Under the agreement, Reliance will develop a 168-megawatt data center that will be leased to Meta once it is completed in two years, the Mumbai-based conglomerate said in a statement. Financial details of the project were not disclosed, but Reliance said there is room for future expansion.
“This partnership with Meta marks a transformative moment for India’s digital infrastructure,” Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, said in the statement.
“Building India’s first built-to-suit data center for a global technology leader of Meta’s scale demonstrates India’s readiness to be at the forefront of the global AI revolution.”
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Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, arrives to address the company’s annual general meeting in Mumbai, India July 5, 2018. Photo by Reuters |
Reliance said the western state of Gujarat was chosen for the project because it offers adequate infrastructure, access to renewable energy and water, proximity to India’s western submarine cable landing stations, and connectivity through Jio’s extensive fiber network.
“We’re proud to be working with Reliance to build our first AI-enabled data center in India,” Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said. “This world-class facility in Jamnagar will help us scale our AI infrastructure globally while deepening our long-term investment in India’s economy.”
India has become a hotspot for data center investment, driven by rising demand for AI and cloud computing, according to Forbes.
The boom has attracted some of the country’s billionaires. Ambani’s Reliance Industries has pledged to invest INR10 trillion (US$110 billion) over the next seven years in data centers, renewable energy and other infrastructure projects across India.
Adani Enterprises, controlled by India’s richest man Gautam Adani, plans to invest about $100 billion in the sector.
Foreign investors are also pouring money into the sector. Most recently, AirTrunk, the data center company founded by Australian billionaire Robin Khuda and backed by Blackstone, announced plans to invest more than INR3 trillion ($30 billion) in data center projects in India by 2030.
Ambani has a real-time net worth of $86.6 billion, ranking 24th globally. Reliance Industries has interests in energy, petrochemicals, telecommunications, retail, media and financial services.
Source:e.vnexpress.net
