HCLTech, Sarvam to set up Rs 14,257 crore AI data centre in Odisha

HCLTech on Friday announced plans to set up its first AI data centre at the upcoming Odisha Sovereign AI Park in partnership with startup Sarvam AI and the Government of Odisha.

The company said the project marks its proposed entry into the full-stack AI market, reported Reuters.

In an exchange filing, HCLTech said the planned capital outlay for the project will be Rs 14,257 crore ($1.48 billion), including financial assistance from the Government of Odisha.

According to the company, the investment will boost India’s sovereign AI ecosystem and local developer community by combining HCLTech’s full-stack AI capabilities with Sarvam’s foundation models.

It said the project will provide sector-specific AI applications for private and public sector enterprises while addressing the government’s sovereignty requirements, reported Money Control.

The company also said the project “will also contribute to delivery of multi-lingual AI based services to the last mile, in line with Hon’ble Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi’s clarion call of AI for the benefit of everyone.”

Commenting on the announcement, HCLTech chairperson Roshni Nadar Malhotra said, “HCLTech has been a flagbearer of India’s technology industry. In line with the Digital India and Atmanirbhar Bharat vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi, we strive to be an enabler of India’s sovereign AI ecosystem with differentiated offerings across the value chain through focused investments and partnerships. We are pleased to start this endeavor in partnership with Odisha government and Sarvam.”

Sarvam co-founder Pratyush Kumar said, “The Odisha Sovereign AI Park will connect high-performance compute with Indian models and real-world applications. Together with HCLTech, we are excited to bring Sarvam’s full-stack AI capabilities to enterprises and public systems at scale.”