Reliance, Meta to develop 168 MW AI-enabled data centre in Gujarat’s Jamnagar

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and social media major Meta Platforms have partnered to develop a 168-megawatt AI-enabled data centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat, with the facility set to be delivered within two years, according to a joint statement issued on Wednesday.

The companies said the project marks Meta’s first built-to-suit data centre capacity in India and represents a milestone in India’s emergence as a global hub for AI infrastructure.

Under the agreement, RIL will develop the 168 MW facility with an option to scale capacity in the future, while Meta will lease capacity from the data centre.

The facility will run on renewable energy and use desalinated seawater for cooling as part of its sustainability initiatives.

Alongside the Jamnagar project, Meta is partnering with clean energy companies CleanMax and Fourth Partner Energy to support nearly 1 gigawatt of renewable energy generation in India, the statement said.

Reliance Industries Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani described the collaboration as an important step for India’s digital infrastructure.

“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,” Ambani said.

“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 partnership builds on the existing relationship between the two companies. In 2020, Meta invested USD 5.7 billion in Jio Platforms, the digital arm of Reliance Industries.

According to the statement, “The data centre will serve Meta’s global infrastructure, supporting its core business and AI compute needs, underscoring India’s growing role in the worldwide digital and AI ecosystem.”

Reliance will provide end-to-end services for the project, including design, construction, utility management, renewable power supply, network connectivity and fully managed operational services throughout the facility’s lifecycle.

The project also strengthens Reliance’s presence in the AI infrastructure sector, with the company serving as a single-window solutions provider for hyperscale data centre developments.

“The strategic location in Gujarat offers significant advantages for large-scale data centre operations, including delivery capability, renewable energy, water availability, proximity to India’s western submarine cable landing stations and Jio’s extensive fibre network,” the statement said.