Meta has entered into a landmark partnership with Reliance Industries Limited to establish its first large-scale, AI-enabled data centre in India. Located in Jamnagar, Gujarat, the facility will feature a massive capacity of 168 megawatts and is designed to support Meta’s global artificial intelligence workloads. This strategic alliance marks a significant step in India’s journey to becoming a global hub for high-performance computing and sustainable digital infrastructure.
A Landmark Partnership for AI Infrastructure
The agreement between Meta Platforms Inc. and Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) involves the development of a dedicated hyperscale data centre campus. Under this “built-to-suit” arrangement, Reliance will be responsible for the design, construction, and operational management of the facility. Meta, in turn, has committed to leasing the entire 168 MW capacity of the site to house its advanced AI computing hardware.
This facility is Meta’s first dedicated AI data centre in India, a market that already hosts the company’s largest user base for platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook. By establishing a local compute footprint, Meta aims to enhance the performance of its generative AI models, such as Llama, and provide faster, more personalized digital experiences for Indian consumers. The project is expected to be fully operational by 2028, significantly expanding the available high-performance compute capacity in the region.
Strategic Features of the Jamnagar Facility
The choice of Jamnagar as the location for this project is highly strategic. The city is already home to the world’s largest oil refinery complex and is rapidly evolving into a centre for renewable energy and advanced technology. The data centre will be situated within Reliance’s massive hyperscale campus, which offers unique infrastructure advantages.
Sustainable Energy and Cooling Solutions
AI workloads are notoriously energy-intensive, requiring immense power for processing and cooling. To address this, the facility will be integrated into the Dhirubhai Ambani Green Energy Giga Complex, a 5,000-acre renewable energy hub in Jamnagar. This integration ensures that the data centre is powered by clean energy, aligning with Meta’s global commitment to 100% renewable power.
Furthermore, the facility will employ an innovative cooling method using desalinated seawater. By utilizing water from the Arabian Sea processed through Reliance’s existing desalination plants, the data centre can manage the extreme heat generated by high-density AI server racks without putting pressure on local freshwater resources. This approach makes it one of the most sustainable large-scale data centres in the world.
Deepening the Meta-Reliance Alliance
This data centre deal builds upon a decade of deepening cooperation between the two technology giants. The relationship began in earnest in April 2020, when Meta (then Facebook) invested $5.7 billion (approximately ₹43,574 crore) for a 9.99% stake in Jio Platforms, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries. That investment remains one of the largest foreign direct investments in India’s technology sector.
Since then, the two companies have collaborated on several initiatives, including the integration of JioMart with WhatsApp to enable conversational commerce for small businesses and consumers. In 2025, they furthered their partnership by forming a $100 million AI joint venture dedicated to developing enterprise-grade AI solutions specifically for the Indian market. The Jamnagar data centre provides the massive physical infrastructure needed to turn these AI ambitions into reality.
India’s Growing Stature in the Global AI Landscape
The Meta-Reliance partnership is part of a broader “infrastructure super-cycle” in India’s data centre market. By mid-2026, India’s total operational data centre capacity is projected to cross 1.7 gigawatts (GW), driven by the rapid adoption of AI across sectors. The government has played a proactive role in this growth through the IndiaAI Mission, which has an outlay of ₹10,372 crore to scale domestic compute capacity and support AI startups.
The Union Budget 2026-27 further accelerated this trend by introducing a 20-year tax holiday (until 2047) for foreign cloud providers that utilize Indian data centres. Additionally, the government has granted infrastructure status to data centres, allowing them to access long-term credit and cheaper financing. This policy framework, combined with India’s large talent pool and growing digital economy, is positioning the country as a primary destination for global “Sovereign AI” infrastructure.
Key Takeaways
- Meta and Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) have partnered to develop a 168 MW AI-enabled data centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
- The facility is Meta’s first dedicated AI data centre in India and is expected to commence operations by 2028.
- The data centre will be powered by renewable energy from the Dhirubhai Ambani Green Energy Giga Complex and will use desalinated seawater for cooling.
- This partnership follows Meta’s $5.7 billion investment for a 9.99% stake in Jio Platforms in April 2020.
- The IndiaAI Mission, with an outlay of ₹10,372 crore, supports the development of such large-scale AI infrastructure in the country.
- The Union Budget 2026-27 provides a 20-year tax holiday (until 2047) to foreign cloud providers using India-based data centres.
