Reliance and Nvidia to Join Forces to Build AI Infrastructure in India

On October 24, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang announced a collaboration with Reliance Industries to build artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure in India. The partnership was unveiled during the Nvidia AI Summit 2024, in a discussion between Jensen Huang and Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani.

Huang praised India’s vast pool of computer engineers and highlighted the country's unique position, stating, "This is an excellent opportunity for India to have a large population and a large population of computer engineers. This is such an extraordinary time. I am honored and privileged to get to partner with you for this.”

Ambani echoed the sentiment, lauding India’s exceptional digital connectivity infrastructure, apart from the US and China. Huang also emphasized that, “In just one year's time, by the end of this year, we will have nearly 20 times more compute capacities here in India than just a little over a year ago.”

This partnership, initially announced in September 2023, will see Nvidia provide the computing power to build a cloud-based AI platform, while Reliance’s Jio will manage the infrastructure and customer engagement. 

Ambani expressed his confidence in the collaboration, drawing parallels to the success of Jio in the telecom sector. He also acknowledged Nvidia's GB-200 system as a technological game-changer. "Counting on Nvidia to deliver good quality AI infrastructure just the way Jio did it in telecom,” he said.

Apart from its collaboration with Reliance, Nvidia is also partnering with other Indian companies, including Tech Mahindra, to create a Hindi large language model, Flipkart, to enhance conversational AI in customer service, and partnerships with healthcare organizations to use AI to improve productivity and patient care.

In the conversation, Huang told Ambani that India will not just deliver CEOs to the world, but also AI services. He added, “PM Narendra Modi asked me to address his cabinet on AI six years ago, was the first national leader to make such an ask. PM Modi told me India shouldn't export data to import intelligence, should not export flour to import bread. India exported software; in future, India will export AI.”

Before this, Nvidia had formed agreements to establish AI data centers with Indian giants like Reliance and Tata Group. Soon after, Mukesh Ambani introduced JioBrain, a suite of AI tools, during Reliance Industries' shareholders meeting in August.

To Summarize

This collaboration can significantly boost India’s AI capabilities, with applications ranging from chatbots to climate research, promising to propel the nation to the forefront of AI innovation globally. Huang characterized the AI industry as experiencing a "seismic change" and predicted that India, traditionally known for software exports, is on track to lead in AI exportation. "India exported software; in the future, it will export AI," he said, highlighting the nation's transformation from being a software hub to becoming a powerhouse in AI development and delivery. As India accelerates its development in AI, the collaboration marks a strategic move that could position the nation at the forefront of global AI advancements.