The richest man in India plans to build the largest data center in the world, with a capacity five times greater than Microsoft's largest site.
The Reliance Group expects that its new data center will be operational by 2027.
Mukesh Ambani, at the helm of the Reliance Group conglomerate, is undertaking an ambitious project that will transform India's technological landscape. The company is developing a data center in Jamnagar, Gujarat, which has the potential to become the largest in the world, with a capacity of 3 gigawatts. This new facility will represent a significant increase over the current capacity of data centers in the country, which is less than 1 gigawatt, marking a milestone by being five times larger than Microsoft's 600-megawatt infrastructure in Boydton, Virginia.
The data center is expected to be operational by 2027. Nvidia has been chosen as the supplier of artificial intelligence chips, a decision that aligns with the growing demand for infrastructure for this type of technology. Internationally, companies like OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle are heavily investing in artificial intelligence projects, while Meta, under the leadership of Mark Zuckerberg, plans to allocate enormous sums for the development of data centers.
Reliance intends for the new center to operate primarily on renewable energy, integrating with its existing solar, wind, and green hydrogen projects. However, there are concerns about the need for backup power sources, such as fossil fuels, to ensure stable energy supply.
Although Reliance representatives did not provide additional information, it has been mentioned that the CEO of Reliance Jio Infocomm, Akash Ambani, stated that the goal is to complete the construction of the data center within 24 months.
Reliance, headquartered in Mumbai, started as a small textile business in 1966, founded by Dhirubhai Ambani. Since then, it has evolved and diversified into petrochemicals and refining, solidifying its position as a global giant under Mukesh Ambani's leadership following his father's death in 2002.
Despite the project's magnitude, the question arises as to how Reliance will finance the data center, which is estimated to cost between $20 billion and $30 billion. Currently, Reliance Industries Ltd., its main listed entity, is estimated to have approximately $26 billion on its balance sheet.