HCLTech invests $1.48 billion in AI data center with Sarvam AI and Odisha government

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

HCLTech will invest Rs 14,257 croreto set up its first AI data centre at the upcoming Odisha Sovereign AI Park in partnership with AI startup Sarvam and the Odisha government, marking a major push into India's sovereign AI infrastructure and full-stack AI ecosystem. HCLTech on Friday said it will set up its first artificial intelligence (AI) data centre at the upcoming Odisha Sovereign AI Park in partnership with AI startup Sarvam and the Odisha government, with a planned capital outlay of Rs 14,257 crore, including financial assistance from the state government. The project marks HCLTech's entry into India's full-stack AI infrastructure space following its announcement earlier this month of plans to expand into the segment. The AI data centre will be developed under a tripartite partnership between HCLTech, Sarvam and the Government of Odisha, with the investment aimed at strengthening India's sovereign AI capabilities and accelerating the country's data ecosystem. According to the company, the facility will combine HCLTech's full-stack AI capabilities with Sarvam's foundation models to develop sector-specific AI applications for public and private sector enterprises while addressing the government's data sovereignty requirements. The platform will also support multilingual AI-based services to expand digital access in line with the Centre's vision of making AI accessible to all. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the project was signed between HCLTech, the Odisha government and Sarvam in the presence of Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Electronics and IT Minister Mukesh Mahaling, HCLTech Chairperson Roshni Nadar Malhotra, HCLTech CEO and Managing Director C Vijayakumar, and Sarvam Co-founder Pratyush Kumar. "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," Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Chairperson, HCLTech, said. HCLTech said India is among the world's fastest-growing technology markets and that the country's data centre ecosystem is expanding rapidly, driven by the growth of the digital economy, data localisation requirements and increasing demand for GPU infrastructure to support AI training and inference workloads.

India's HCLTech to invest $1.48 billion in AI data center, open 5,000-seat tech hub

July 24 (Reuters) - India's HCLTech said on Friday it would invest 142.57 billion rupees ($1.48 billion) to set up its first AI data center in the eastern state of Odisha in partnership with homegrown startup Sarvam AI. India's IT services firms are entering the data center business to capitalise on demand from AI and cloud computing while diversifying beyond their traditional outsourcing operations. HCLTech's investment will include financial support from the Odisha government, the company said. The project, based in the state capital of Bhubaneswar, will utilise HCLTech's full-stack AI capabilities and Sarvam's foundation models to offer sector-specific AI applications to both government-owned and private companies. Last month, HCLTech acquired a 10.5% stake in Sarvam AI for $150 million. Additionally, India's third-largest IT firm said it is also opening a technology center in Bhubaneswar, which will house 5,000 employees and start operations by 2028. HCLTech CEO C Vijayakumar in a post-earnings press conference last week said that the company wants to deliver full-stack AI services, with data centers being a part of the value chain. "...it's the data centre, it's the GPUs, it's the models, it's the applications that we will deliver on top of it. The overall value creation is significantly of a very different magnitude when you really look at this as a full stack, and that's really what we want to play," he said. In November, larger peer Tata Consultancy Services' announced plans to invest $2 billion to develop AI data centers in partnership with private equity firm TPG. The AI boom has spurred a rush among companies to pour money into data centers, with India seen as a key market due to its large internet user base and lower power and operating costs. ($1 = 96.5425 Indian rupees) (Reporting by Abhirami G and Haripriya Suresh in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema)

HCL Tech Plans $1.47 Billion AI Data Center in Odisha

HCL Technologies plans to set up a $1.47 billion artificial-intelligence data center in the eastern Indian state of Odisha, in partnership with Indian AI company Sarvam and the state government. The Indian information-technology services provider said Friday that the planned capital outlay for the project is 142.57 billion rupees, equivalent to $1.47 billion, including financial assistance from the Odisha government. By leveraging HCL's AI capabilities and Sarvam's foundation models, the project will offer sector-specific AI applications to private and public sector enterprises and address the government's sovereignty needs, HCL said.

India's HCLTech to set up $1.48 billion AI data center along with domestic startup

July 24 (Reuters) - India's HCLTech said on Friday it would invest 142.57 billion rupees ($1.48 billion) to set up its first AI data centre in the eastern state of Odisha in partnership with homegrown startup Sarvam AI. The investment will include financial support from the Odisha government, the company said. Last week, India's third-largest IT services exporter said it would foray into the data center business with plans to invest 35 billion rupees. The AI boom has spurred a rush among companies to pour money into data centers, with India seen as a key market due to its large internet user base and lower power and operating costs. The new project will utilise HCLTech's full-stack AI capabilities and Sarvam's foundation models to offer sector-specific AI applications to both government-owned and private companies, the firm said. Larger rival TCS said last November that it would invest $2 billion to develop AI data centers in partnership with private equity firm TPG. ($1 = 96.5425 Indian rupees) (Reporting by Abhirami G in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema)