Meta signs AI data center deal in India with Reliance

In short: Meta has agreed to lease space in a new 168-megawatt data center in India that Reliance Industries will build and run.

What happened

Meta and Reliance Industries announced a partnership for an “AI-enabled” data center in Jamnagar, in the Indian state of Gujarat. A data center is a large building full of computers that run online services, like a giant server room.

Reliance said the facility will be 168 megawatts and should be ready within two years. It can also be expanded over time. Meta will lease capacity there to support its global AI computing needs, meaning the computing work done in Jamnagar can help power Meta’s AI systems used around the world.

The companies said the site will be powered by renewable energy and cooled using desalinated seawater (sea water that has had the salt removed). Meta said it will cover the full cost of the energy and water used for its operations at the facility. Reliance will handle end-to-end work, including design, construction, power, connectivity, and ongoing operations.

Meta also said it has arranged nearly 1 gigawatt of new renewable energy capacity in India through deals with CleanMax and Fourth Partner Energy.

Why it matters

Big AI systems need a lot of computing power, which means more data centers and more electricity and water to run them. This deal is another sign that India is becoming a major place for these facilities, helped by government incentives and growing investment from both global tech firms and local companies. For regular people, more data centers can mean more local jobs and infrastructure, but it also raises questions about energy use and water resources, especially as demand keeps rising.

Source: TechCrunch AI