Meta to Build First AI Data Centre in India with Reliance in Jamnagar, Zuckerberg Announces

New Delhi/Jamnagar: In a major push to strengthen India’s artificial intelligence ecosystem, Meta has announced plans to build its first AI-enabled data centre in India in partnership with Reliance Industries, marking one of the company’s biggest infrastructure investments in the country.

The facility will be located in Jamnagar, Gujarat, and will be developed by Reliance, while Meta will use it to power its AI systems across platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, along with its broader AI initiatives.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the project reflects the company’s long-term commitment to India and its growing digital economy, calling it a key step in expanding global AI infrastructure.

168 MW Capacity, Built for AI Scale

The proposed data centre will begin with an initial capacity of 168 megawatts (MW), with provisions for future expansion as AI demand grows. The facility is expected to support Meta’s increasing computing needs, especially for advanced AI models and services.

AI systems require vast computational resources to process data, generate responses, and power recommendation engines. Companies worldwide are rapidly building large data centres to meet this rising demand, and India is emerging as a key destination for such investments.

Focus on Renewable Energy and Sustainability

Meta has stated that the Jamnagar facility will be powered entirely by renewable energy and will adopt environmentally sustainable cooling methods using desalinated seawater instead of freshwater, addressing concerns about water usage in large-scale data centres.

To support this, Meta has secured over 900 MW of clean energy capacity, including:

• 837 MW from solar and wind projects in Rajasthan and Karnataka
• 88 MW from renewable projects across multiple Indian states through Fourth Partner Energy

The company will also bear the full cost of energy and water infrastructure for the project.

Strengthening India’s Digital Ecosystem

The announcement builds on Meta’s earlier $5.7 billion investment in Jio Platforms in 2020, which marked a major milestone in India’s digital transformation journey. Since then, Meta and Reliance have collaborated on digital services for small businesses and broader connectivity initiatives.

Meta has also expanded its presence in India by making its open-source AI models available to developers and enterprises, further deepening its engagement with the country’s tech ecosystem.

India Emerging as AI Hub

The Jamnagar project comes amid increasing global interest in India’s AI market, with major tech companies investing heavily in infrastructure to support next-generation technologies.

With this development, India strengthens its position as a growing hub for AI innovation, digital services, and cloud infrastructure in the global technology landscape.