Reliance becomes Meta's AI infrastructure partner in India with first data centre build

The 168 MW Jamnagar facility in Gujarat will see Reliance deliver design, construction, power, connectivity and managed operations.

Reliance Industries and Meta have partnered to develop a 168 MW AI-enabled data centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat, marking the social media giant's first built-to-suit data centre project in India.

The facility is expected to be delivered within two years and will support Meta's growing global AI infrastructure and computing requirements. The project also includes provisions to expand capacity in the future.

Meta will lease capacity from the facility, while Reliance will develop, operate and manage the underlying infrastructure.

The partnership expands the long-standing relationship between the two companies and comes as global technology firms increase investments in AI infrastructure to support growing demand for training and inference workloads.

Under the agreement, Reliance will provide end-to-end services across the lifecycle of the facility.

This includes design, construction, utility management, renewable power supply, network connectivity and fully managed operational services.

The company said the arrangement positions Reliance as a single provider for hyperscale AI infrastructure projects.

Commenting on the partnership, Reliance Industries Limited’s chairman and managing director, Mukesh D. Ambani, said, "This partnership with Meta marks a transformative moment for India's digital infrastructure. Building India's first built-to-suit data centre for a global technology leader of Meta's scale demonstrates India's readiness to be at the forefront of the global AI revolution.”

“At Reliance, we are committed to building world-class digital infrastructure that will power the next generation of AI innovation – not just for India, but for the world. Jamnagar will become a landmark destination for hyperscale AI computing, and we are proud to partner with Meta to make this vision a reality,” he added.

The project is expected to strengthen Reliance's presence in India's growing data centre and AI infrastructure market as enterprises and technology providers expand investments in large-scale computing capacity.

Why Jamnagar

Jamnagar in Gujarat was selected for several infrastructure advantages, including access to renewable energy, water resources and connectivity.

The location is also close to India's western submarine cable landing stations and can leverage Jio's fibre network infrastructure.

Beyond access to renewable energy, water resources and connectivity, Jamnagar is already home to Reliance's large-scale industrial and energy operations.

The existing infrastructure footprint gives the company access to land, utilities and operational capabilities that are increasingly important for power-intensive AI infrastructure projects.

As demand for AI computing capacity grows, locations with established industrial infrastructure are likely to become attractive destinations for future hyperscale data centre investments.

These factors are becoming important as AI workloads drive higher demand for power, cooling and low-latency connectivity.

Channel ecosystem opportunity

A project of this scale is also expected to create opportunities across the broader technology and infrastructure ecosystem.

While Reliance will act as the primary infrastructure provider, hyperscale data centre projects typically involve a wide range of partners across power and cooling systems, networking infrastructure, rack and facility equipment, security technologies, systems integration and commissioning services.

Long-term operations and managed services requirements are also expected to create opportunities for service providers supporting the facility after deployment.

The project represents a multi-year infrastructure buildout rather than a standalone data centre deployment for channel partners.

Focus on AI infrastructure

The facility will support Meta's global infrastructure operations and rapidly growing AI computing requirements.

As AI models become larger and more compute-intensive, technology companies are investing heavily in data centre capacity to support training, inference and deployment workloads.

The Jamnagar facility forms part of Meta's broader infrastructure expansion strategy and deepens its long-term investment in India.

According to Reliance, the project demonstrates India's growing role in the global AI and digital infrastructure ecosystem.

The development also aligns with the Indian government's efforts to attract large-scale investments in AI infrastructure and position the country as a global technology hub.

Reliance said the facility will operate on renewable energy and use desalinated seawater for cooling.

The approach is intended to address the power and cooling requirements associated with AI infrastructure while supporting sustainability goals.

Energy availability and cooling efficiency are increasingly becoming key considerations for hyperscale data centre projects globally, particularly as AI workloads continue to increase.