Meta Platforms Inc. and Reliance Industries Ltd. have agreed to build and lease India's first AI-enabled data centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
The agreement establishes a critical infrastructure hub to provide the computing power necessary for Meta's AI services. This investment targets a user base of over one billion people in India, signaling a strategic move to embed AI capabilities within the country's digital ecosystem.
Reliance will build a 168-megawatt facility [1] in Jamnagar and deliver it within two years [1]. The agreement includes an option for future expansion to meet growing demand. Mark Zuckerberg said, "This world-class facility in Jamnagar will help us scale our AI infrastructure globally."
A Meta spokesperson said, "We are committed to India and this data centre underscores our commitment to the country’s rapidly growing AI community."
While the Jamnagar project focuses on the Meta partnership, other reports indicate Reliance is pursuing additional AI infrastructure. These reports suggest a separate AI data centre project in the Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh involving an investment of ₹1.08 lakh crore [2].
The Jamnagar facility is designed specifically to handle the high-compute requirements of generative AI, which differ from traditional cloud storage. By leasing the facility from Reliance, Meta avoids the direct burden of land acquisition, and local construction management while securing the hardware capacity needed for its regional operations.
“Reliance will build a 168-megawatt facility in Jamnagar and deliver it within two years”
This partnership reflects a broader trend of global tech giants leveraging local conglomerates to bypass the regulatory and logistical hurdles of infrastructure development in India. By securing a high-capacity, AI-specific data centre, Meta is positioning itself to compete with other AI providers in a market with massive scale, while Reliance continues to diversify its portfolio from petrochemicals into high-tech digital infrastructure.
