Reliance unveils $110 billion investment plan in AI as India ramps up tech ambitions

Mukesh Ambani, the billionaire chairman of India’s Reliance Group, on Thursday unveiled the group’s 10 trillion rupee (about $110 billion) plan to build India’s artificial intelligence computing infrastructure over the next seven years.

Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi on Thursday, Ambani said the investment will fund gigawatt-sized data centres, a nationwide computing network, and new AI services integrated with Reliance’s Jio communications platform.

Reliance has already started building multi-gigawatt data centers in Jamnagar, Gujarat, and more than 120 MW of power is expected to be operational in the second half of 2026, Ambani said.

Ambani’s pledge adds to a growing wave of investment in artificial intelligence in India. Earlier this week, Adani Group outlined plans to invest about $100 billion to build AI data centers in the country, and the Indian government expects to spend more than $200 billion on AI infrastructure over the next two years.

Global technology companies are also strengthening their presence, with OpenAI partnering with the Tata group to develop about 100 megawatts of AI capacity in the country, and plans to increase that to 1 gigawatt eventually.

Ambani said the push was essential for India’s technological self-reliance, saying the country “cannot afford to rent intelligence” and that Reliance aims to significantly reduce the cost of AI services and once reduced mobile data prices in the country.

“The biggest barrier in AI today is not talent or imagination,” Ambani said. “It’s scarcity and the high cost of computing.”

Ambani said the construction will be supported by Reliance’s green energy capacity, which extends to 10 GW of surplus capacity from solar projects in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.

Reliance will collaborate with Indian companies, startups and academic institutions to embed AI in industries ranging from manufacturing and logistics to agriculture, healthcare and financial services.

Jio has already struck partnerships in the AI ​​space: last year it struck a deal with Google to provide free access to Gemini AI Pro to millions of its users in India.

Reliance also plans to develop AI capabilities in several Indian languages ​​to stimulate adoption of the technology, Ambani said.

This powerful campaign highlights how India’s largest conglomerates are racing to secure a foothold in what is expected to be one of the country’s biggest technology opportunities.