THE APEX TIMES
Meta and Reliance ink agreement for first AI-enabled data center in India, starting in Jamnagar
The Facebook parent will lease a 168 MW facility to expand AI infrastructure, while also contracting nearly 1 gigawatt of clean power in India.
Meta said it has agreed with Reliance Industries to build and lease its first AI-enabled data center in India, a move aimed at scaling the company’s compute for artificial intelligence as usage grows in one of its largest markets. The facility will be located in Jamnagar, Gujarat, and Reliance will develop the campus capacity, while Meta takes the capacity under a leasing arrangement with options to expand, according to a company announcement.
The first phase of the Jamnagar data center is expected to provide 168 megawatts (MW) of capacity. Data center capacity refers to the amount of power and infrastructure available to run servers and networking equipment for tasks such as training and deploying AI models and running core online services. Meta said the agreement reinforces its long-term commitment to India and is part of its broader push to expand its global infrastructure footprint.
Meta said Reliance will build the facility using renewable energy and cooling backed by desalinated seawater. In addition to leasing capacity, Meta said it will cover the full cost of the energy and water supporting the data center, framing the arrangement as both an infrastructure scale-up and a resource-management effort suited to the Jamnagar location.
The announcement also included an energy component beyond the data center itself. Meta said it has contracted nearly 1 gigawatt of new clean and renewable energy in India through agreements with two clean energy providers. The company linked these supply contracts to its stated goal of matching operations with 100% clean and renewable energy, and it said the approach is intended to help address “value chain” emissions in the region.
Meta’s release positioned the deal as the next stage of a partnership with Reliance that already spans connectivity, commerce, and AI innovation. It said the companies have worked together over the years, including an earlier $5.7 billion investment in Jio Platforms made in 2020, a step Meta described as accelerating connectivity and supporting small businesses across India.
Meta also referenced work that extended collaboration to artificial intelligence software and adoption. The company said the partnership included a joint venture bringing Meta’s open-source AI models to Indian enterprises and developers. In this latest step, Meta is shifting from software and connectivity toward physical infrastructure, describing the Jamnagar data center as infrastructure that will power its products and AI capabilities in India.
Reliance described the data center agreement as a built-to-suit project intended for a technology customer at Meta’s scale. Chairman Mukesh D. Ambani said the partnership reflects India’s readiness to lead in the global AI revolution and said Reliance intends to build world-class digital infrastructure not only for India but for broader innovation globally.
Sectorwide, India’s data center build-out has accelerated as companies invest in cloud services, AI, and digital applications. One recent industry overview noted that India has seen a surge in data center investment over multiple years, with capacity rising substantially and projections calling for more rapid growth as AI adoption increases demand for faster and larger facilities. That backdrop helps explain why big platform companies and large Indian infrastructure groups are aligning on power availability, water and cooling approaches, and campus-scale construction.
Still, the agreement leaves several details outside the public announcement. Meta did not specify the duration of the lease, the pricing structure, the timeline for delivering additional phases beyond the first 168 MW, or the identities of the two clean energy providers involved in the nearly 1 GW of renewable contracts. It also did not disclose any financial terms, capex expectations for either party, or the exact paths by which scaling options would translate into incremental MW over time.
Meta’s next steps to watch will include how quickly the Jamnagar data center moves from planning and early construction to commissioning, as well as whether Meta expands leased capacity there under the stated options. Investors and industry watchers will also likely track how the clean power contracts, together with Reliance’s renewable energy and desalinated seawater cooling plan, translate into Meta’s broader sustainability and emissions targets as its AI compute needs grow.
Why It Matters
- The agreement indicates Meta’s intent to secure AI-focused infrastructure capacity in India rather than relying solely on third-party cloud or data center providers.
- Starting at 168 MW, the Jamnagar campus could become a meaningful piece of Meta’s regional compute footprint if scaling options are exercised.
- By tying the project to renewable power and desalinated cooling, Meta is also reinforcing its approach to sustainability constraints as AI energy demand rises.
- The move highlights how India’s growing digital economy and user base are drawing platform companies and major local infrastructure players into long-horizon infrastructure partnerships.
Sources
Key Facts
- Meta said it has entered an agreement with Reliance Industries to lease its first AI-enabled data center in India.
- The initial Jamnagar facility is planned at 168 MW of capacity, with options to scale.
- Meta said the data center will be powered by renewable energy and cooled with desalinated seawater, with Meta covering energy and water costs.
- Meta said it has contracted nearly 1 gigawatt of new clean and renewable energy in India through agreements with two clean energy providers.
- Meta described the deal as the latest chapter of its long-running partnership with Reliance, including prior investments and joint work on bringing open-source AI models to Indian enterprises and developers.
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