Quick Take
- Meta will lease a 168 MW India AI data centre built by Reliance in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
- Reliance constructs the built-to-suit facility, powered by renewable energy and cooled with desalinated seawater.
- The first phase is ready within two years, with options to scale capacity over time.
In This Article
Meta will set up its first India AI data centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat, leasing a 168 MW facility that Reliance Industries will build. The two companies announced the deal on June 10, 2026, expanding a six-year partnership (Meta announcement).
The facility marks Meta’s first dedicated AI infrastructure bet in India. Reliance will construct the built-to-suit data centre, while Meta leases the capacity with options to scale. Meta said the site will run on renewable energy and use desalinated seawater for cooling, with the company covering the full cost of energy and water (Meta announcement).
StartupFeed Insight
The most telling detail is the lease structure. Meta is not buying or building, it is renting capacity Reliance owns. That keeps Meta’s capital light while Reliance absorbs the construction risk and owns the campus. Founders and infra investors should watch this closely, because it signals a hyperscaler-as-tenant model that could repeat across India’s data centre boom. StartupFeed expects at least two more global cloud firms to announce similar built-to-suit leases at Jamnagar or Hyderabad by mid-2027, as the 20-year tax exemption for export-serving data centres pulls foreign capacity into Indian soil. By StartupFeed Desk.
Deal Breakdown: The Numbers
The India AI data centre deal is a capacity lease, not a cash investment with a disclosed price tag. Meta and Reliance did not share a deal value, so the headline figure is the facility’s power capacity.
| Metric | Detail | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| First-phase capacity | 168 MW | Option to scale over time (Meta announcement) |
| Location | Jamnagar, Gujarat | Part of Reliance’s large data centre campus |
| Structure | Built-to-suit lease | Reliance builds, Meta leases (Reliance statement) |
| Delivery timeline | Within two years | First phase, per company release |
| Power and cooling | Renewable energy, desalinated seawater | Meta covers full energy and water cost |
| Announcement date | June 10, 2026 | Joint Meta and Reliance statement |
The standout fact is the cooling method. Using desalinated seawater at a coastal site like Jamnagar cuts the freshwater strain that data centres usually place on local supply.
About Meta
Meta Platforms is the world’s largest social media company, founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and headquartered in Menlo Park, California. It runs Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger, serving close to 4 billion monthly active users (company data). Meta earns mainly from advertising and is investing heavily in AI infrastructure. Its India ties run through Jio Platforms, in which it holds a major stake since 2020.
Why did Meta pick Jamnagar?
Meta picked Jamnagar because Reliance is building one of the world’s largest data centre campuses there, with the energy resources needed for AI workloads. The coastal Gujarat site offers power scale, renewable supply, and seawater cooling in one place.
“This world-class facility in Jamnagar will help us scale our AI infrastructure globally while deepening our long-term investment in India’s economy,” said Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO, Meta.
For Meta, the location solves the hardest problem in AI infrastructure, which is securing enough clean, reliable power. Pairing the site with Meta’s Project Waterworth subsea cable system aims to bring fast connectivity to the region. India’s data centre sector is also expanding quickly, helped by a 20-year tax exemption for facilities serving global clients (company release, government policy).
How deep is the Meta Reliance partnership?
The Meta Reliance partnership began in 2020, when Meta invested $5.7 Bn (Rs 47,500 Cr) in Jio Platforms. The relationship has since grown across connectivity, commerce, and AI.
After the 2020 deal, the two firms launched a joint venture to bring Meta’s open-source AI models to Indian businesses and developers. The new data centre is the next step, moving the partnership into the physical infrastructure that powers AI. You can read the full statement on the Meta Newsroom announcement. Mukesh Ambani called it a transformative moment for India’s digital infrastructure (Reliance statement).
How does this compare to rival data centres?
India’s data centre market is drawing heavy global interest, with roughly $400 Bn flowing into the country’s AI ecosystem over the past year (industry reports). Meta now joins a crowded field of hyperscalers racing for Indian capacity.
| Player | Approach in India | Edge |
|---|---|---|
| Meta + Reliance | Leases built-to-suit Jamnagar site | Capital-light, renewable-powered |
| Global cloud peers | Own and operate regional zones | Full control of stack |
| Domestic operators | Build and rent colocation space | Local land and power deals |
What sets Meta apart here is that it leases rather than owns, letting Reliance carry the build while Meta focuses on AI workloads.
What’s Next
The first 168 MW phase is due within two years, so a 2028 go-live is the milestone to track. Meta has kept the option to expand capacity, and its separate clean-energy deals add nearly 1 GW of renewable supply in India. Will rival hyperscalers follow Meta into built-to-suit leases at Jamnagar?
Frequently Asked Questions
Last updated: June 11, 2026 at 14:30 IST
Written by Avinash. Published: June 11, 2026. Updated: June 11, 2026. Have a tip? Write to us at editorial@startupfeed.in.
