Meta signs first AI data center deal in India with Reliance

Overview

Meta has signed its first dedicated AI data center deal in India, leasing a 168-megawatt facility in Jamnagar, Gujarat, that Reliance Industries will design, build, and operate. The site will run on renewable power and use desalinated seawater for cooling, with Meta paying the full cost of the energy and water it consumes. The data center is expected to be ready within two years and is built to expand over time, giving Meta secured computing capacity in one of the fastest-growing AI markets.

Key Takeaways

Meta is leasing a 168-megawatt AI data center in Jamnagar, Gujarat, its first dedicated AI computing site in India.
Reliance Industries handles the full project end to end: design, construction, renewable power, network connectivity, and ongoing operations.
Under the build-to-lease structure, Reliance carries the construction cost and risk while Meta avoids the large upfront capital outlay and pays for the power and water it uses.
The facility runs on renewable energy and uses desalinated seawater for cooling, and Meta has contracted nearly 1 gigawatt of new clean power to supply it.
The deal builds on a partnership that began in 2020, when Meta invested 5.7 billion dollars in Reliance's Jio Platforms.
India's data center capacity has grown from about 375 megawatts in 2020 to roughly 1.5 gigawatts in 2025, with projections above 8 gigawatts by 2030.

Stats & Key Facts

#168-megawatt capacity for the leased AI data center in Jamnagar
#5.7 billion dollars invested by Meta in Reliance's Jio Platforms in 2020
#100 million dollar joint venture launched in 2025 to sell AI products to Indian businesses
#Nearly 1 gigawatt of new renewable energy capacity contracted to supply the site
#India data center capacity grew from about 375 megawatts in 2020 to roughly 1.5 gigawatts in 2025
#Projected growth of India's data center capacity past 8 gigawatts by 2030

Meta's 168-Megawatt Jamnagar Lease Explained

The agreement centers on a single large facility in western India.

›Capacity of 168 megawatts, large enough to rank as a hyperscale-class site
›Located in Jamnagar, Gujarat, on Reliance's industrial base
›Meta leases the space rather than owning the building
›Designed to be expanded over time as Meta's needs grow
›Expected to be ready within two years of the announcement

Why Reliance Builds and Meta Rents the Compute

The structure of the deal reflects a clear division of cost and risk.

Reliance Industries provides end-to-end services for the project, covering design, construction, utilities, renewable power supply, network connectivity, and day-to-day operations. Meta steps in as the tenant and pays for the energy and water its operations consume. A facility of this size requires billions of dollars in real estate and infrastructure before any servers are installed.

By signing a build-to-lease arrangement, Meta avoids that upfront capital spending and hands the construction risk to Reliance. The trade-off gives Meta faster access to computing capacity without tying up its own balance sheet in physical buildings, while Reliance gains a long-term anchor tenant for its growing data center business.

Renewable Power and Seawater Cooling at the Site

The facility is built around clean energy and water-efficient cooling.

›Runs on renewable energy supplied through the Reliance partnership
›Uses desalinated seawater for cooling instead of freshwater
›Meta has contracted nearly 1 gigawatt of new renewable capacity for the site
›Clean power comes through providers CleanMax and Fourth Partner Energy
›Meta commits to paying the full cost of the energy and water it uses

A Partnership That Started With a 5.7 Billion Dollar Bet

This data center deal extends a relationship years in the making.

Meta and Reliance began working together in 2020, when Meta invested 5.7 billion dollars in Reliance's Jio Platforms for a stake of close to 10 percent. The two companies have since widened their ties across digital services, enterprise software, and now physical infrastructure.

In 2025 they launched a 100 million dollar joint venture to bring Meta's open-source AI models to Indian businesses and developers. The new lease adds the compute layer to that strategy, pairing Meta's AI products with the hardware to run them inside India.

India's Data Center Boom and the Race for Capacity

The deal lands in a market expanding at a fast pace.

›India's data center capacity rose from about 375 megawatts in 2020 to roughly 1.5 gigawatts in 2025
›Industry projections estimate the total will climb past 8 gigawatts by 2030
›Growth is driven by rising cloud adoption and demand for AI workloads
›India offers tax incentives and is emerging as a regional hub for cloud and AI
›Rivals including Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and OpenAI have announced their own India infrastructure plans

What the Deal Means for Business Readers

Stripped of the technical detail, the move signals a few clear trends.

Large technology firms are racing to lock in computing capacity wherever they can find power, water, and land, and India has become a target because of its growth and government incentives. Meta's choice to rent rather than build shows how companies are spreading the cost and risk of AI infrastructure across partners rather than carrying it alone.

For Indian firms, the arrangement positions Reliance as a major operator of AI-ready facilities and could draw more foreign technology investment into the country. The broader signal is that AI demand is now reshaping where and how the world's biggest companies build their physical footprint.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Meta's new AI data center in India located?

The facility is in Jamnagar, Gujarat, in western India, on land tied to Reliance Industries. It is Meta's first dedicated AI computing site in the country.

Does Meta own the data center or lease it?

Meta leases the facility rather than owning it. Reliance Industries designs, builds, and operates the site, while Meta pays for the energy and water its operations use.

How big is the facility and when will it be ready?

The data center has a capacity of 168 megawatts and is expected to be ready within two years of the announcement. It is designed to expand over time as Meta's needs grow.

How is the data center powered and cooled?

The site runs on renewable energy and uses desalinated seawater for cooling instead of freshwater. Meta has contracted nearly 1 gigawatt of new renewable capacity through providers CleanMax and Fourth Partner Energy.

How long have Meta and Reliance worked together?

Their partnership began in 2020 when Meta invested 5.7 billion dollars in Reliance's Jio Platforms. In 2025 they launched a 100 million dollar joint venture to bring Meta's AI models to Indian businesses.

The Jamnagar lease gives Meta secured AI computing capacity in one of the world's fastest-growing markets while deepening a six-year partnership with Reliance. It also underscores how AI demand is now driving where the largest technology companies place their physical infrastructure.