Meta has joined forces with Reliance Industries to establish a state-of-the-art 168MW data center in Gujarat, India. The facility, located in the city of Jamnagar, will be built by Reliance and leased to Meta, marking a significant step in Meta’s global expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.
The new data center will operate on renewable energy sources and use desalinated seawater for its operations. While the companies have not yet disclosed an opening date, they indicated that the facility could be scaled up in the future to meet growing demands. Meta will cover the costs of power and water required for the center.
In a statement about the collaboration, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, said: "This world-class facility in Jamnagar will help us scale our AI infrastructure globally while deepening our long-term investment in India’s economy."
This partnership builds upon Meta’s previous investment in Reliance's Jio Platforms, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries, when the company invested $5.7 billion in 2020 for a nearly 10 percent stake. The collaboration also reflects Meta’s growing commitment to India, a market that Zuckerberg emphasized as central to the company’s plans.
Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, described the partnership as a milestone for India’s digital infrastructure. "Building India’s first built-to-suit AI data center 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", he said.
In addition to its data center plans, Meta announced the purchase of over 900MW of clean energy in India. This includes 837MW of new solar and wind projects in Rajasthan and Karnataka through a partnership with CleanMax, as well as 88MW of similar projects across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh with Fourth Partner Energy. However, Meta did not specify how much of this energy will be directly used for the new Jamnagar data center.
Reliance first revealed plans for a gigawatt-scale data center campus in Jamnagar in 2024, though it remains unclear whether the Meta project will utilize space from this existing plan or if it represents an entirely new venture. Regardless, the collaboration is being hailed as a transformative moment for India’s role in the global AI ecosystem.
This data center partnership underscores India’s growing importance as a hub for cutting-edge digital infrastructure and green energy initiatives, setting the stage for further advancements in AI and sustainable technology.
