AI Investment – Mukesh Ambani Unveils Rs 10 Lakh Crore Plan for India
AI Investment – India’s digital transformation received a major push on Thursday as Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani announced a planned investment of up to Rs 10 lakh crore in artificial intelligence over the next seven years. The funding, to be deployed jointly by Jio and Reliance Industries, is aimed at building long-term technology capabilities rather than pursuing short-term financial gains.
Speaking at the AI India Impact Summit, Ambani described the commitment as a strategic national investment. He emphasized that the initiative is designed to generate sustainable economic value and strengthen India’s technological independence over the coming decades.
Building Sovereign Compute Infrastructure
Ambani pointed out that the key limitation in the AI sector today is not a lack of skilled professionals or ideas, but the limited availability and high cost of computing power. To address this gap, Jio Intelligence plans to establish a sovereign compute ecosystem through three major initiatives.
The first involves the construction of large-scale, AI-ready data centres. Work has already begun in Jamnagar on multi-gigawatt facilities. According to Ambani, more than 120 megawatts of capacity are expected to become operational in the latter half of 2026. The company has outlined a roadmap to scale this capacity to gigawatt levels, supporting both AI model training and large-scale deployment.
Green Energy to Power Expansion
The second pillar of the strategy relies on renewable energy. Reliance has access to up to 10 gigawatts of surplus green power, primarily sourced from solar installations in Kutch and Andhra Pradesh. This energy advantage, Ambani noted, will help power the compute infrastructure sustainably while keeping operational costs under control.
By integrating renewable energy into AI infrastructure development, the company aims to align technological growth with environmental responsibility.
Nationwide Edge Computing Network
The third initiative centers on nationwide edge computing integrated with Jio’s telecom network. This layer of localized computing will enable faster processing, reduce latency, and bring AI capabilities closer to users across the country.
Ambani explained that intelligence should not remain confined to large enterprises or metropolitan hubs. Instead, AI-driven services will be accessible in neighborhood retail stores, rural clinics, classrooms, and farms. The broader goal is to make digital intelligence as widespread and reliable as mobile connectivity.
Expanding Access Across Sectors
Jio Intelligence intends to focus on strengthening India’s position in deep technology and advanced manufacturing. However, the initiative will also extend to agriculture, small businesses, and the informal economy. Ambani stated that the platform will prioritize productivity enhancement and operational efficiency rather than functioning merely as a conversational tool.
A significant emphasis will be placed on multilingual capabilities. The company aims to develop advanced AI systems that support all major Indian languages, enabling farmers, artisans, and students to interact with technology in their native tongues. This approach, Ambani said, is essential for ensuring broader inclusion in the digital economy.
Responsibility and Job Creation
Ambani assured that issues such as data security, responsible usage, and data residency would remain central to the initiative. He underlined the importance of trust as India expands its digital infrastructure.
Addressing concerns around automation, he argued that artificial intelligence will generate new high-skilled employment opportunities rather than eliminate jobs. The broader objective is to foster innovation and create a competitive ecosystem capable of operating at scale.
Partnerships with Industry and Academia
The Reliance Group plans to collaborate with Indian enterprises, startups, and leading academic institutions including IITs and IISc. The initiative will involve joint development efforts across manufacturing, logistics, energy, finance, retail, agriculture, and healthcare.
In addition, the company aims to work with global technology leaders as strategic partners, positioning India as a co-developer of next-generation AI systems. Ambani expressed confidence that this ecosystem-driven approach will help India emerge as a significant contributor to the global artificial intelligence landscape.