How operational discipline earned AdaniConneX’s Hyderabad data center the Sword of Honour
AdaniConneX’s Hyderabad site has received the British Safety Council’s Sword of Honour. This recognition followed a detailed assessment of the facility’s Occupational health, safety, and well-being management systems and indicates a high level of operational maturity in a complex infrastructure setting.
The award acknowledges the site's ability to implement and sustain effective OHS&W systems that go beyond minimum regulatory requirements. The achievement reflects consistency in both planning and execution, and an emphasis on integrating safety throughout routine operations.
Meeting the criteria for the Sword of Honour
The Sword of Honour is awarded only to sites that first secure a five-star rating in the British Safety Council’s Occupational Health Safety Audit. This initial audit covers a wide range of factors, including leadership commitment, employee consultation, risk management, emergency preparedness, and continuous improvement.
To earn the Sword of Honour award, a site must first achieve Five Star certification and show ongoing commitment to high standards and continual improvement. Sites with no prosecutions, criminal investigations, or workplace fatalities in the past year, then submit a written application for that specific site. An independent panel of chartered Health & Safety professionals in the UK reviews the application, separate from the audit team. The final score is a combination of 40% from the audit and 60% from the written application.
A single low-band score can result in automatic disqualification. Applications within 10 percent of the pass mark receive additional scrutiny through re-evaluation by the Chief Adjudicator and a second senior reviewer.
AdaniConneX’s Hyderabad site met all required conditions, maintaining an unbroken record of workplace safety throughout its operations, including the evaluation period. This included no workplace fatalities, no prohibition notices, and no ongoing safety-related prosecutions or investigations.
According to the British Safety Council, sites that qualify for the Sword of Honour show not only strong procedural systems but also the ability to apply those systems in practice. The Hyderabad site’s compliance with both the audit and application criteria suggests consistent alignment between documented policies and operational behavior.
Operational systems and site-level execution
The Hyderabad facility is part of AdaniConneX’s broader initiative to develop a 1-gigawatt data center platform in India. As one of the early operational locations in this network, the site served as a pilot for standardizing processes, including safety and risk management.
The company uses a combination of digital tools and field-level systems to strengthen its safety framework. These include predictive analytics to identify risks, real-time platforms for incident reporting, and regular training programs for employees and strategic partners. Third-party contractors receive the same training and monitoring as direct employees, reducing variability in safety performance. Together, these systems enable proactive hazard detection and timely mitigation.
A closed feedback loop connected on-site data with management oversight. This structure has enabled visibility across critical control points and supported adjustments based on observed trends. The approach was designed to embed safety into daily operations, rather than treating it as a separate or reactive function.
Routine drills, audits, and staff engagement activities formed part of the program. These elements were implemented consistently across the workforce, including subcontractors, which ensured that safety standards were applied uniformly.
Adapting global standards to local realities
Data centers present a set of unique operational risks. These include high-voltage electrical systems, water-based cooling infrastructure, and continuous uptime requirements. Any breakdown in protocols can result in personal injury, equipment damage, or operational disruptions. Designing safety measures for such environments requires an integrated approach that addresses both routine and non-routine risks.
The audit process at the Hyderabad site involved a detailed on-site assessment by the British Safety Council. Auditors reviewed documentation, interviewed personnel across different levels, and observed live operational practices. The purpose was to determine how effectively safety protocols were embedded into routine workflows and whether there was alignment between policy and implementation.
Applying international frameworks within the Indian infrastructure context involves additional complexity. Regional regulatory variations, climate differences, and workforce characteristics can all affect implementation. In this setting, the ability to adapt global protocols to local conditions is an important capability. The Hyderabad site’s performance indicates that such alignment was achieved.
The British Safety Council has progressively raised its standards for recognition. The current framework emphasises independent verification, strong evidence, and measurable outcomes. This shift has positioned the Sword of Honour not just as a mark of compliance, but as a broader indicator of operational resilience.
The way forward
Looking ahead, AdaniConneX has identified additional sites in Noida, Chennai, and Pune as part of its data center expansion. Each of these locations will face distinct conditions. Whether the systems and practices established in Hyderabad can be consistently replicated will determine how scalable the current model is.
The requirement to maintain performance after receiving the award also remains in place. The British Safety Council retains the right to withdraw the Sword of Honour if post-audit issues arise, including enforcement actions or undisclosed incidents.
As a result, organisations are expected to view the award not as a singular achievement, but as a continuing commitment to high standards, a principle that AdaniConneX has integrated into its operations.
