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On Fri, 24 Jan, 8:01 AM UTC
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Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani plots world's largest AI data center in India
Forward-looking: Indian business magnate Mukesh Ambani is gearing up to take on global tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI. The billionaire has announced plans to build what could potentially become the world's largest AI data center, strategically located in his home state of Gujarat. The data center is being constructed in Jamnagar and is projected to have a staggering total capacity of three gigawatts upon completion. For perspective, the largest operational data centers today peak at under one gigawatt. This means Ambani's facility would dwarf anything currently in existence. Building such a massive data center is no small feat. Cost estimates place the project in the range of $20-30 billion, based on pricing for similar large-scale facilities. Bloomberg notes that Reliance Industries, Ambani's flagship company, has approximately $26 billion on its balance sheet. To finance this ambitious undertaking, Ambani may need to explore creative solutions, including potential government funding. Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani and his wife Nita Ambani, pictured alongside their iconic 27-story residence, Antilia - a symbol of architectural marvel and unparalleled luxury in Mumbai. Adding to the excitement, the report highlights that Ambani has already begun purchasing chips from Nvidia to power the data center's infrastructure. If Ambani can pull it off, he aims to dominate the AI market by offering low-cost inferencing services. This strategy involves renting out compute power to companies looking to run AI models without shouldering the expense of building and maintaining their own data centers. Ambani is no stranger to aggressive, market-disrupting tactics. His infamous price war in the telecom sector drove several Indian carriers, including Aircel and Telenor, out of business. Now, it seems he's applying a similar playbook to the burgeoning AI compute market. What makes this project even more intriguing is Ambani's commitment to sustainability. The massive data center will be powered, as much as possible, by renewable energy sourced from an adjacent green energy complex featuring wind, solar, and hydrogen power. However, Ambani isn't alone in the race to expand AI compute capacity. This week, OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle announced a new venture called the Stargate Project, with plans to invest a staggering $500 billion in AI infrastructure across the United States.
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Reliance plans world's biggest AI data centre in India, report says | TechCrunch
Mukesh Ambani's Reliance is planning to build what could become the world's largest data center in Jamnagar, India, with a capacity of three gigawatts to capitalize on surging AI demand. The facility would dwarf the current largest data center, Microsoft's 600-megawatt site in Virginia, Bloomberg reported Friday. The project could cost between $20 billion to $30 billion, the report added. Ambani raised more than $25 billion in 2020 from a group of investors including Meta, Google, Silver Lake, General Atlantic, KKR, Mubadala and PIF to fund the growth of Reliance's retail and telecom ventures that now dominate the country. Reliance is India's most valuable company. Ambani aims to power the facility primarily with renewable energy from an adjacent green energy complex that will produce solar, wind and hydrogen power. Ambani is buying chips from Nvidia for the data center, the report added. Nvidia and Reliance announced a partnership to build infrastructure for AI applications in India in October. The Jamnagar project comes as OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle this week pledged up to $500 billion for AI infrastructure in the United States through their Stargate Project.
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Ambani to Build the World's Biggest Data Centre in India
Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) is planning to construct what could become the world's largest data centre by capacity in Jamnagar, India. This development comes in the backdrop of a global surge in investments in AI infrastructure. As per reports, the data centre will have a total capacity of three gigawatts. It will surpass any existing facilities, which typically operate at less than one gigawatt. There are plans to purchase NVIDIA's AI semiconductors and use renewable energy sources to power the facility. Reliance executives have not yet commented on the project, which is estimated to cost between $20 billion and $30 billion. Currently, the conglomerate has approximately $26 billion on its balance sheet, which could be used to finance the venture. The facility in Jamnagar is slated to enhance India's data centre capacity, which is currently less than one gigawatt. The town is already home to Reliance's oil refining and petrochemical operations and is key to the company's renewable energy ambitions. A 5,000-acre green energy complex, including solar, wind, and hydrogen energy projects, is under development nearby. Ambani's approach mirrors his strategy in the wireless sector, where aggressive pricing disrupted the market. Speaking at a shareholders' meeting last year, he said, "Our goal is to create the world's lowest AI inferencing cost right here in India. This will make AI applications in India more affordable than anywhere else." The demand for AI-ready data centres is growing as generative AI tools, such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, become integral to businesses. Global data centre capacity is expected to triple by 2030, potentially leading to supply shortages. If realised, the Jamnagar facility would position India as a key player in the AI sector and offer substantial capacity to meet domestic and global demands. Additionally, Reliance on Thursday committed to a historic investment of ₹3.05 lakh crore in Maharashtra as part of its ambitious expansion into sectors like renewable energy, data centres, high-tech manufacturing, and hospitality. The MoU, signed during the World Economic Forum 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, highlights Reliance's critical role in shaping India's infrastructure landscape. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis hailed the investment as a transformative step, which is expected to generate 3 lakh job opportunities. Anant Ambani, non-executive director of RIL, highlighted the company's commitment to nation-building and applauded Fadnavis' leadership. This investment complements Maharashtra's goal to attract ₹9.72 lakh crore through 33 MoUs signed at the event. Reliance's plans align with the broader vision of India's development, which integrates cutting-edge technologies and sustainable practices as the conglomerate continues to lead transformative initiatives in the nation.
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Billionaire Ambani Plans World's Biggest Data Center in India
Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Group is building what may become the world's biggest data center by capacity in India, the latest in a blitz of global investments to capitalize on booming demand for artificial intelligence services. The 67-year-old billionaire is buying Nvidia Corp.'s powerful AI semiconductors and setting up a data center in the town of Jamnagar that's expected to have a total capacity of three gigawatts, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because the details aren't public. That would make it far bigger than any data center now operating.
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Reliance Planning To Build World's Largest AI Data Hub In India: Report
Meanwhile, in the US, OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle have pledged investments of up to $500 Bn in AI infrastructure under the newly launched Stargate Project In a move to leverage the surging global demand for artificial intelligence (AI) services, Reliance Group is reportedly building what could be the world's largest data centre by capacity in India. As per Bloomberg, Mukesh Ambani is acquiring Nvidia Corp.'s cutting-edge AI semiconductors to establish this data centre in Jamnagar. The facility, with an anticipated capacity of three gigawatts, is set to surpass all existing data centres worldwide. If confirmed, Ambani will join the ranks of global tech giants like Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon, all investing billions in AI-focused data centres to cater to a growing customer base. Meanwhile, in the US, OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle have pledged investments of up to $500 Bn in AI infrastructure under the newly launched Stargate Project. Notably, in October last year, NVIDIA announced its partnership with Reliance to develop AI infrastructure in India. In the NVIDIA AI Summit 2024 in October Ambani remarked that India is set to become an innovation hub and premier digital market on the back of the country's booming economy, raw talent and digital connectivity infrastructure. With a vast population of AI users, India holds a strategic advantage due to its robust ecosystem of essential components, including AI, data, and infrastructure. This large user base fuels an "AI flywheel," creating a self-sustaining cycle of growth and innovation. India's thriving AI landscape makes this a strategically timed move. The country boasts over 100 GenAI startups that have cumulatively raised more than $600 Mn since 2019. As per Inc42's report, the sector is estimated to reach $17 Bn market opportunity by 2030. The government is also doubling down on the AI landscape with the union cabinet approving a total outlay of INR 10,372 Cr for IndiaAI Mission over the next five years. Amidst other recent developments, Reliance Jio has officially launched a cryptocurrency called JioCoin, developed in partnership with Polygon Labs. The collaboration also aims to enhance Jio's overall digital offerings through Web3 capabilities. Last year in November, Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), Viacom18 and The Walt Disney Company announced the merger of their media business. As a result, the media and JioCinema businesses of Viacom18 have been merged with Star India. On the financial front, Reliance Retail's operating revenue jumped 7% to INR 79,595 Cr during Q3 FY25 from INR 74,373 during the corresponding quarter last fiscal. Net profit rose 10% to INR 3,458 Cr from INR 3,145 Cr in Q3 FY24. Reliance Retail revealed that its digital and new commerce business accounted for 18% of its total revenue.
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Reliance to Build World's Largest Data Center in Gujarat for India's AI Ambitions: Report
Semiconductor manufacturing remains a challenge for India's AI ambitions. Reliance Industries is planning to build the world's largest data center in Jamnagar, Gujarat, as part of its ambitious drive into the artificial intelligence (AI) sector. The project will leverage cutting-edge AI semiconductors from Nvidia, a global leader in AI technology, marking a significant milestone in India's AI aspirations, according to a report by Bloomberg News. Also Read: Reliance AI Infrastructure in Jamnagar to Be Built in 24 Months: Akash Ambani Mukesh Ambani is reportedly said to be purchasing AI semiconductors from Nvidia. During the Nvidia AI Summit 2024, Reliance and Nvidia announced their collaboration to develop AI infrastructure in India. Nvidia will supply its state-of-the-art Blackwell AI processors for a one-gigawatt data center, highlighting the scale of the initiative. The companies also plan to create large language models (LLMs) designed for India's diverse languages, furthering AI inclusivity in the country, TelecomTalk previously reported. "It makes complete sense that India should manufacture its own AI. You should not export data to import intelligence. India should not export flour to import bread," said Jensen Huang while in conversation with the Reliance Chairman during the summit. Also Read: Jio Platforms Working with Nvidia to Democratise AI in India: Report "We can use intelligence to actually bring prosperity to all the people and bring equality to the world...Apart from the US and China, India has the best digital connectivity infrastructure," Ambani had said while speaking on the large intelligence capacity of the Indian market, according to the report. Despite its potential, India faces challenges in building an AI ecosystem, particularly in semiconductor manufacturing. While the government has pledged Rs 10,000 crore for AI projects and startups, the absence of domestic chip fabrication facilities remains a bottleneck. Also Read: Akash Ambani Urges Rapid Adoption of AI and Data Centre Policy Reform in India "India's chipmaking industry is still in its infancy, and the establishment of semiconductor fabrication facilities (fabs) is a highly capital-intensive process that takes years to materialise. Running these fabs requires a specialized workforce, something India is still in the process of developing. As of now, the country has yet to produce its first chip domestically, the report said. Nvidia's partnership with Reliance follows a similar collaboration with the Tata Group.
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Reliance & Nvidia Team Up for Giant AI Data Center
The data center will be equipped with advanced Nvidia AI semiconductors. This follows the October 2024 announcement at the Nvidia AI Summit, where Reliance and Nvidia unveiled plans for a collaboration on AI infrastructure. According to the deal, Nvidia will supply its Blackwell AI processors for a one-gigawatt data center, set to be the largest in the world. During the summit, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang highlighted the importance of India manufacturing its own AI. He said, "It makes complete sense that India should manufacture its own AI. You should not to import intelligence. India should not export flour to import bread." Mukesh Ambani echoed the same sentiments, stressing India's digital connectivity infrastructure. He said, "We can use intelligence to bring prosperity to all the people and bring equality to the world. Apart from the US and China, India has the best digital connectivity infrastructure."
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Mukesh Ambani raises oil-to-data bet. What it means
Mukesh Ambani has made public plans to build the world's largest data center in Jamnagar, Gujarat with a capacity of 3 gigawatts, tripling India's total data capacity. This move highlights Reliance Industries' shift towards becoming a deep-tech company and supports India's AI technology infrastructure needs.The businessman of big things is back at doing what he does best -- building mega scale projects. Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani plans to build the world's largest data center at Jamnagar in Gujarat, Bloomberg has reported. Jamnagar's previous claim to fame is the world's biggest oil refinery which was built by Mukesh's father, Dhirubhai Ambani, more than 25 years ago. Therefore, Jamnagar will bookend the astounding evolution of a fossil fuel business empire to a deep-tech clean energy giant. When Dhirubhai planned to build the world's biggest oil refinery in Jamnagar, many thought it would be impossible for an Indian company to build a refinery from scratch within a few years. Mukesh's father achieved that feat in the face of many odds. Now, Mukesh is making another world-beating bet on a sunrise sector. To put Ambani's ambitious plan in perspective, the largest data centres today are under 1 gigawatt capacity while Ambani is aiming at a capacity of 3 gigawatts. His data centre will also triple India's total data centre capacity today. Growing digitalisation of economy, spread of e-commerce and local data storage rules are among main reaosns why India needs more and bigger data centres. However, what makes higher data centre capacity critical for India today is the spread of artificial intelligence (AI) and Generative AI (GenAI) which require more computing power. Ambani's plan will give India what it just needs today: infrastructure support to scale up AI technology. Ambani, whose Reliance Industries has been known primarily for oil refining business, stepped into the telecom sector a decade ago and disrupted the market by offering ultra-cheap data. That's when he had said that the data is the new oil. The Jamnagar data centre, which will sit besides the oil refinery, will be a symbol of Reliance morphing into a deep-tech company from being an old-world smokestack giant. At the 47th AGM of Reliance last year, Ambani spoke of major reinvention of his industrial behemoth. While earlier he used to say data is the new oil, this time he spoke of transforming Reliance into a deep-tech company: by embedding innovative technologies in every single business to maximise value; incubating several critical technological innovations in-house to enhance products and services; and building an AI-native digital infrastructure for all Reliance businesses. Reliance has already built its own software stack, integrating end-to-end workflows and real-time dashboards. Ambani explained how his company is building deep-tech innovation as an engine for business growth. "Reliance spent over Rs 3,643 crore ($437 million) in FY24 towards R&D, taking our spend on research to over Rs 11,000 crore ($1.5 billion) in the last four years alone. We have more than 1,000 scientists and researchers working on critical research projects across all our businesses," he said. "I feel proud to inform you that last year Reliance filed over 2,555 patents, mainly in the areas of bio-energy innovations, solar and other green energy sources, and high-value chemicals. Digital is another principal area of our in-house research. We have filed patents in 6G, 5G, AI-Large Language Models, AI-Deep Learning, Big Data, Devices, Internet of Things, and Narrowband-IoT. I assure you that this ongoing tech-driven transformation of Reliance will propel the company into a new orbit of hyper-growth and multiply its value for years to come," Ambani added. Ambani announced Jio is developing a suite of tools and platforms, called Jio Brain, which spans the entire AI lifecycle. Jio Brain will enable the company to accelerate AI adoption across Jio, driving faster decisions, more accurate predictions, and a better understanding of customer needs. In time, Reliance can offer Jio Brain to other enterprises as well. Reliance is already using AI tools to sharpen its products and services. Its beauty and personal care brand, Tira, is leaning on AI tools that can suggest perfumes or cosmetics to woo customers in the burgeoning but competitive Indian beauty sector. One such interactive in-store experience is a "fragrance finder," which generates perfume options after letting consumers smell a set of "cubes" with different notes of fragrances. Tira's "skin analyzer" infers the features of a customer by clicking a photo and recommends products that would suit them best. Ambani is not the only deep-pocket tycoon to bet on data centres. AdaniConneX, a 50:50 joint venture between Adani Enterprises and EdgeConneX (ECX), has raised $213 million to finance its under-construction data center portfolio of 67 MW in Noida and Chennai. AdaniConneX is setting sights on becoming one of the three top data centre operators by 2030, while also looking to set up data-processing hubs in UAE, Singapore, Nepal and Thailand. Ambani's data centre plan comes when the industry is poised to attract more alternative investments in 2025, with large funds preparing to deploy robust capital, spurred by rising penetration for AI technologies. The industry is expected to surpass $100 billion in cumulative investment commitments by the end of 2027 in India, according to data shared by CBRE, It attracted more than $60 billion in investment commitments between 2019 and 2024 from both domestic and international investors. Ambani's mega investment in data centre business will give his company a big and early foothold in the emerging sector. Ambani's plan comes when US President Donald Trump has announced a private sector investment of up to $500 billion to fund infrastructure for artificial intelligence, aiming to outpace rival nations in the business-critical technology. Ambani's Jamnagar data centre would cost between $20 billion and $30 billion, as per the Bloomberg report. Ambani's data centre will fill a big gap in India's AI ambitions. The demand for data centres in the country continues to rise, driven by factors such as the increasing adoption of AI technology, cloud computing, the expansion of big data, the Internet of Things (IoT), and the rapid growth of e-commerce and digital transformation initiatives. This demand was fuelled by hyperscalers, BFSI (banking, financial services, and insurance), IT and ITeS, and service sectors, all of which heavily rely on data centre operators for colocation and related services. "The increasing penetration of 5G and the rise in mobile application usage are driving demand for edge data centres in Tier-II and Tier-III cities such as Bhubaneswar, Patna, Lucknow, Jaipur, Kochi, Vizag, Coimbatore, Madurai, Raipur, and Hubli," said Srihari Srinivasan, Director and Lead Data Centre Services, Savills India. "Meanwhile, dominant tier-I cities continue to grow. By 2030, we expect data centre stock to reach 3,400 MW IT across major cities," Srinivasan added. Commerce minister Piyush Goyal has recently said that India should aspire to become the world's largest destination for data centres because of the advantages of an interconnected grid, reliable green or clean power, data security and trained workforce. Apart from the Reliance's Jamnagar data centre, India's data centre capacity is set to more than double to 2-2.3 GW by 2026-27, led by increasing digitalisation as organisations increase their investments in cloud storage, Crisil Ratings has said in a report. It said rising penetration of Generative AI will drive the demand over the medium-term. Global operators, property developers, and private equity funds have made large investments in the data centre market in India, seeking to capitalise on this burgeoning market. Some of the recent investments include Colt Data Centre Services and RMZ Digital Infrastructure Partners' joint venture to invest $1.7 billion in the country. Singapore-based CapitaLand Investment will be investing around $1.15 billion to set up data centres in India, while existing operators and developers like Sify, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Reliance and Adani Enterprises are further expanding their networks. (With inputs from agencies)
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Reliance And Nvidia Form Strategic Partnership For India's Largest Data Center Project
During the conversation, Jensen Huang, President, Co-founder, and CEO of Nvidia with Indian businessman Mukesh Ambani, emphasized the need for a data center to build a world-class AI infrastructure. "We are announcing that Reliance and Nvidia are partnering to build AI infrastructure here in India." "The biggest advantage India has is a very large population of users and now with the fundamental ingredients AI, data and AI infrastructure altogether create a flywheel." Jensen believes intelligence is part of the infrastructure and every country should have its own, especially India, where it has every fundamentals available along with its own computer science expertise.
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Reliance Industries, led by Mukesh Ambani, is set to build a massive 3-gigawatt AI data center in Jamnagar, India, potentially becoming the world's largest, as part of a strategic move to dominate the global AI market.
Mukesh Ambani, Asia's richest man and the driving force behind Reliance Industries, is embarking on a groundbreaking venture to construct what could become the world's largest AI data center in Jamnagar, India. This ambitious project, with an estimated cost of $20-30 billion, aims to revolutionize the global AI landscape 12.
The proposed data center is set to have a staggering capacity of three gigawatts, dwarfing current facilities that typically operate at less than one gigawatt 13. This massive scale positions the project as a potential game-changer in the AI infrastructure sector, surpassing even tech giants like Microsoft, whose largest data center in Virginia boasts a 600-megawatt capacity 2.
Reliance is not going it alone in this venture. The company has partnered with Nvidia, purchasing their powerful AI semiconductors to power the data center's infrastructure 14. This collaboration, announced in October, aims to build robust AI infrastructure in India 25.
The data center will be located in Jamnagar, Gujarat, a strategic choice given the town's existing Reliance operations in oil refining and petrochemicals. Ambani plans to power the facility primarily with renewable energy from an adjacent 5,000-acre green energy complex, featuring solar, wind, and hydrogen power projects 23. This commitment to sustainability aligns with global trends towards eco-friendly tech infrastructure.
Ambani's approach mirrors his disruptive strategy in the telecom sector, aiming to offer low-cost AI inferencing services 13. By renting out compute power, Reliance intends to cater to companies looking to run AI models without the burden of building and maintaining their own data centers 1.
This move comes amid a surge in global AI infrastructure investments. In the United States, OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle have pledged up to $500 billion for AI infrastructure through their Stargate Project 15. The demand for AI-ready data centers is growing rapidly, with global capacity expected to triple by 2030 3.
If realized, the Jamnagar facility would position India as a key player in the global AI sector. It aligns with India's growing AI ecosystem, which includes over 100 GenAI startups that have raised more than $600 million since 2019 5. The Indian government is also supporting this growth, approving a $1.2 billion outlay for the IndiaAI Mission over the next five years 5.
This project is part of Reliance's larger strategy of diversification and technological advancement. The company recently committed to a significant investment of ₹3.05 lakh crore in Maharashtra, focusing on sectors like renewable energy, data centers, and high-tech manufacturing 3. Financially, Reliance Retail reported strong performance in Q3 FY25, with operating revenue increasing by 7% to ₹79,595 crore and net profit rising 10% to ₹3,458 crore 5.
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Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries, emphasizes the transformative potential of AI in India. The conglomerate plans to leverage AI across its businesses, aiming to revolutionize various sectors and boost India's technological capabilities.
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Akash Ambani announces plans to establish cutting-edge AI infrastructure in Jamnagar, aiming to position the city as a global AI leader and commemorating 25 years of the Jamnagar refinery.
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Reliance Jio Chairman Akash Ambani calls for urgent AI adoption in India, emphasizing data sovereignty and incentives for AI-centric data centers to realize the vision of a developed India by 2047.
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Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries, forecasts significant growth for the company. He expects Reliance to more than double in size before the end of the decade, driven by expansion in various sectors.
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OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has proposed a bold plan to construct enormous AI data centers, potentially consuming as much as 5 gigawatts of power. This initiative has raised questions about energy consumption and its impact on the power grid.
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