Mukesh Ambani, India’s wealthiest businessman and head of the Reliance Group, is setting his sights on building what could be the world’s largest data center — a massive project that would dwarf any existing facility, including Microsoft’s largest site.
Reliance, one of India’s most powerful and far-reaching conglomerates, plans to establish a 3-gigawatt (GW) data center in Jamnagar, Gujarat — a town already home to Reliance’s massive oil refining and petrochemical hubs. According to Bloomberg, this new data center would multiply India’s current total data capacity — estimated at less than 1 GW — and would be five times larger than Microsoft’s 600-megawatt data center in Boydton, Virginia.
Targeted to be operational by 2027, the project is being developed with AI chips supplied by Nvidia, highlighting Reliance’s commitment to entering the booming AI and cloud computing space. This comes as global tech giants like OpenAI, SoftBank, Oracle, and Meta ramp up investments in AI infrastructure. For instance, Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently announced plans for a $65 billion capital expenditure in 2025, including a 2GW+ data center that would span a large part of Manhattan.
Ambani has also committed to making this “giga data center” as green as possible, aiming to power it primarily with renewable energy, including solar, wind, and green hydrogen sourced from Reliance’s existing clean energy projects. However, reports suggest that a fully stable power supply may still require some backup from conventional sources.
While Reliance hasn’t shared detailed timelines or funding plans, Akash Ambani, Mukesh’s son and CEO of Reliance Jio Infocomm, previously indicated that the data center could be completed within two years. The estimated cost of $20 to $30 billion raises questions about financing, but with about $26 billion on Reliance’s balance sheet, the group appears well-positioned to pursue such an ambitious goal.
Founded in 1966 by Dhirubhai Ambani as a textile business, Reliance has grown into a global force, with ventures spanning petrochemicals, refining, retail, and telecommunications. Under Mukesh Ambani’s leadership since 2002, the company has redefined India’s industrial landscape — and now, it seems poised to make a bold leap into the digital future.