Reliance’s Gigawatt-Scale Data Center Plans
Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries is set to build what it claims will be the “world’s largest” data center in Jamnagar, Gujarat, India. The project, first unveiled in September last year, now has new momentum as the Indian billionaire has reiterated its massive scale.
Reliance is expected to procure AI semiconductors from Nvidia for this facility, according to Bloomberg. While specific details about the data center’s capacity or timeline remain undisclosed, it’s clear that Reliance aims to establish a global benchmark for data center infrastructure.
AI and Infrastructure Collaboration with Nvidia
Reliance’s partnership with Nvidia, announced in 2023, underpins the ambitious project. The collaboration focuses on developing AI supercomputers and creating large language models (LLMs) to support India’s diverse linguistic ecosystem. Nvidia has committed to supplying its Blackwell AI processors for the gigawatt-scale data center, enhancing AI capabilities in India.
Jensen Huang, Nvidia’s CEO, emphasized India’s strategic position in the global AI landscape: “India should not export data to import intelligence. You should not export flour to import bread.”
Competing Gigawatt-Scale Projects Worldwide
While Reliance’s project aims for global dominance, other players are also eyeing similar milestones. Start Campus is launching a 1.2GW data center in Sines, Portugal, while Sailfish, Edged, and Meta are progressing on their gigawatt-scale campuses.
India’s advanced digital connectivity infrastructure, combined with government-backed AI initiatives, positions the country as a formidable competitor in the data center industry.
Telangana’s Growing Data Center Investments
Government Partnerships to Develop AI-Optimized Facilities
In parallel, Telangana is emerging as a significant player in the data center space. The Telangana government has partnered with Blackstone’s data center division, Ursa Clusters, and Tillman Global Holdings to develop multiple facilities in Hyderabad. These investments underscore the region’s ambition to establish itself as a global data center hub.
Blackstone’s Hyperscaler-Ready Facility
Blackstone’s data center arm is constructing a 150MW hyperscaler-focused facility in Hyderabad. This project represents an investment of Rs 4,500 crore ($521 million) and is designed to support AI and cloud computing applications.
Ursa Clusters’ AI-Optimized Data Center
US-based Ursa Clusters has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Telangana government to develop a 100MW AI-optimized data center in Hyderabad. The investment of Rs 5,000 crore ($580 million) highlights Hyderabad’s growing prominence in the AI and data center sectors.
Tillman Global Holdings’ Massive 300MW Facility
Tillman Global Holdings is also investing Rs 15,000 crore ($1.7 billion) in Hyderabad for a 300MW data center facility. At full build-out, this facility will significantly bolster the region’s data center capacity.
Dr. Sridhar Babu, senior minister for the Telangana government, commented on these developments: “Tillman Global Holdings investment reflects our state’s investor-friendly policies and its ability to attract global technology leaders.”
Hyderabad: India’s Emerging Data Center Hub
Hyderabad’s data center landscape is rapidly expanding, with major players like Iron Mountain, AdaniConneX, Nxtra, Microsoft, and Tata Communications establishing a presence. Amazon Web Services (AWS) also operates a cloud region in Hyderabad and announced further expansions last year. Recent announcements from STT GDC and CtrlS reinforce the city’s growing reputation as a preferred destination for data center investments.
FAQs
1. What is the significance of Reliance’s data center project in Gujarat?
Reliance’s project aims to be the world’s largest data center, leveraging Nvidia’s advanced AI semiconductors. It represents a significant step in India’s ambitions to lead in AI and digital infrastructure.
2. Why is Hyderabad becoming a key hub for data centers?
Hyderabad’s investor-friendly policies, robust digital infrastructure, and strategic partnerships with global technology leaders have made it an attractive destination for data center investments.
3. What role does AI play in modern data centers?
AI enhances data center operations by optimizing power usage, improving cooling efficiency, and supporting advanced workloads like machine learning and cloud computing.
4. How does Nvidia’s partnership with Reliance benefit India?
Nvidia’s collaboration with Reliance enables the development of AI supercomputers and LLMs tailored to India’s diverse languages, boosting the country’s AI capabilities.
5. What other major data center projects are planned globally?
Start Campus in Portugal, Sailfish, Edged, and Meta are all working on gigawatt-scale projects to compete with Reliance’s ambitious plans.
