Meta partners with Reliance to build its first AI data center in India
Meta Platforms is teaming up with Reliance Industries to build its first AI-enabled data center in India, a major infrastructure push that underlines how aggressively big tech companies are expanding the computing capacity needed for artificial intelligence. The project will be built in Jamnagar, Gujarat, and will initially have 168 megawatts of capacity, with room to expand later, according to Meta and reporting from TechCrunch and Bloomberg.
Under the agreement, Reliance will build the facility and Meta will lease capacity from it, rather than owning the site outright. Meta said the data center will support both its operations in India and its broader global AI infrastructure needs, while Reliance said the project is designed to be delivered within two years and can be scaled over time.
The companies also emphasized the project’s energy and water setup. According to TechCrunch, the facility will be powered by renewable energy and cooled with desalinated seawater, and Meta has agreed to cover the full cost of the energy and water needed for its operations there. Meta also said it has contracted nearly 1 gigawatt of new renewable energy capacity in India through separate agreements with CleanMax and Fourth Partner Energy, which will help support the Jamnagar project.
The deal builds on an existing business relationship between the two companies. TechCrunch reported that Meta’s partnership with Reliance has already grown from Meta’s multibillion-dollar investment in Reliance’s Jio Platforms to a $100 million joint venture launched last year to develop enterprise AI tools for customers in India and overseas markets.
The announcement highlights India’s growing role in the global race to build AI infrastructure. Tech companies around the world are seeking more data center capacity to train and run AI systems, and India is increasingly seen as an attractive location because of its market size, digital growth and industrial base. Bloomberg said the move adds to a broader wave of investment in technology infrastructure globally.
For Reliance, the project strengthens its position as a key infrastructure partner for global technology companies. The conglomerate said it will provide end-to-end services ranging from design and construction to renewable power, connectivity and ongoing operations, signaling its ambition to become a major provider of AI-ready infrastructure.