Mukesh Ambani, the billionaire chairman of Reliance Industries, announced a groundbreaking initiative on Thursday, revealing a substantial ₹10 trillion (approximately $110 billion) investment aimed at developing artificial intelligence (AI) computing infrastructure in India over the next seven years. This announcement was made during the India AI Impact Summit held in New Delhi.
The ambitious investment strategy will focus on constructing gigawatt-scale data centers, establishing a nationwide edge computing network, and rolling out new AI services integrated with Reliance’s Jio telecom platform. Currently, construction is already underway for multi-gigawatt data centers located in Jamnagar, Gujarat, with over 120 megawatts of capacity anticipated to come online by the latter half of 2026.
Ambani’s announcement comes amid a surge of AI investments in India. Just days prior, the Adani Group disclosed plans for a $100 billion investment to build AI data centers across the country. The Indian government also projects that over $200 billion will be dedicated to AI infrastructure over the next two years. International tech giants are similarly increasing their presence, with OpenAI collaborating with Tata Group to develop approximately 100 megawatts of AI capacity, with intentions to scale this to 1 gigawatt in the future.
Ambani emphasized the urgency of this initiative for India’s technological independence, stating, “We cannot afford to rent intelligence.” He aims to significantly lower the costs of AI services, similar to how Reliance previously reduced mobile data prices in India. “The biggest constraint in AI today is not talent or imagination; it is the scarcity and high cost of compute,” he added.
The project will leverage Reliance’s extensive green energy infrastructure, which includes 10 gigawatts of surplus solar power generated from installations in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. In addition, Reliance plans to collaborate with Indian enterprises, startups, and academic institutions to implement AI across various sectors, including manufacturing, logistics, agriculture, healthcare, and financial services.
Notably, Jio has already formed strategic partnerships in the AI landscape, including a deal with Google to provide free access to Gemini AI Pro for millions of users in India. Ambani also noted that the development of AI capabilities in multiple Indian languages would be crucial for enhancing technology adoption.
This assertive move underscores the competitive landscape among India’s largest conglomerates as they strive to capture a stake in what is projected to be one of the nation’s most significant technological advancements.
