for server rooms. 3NBCS 2026 Table 9

• You may have read

  Clean agent protects every room in a data centre.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  Table 9 marks clean agent not suitable for a lithium-ion battery room, and Note 10 keeps it for data halls whose racks carry no BBU. 3NBCS 2026 Table 9

• You may have read

  A state data centre policy exempts you from the fire NOC.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  None of the 6 instruments read does: UP ties DG stacking to a fire NOC, Tamil Nadu ties windows to fire rules, and their self-certification lists cover labour Acts only. 9UP DC Policy 2026

• You may have read

  The CEA's battery storage rules already apply.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  They were gazetted on 30 March 2026 but come into force on 1 April 2027, and chapter XA's detailed rules apply to systems above 650 V. 14CEA

Data centre fire rules in India, dated: 2016 to 2027

The instruments that set or changed a data centre's fire duties, in order.

1. 5 March 2016

   Telangana's renewal circular puts business buildings above 15 m in risk class R3. 24TSDRFS circular 2016

2. 23 November 2021

   Tamil Nadu's Data Centre Policy, G.O.(Ms.) No. 33, allows DG stacking to G+5. 11TN DC Policy 2021

3. 7 July 2022

   Haryana notifies its Data Center Policy with a 10 working day Fire Fighting Scheme approval. 12Haryana DC Policy 2022

4. 11 October 2022

   Uttar Pradesh declares data centre industries an essential service. 42UP ESMA notification

5. 7 November 2022

   UP amends its 2021 policy; DG stacking stays subject to a fire NOC. 10UP DC Policy 2021

6. 22 November 2023

   Haryana declares data centres a separate infrastructure industry. 20Haryana Gazette

7. 30 March 2026

   The CEA's BESS amendment is gazetted, to come into force on 1 April 2027. 14CEA

8. 31 March 2026

   Tamil Nadu's 2021 policy stops covering newly incorporated data centres. 11TN DC Policy 2021

9. 30 April 2026

   NBC 2016 is withdrawn; NBCS 2026 brings E-II and Annex F. 43Gazette of India

10. 9 July 2026

    Uttar Pradesh notifies its Data Centre Policy 2026 and repeals the 2021 policy. 9UP DC Policy 2026

11. 27 August 2026

    UP's OSH rule 12 makes NBCS 2026 Part F binding on employers at 5 floors or 20 m. 8UP Gazette

12. 1 April 2027

    The CEA's battery storage chapter comes into force; the third-party fire audit is due within 3 months. 14CEA

The Delhi data centre fire of 5 June 2026: what was reported

From news reports, not yet an official source.

What Flamekite could not confirm about data centre fire NOCs

These 9 points are where a reader would expect an answer and no official source gave one on 25 October 2026.