Meta signs its inaugural data center agreement in India with Reliance.

      Meta has entered into an agreement to lease a 168-megawatt, AI-ready data center in India from Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries, marking its first such facility in the country. Reliance will construct the site in Jamnagar, Gujarat, and Meta will lease it with potential for expansion, the companies announced on Tuesday.

      “This state-of-the-art facility in Jamnagar will enable us to expand our global AI infrastructure while strengthening our long-term commitment to India’s economy,” said Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The company positions the site as part of its initiative toward what it refers to as “personal superintelligence.”

      The data center will utilize renewable energy and employ desalinated seawater for cooling, with Meta assuming full responsibility for both the energy and water costs. Jamnagar, where Reliance is developing one of the largest data center campuses globally, is located near undersea cable landings and Jio’s fiber network. The 168MW represents the initial phase, with potential for further expansion.

      The agreement enhances a partnership that originated with Meta’s $5.7 billion investment in Reliance’s Jio Platforms in 2020, which was followed by a joint venture aimed at delivering Meta’s open-source AI models to Indian enterprises. This development occurs amidst a broader trend, as over $400 billion has been invested in India’s AI ecosystem over the past year, primarily channeled into data centers and the necessary energy to operate them.

      Meta operates extensive computing facilities in the US, ranging from a $200 billion campus in Louisiana to a $21 billion deal with CoreWeave, but India presents advantages like lower land costs, available power, and a user base exceeding one billion. This allure is partly driven by the limitations faced by US and European grids, which are overwhelmed by AI demands, prompting utilities to plan $1.4 trillion in investments, while India’s capacity is rapidly expanding.

      To facilitate this development sustainably, Meta has also secured nearly 1GW of renewable energy in India, including 837MW from CleanMax and 88MW from Fourth Partner Energy. The critical question remains whether this supply can keep up with demand. Operating a 168MW facility with expansion capacity using renewable energy and desalinated water is the strategy, but India's grid and water systems face challenges of their own. Whether Jamnagar can maintain its sustainability as Meta expands is the upcoming challenge.

      Published June 10, 2026 - 11:50 am UTC