TLDRs;
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- Mukesh Ambani launches Reliance Intelligence, an AI-focused subsidiary backed by partnerships with Google and Meta.
- Reliance will build an AI data center in Jamnagar with Google Cloud to power India’s AI infrastructure.
- Meta joint venture worth $100M will deliver enterprise AI solutions for business sectors like sales and advertising.
- Despite a looming AI talent shortage, Reliance aims to replicate Jio’s rapid success in the emerging AI sector.
Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani has unveiled Reliance Intelligence, a new subsidiary dedicated to building artificial intelligence infrastructure, marking the conglomerate’s most ambitious push yet into the fast-growing AI sector.
The announcement came during Reliance’s annual general meeting, underscoring the company’s vision to anchor India’s role in the global AI race.
The subsidiary’s first major project will be in partnership with Google Cloud, focusing on developing a state-of-the-art AI cloud infrastructure. Work is already underway on a data center in Jamnagar, Gujarat, a location deeply symbolic for Reliance.
Jamnagar is home to the company’s world-famous oil refinery, which at its launch in 2000 was the largest in the world. Now, Reliance plans to turn the same city into a hub for India’s AI future.
Joint venture with Meta worth $100M
Beyond cloud infrastructure, Ambani announced a joint venture with Meta to deliver enterprise-grade AI solutions. The collaboration is structured with a 70/30 ownership split and represents a combined investment of $100 million.
Through this venture, Reliance gains access to Meta’s Llama-based AI platform, enabling businesses in India and select global markets to adopt AI tools for sales optimization, digital advertising, and customer service automation.
This partnership reflects a larger strategic shift by Reliance. Much like the launch of Jio in 2016, which disrupted India’s telecom landscape, the AI initiative positions the conglomerate to once again reshape a transformative sector.
Building on a legacy of reinvention
Reliance’s move into AI is consistent with its historical strategy of entering industries at pivotal moments.
From textiles in the 1960s, petrochemicals during India’s economic liberalization of the 1980s, to its digital revolution through Jio in the smartphone era, the company has consistently bet on high-growth opportunities.
Ambani’s decision to anchor AI infrastructure in Jamnagar demonstrates this same forward-looking approach. Industry analysts note that by leveraging existing infrastructure and partnerships with global tech giants, Reliance is positioning itself not only to follow market trends but to drive India’s next major economic transformation.
India’s AI talent shortage
While the ambition is clear, Reliance will face headwinds in execution. India’s AI market is projected to reach $7.84 billion by 2025, potentially adding as much as $500 billion to the country’s GDP. Yet, a serious talent gap looms.
Currently, just 16% of India’s IT professionals are skilled in AI, compared to the estimated 1 million AI specialists the country will need by 2026. Reliance has pledged to recruit “world-class researchers, engineers, designers, and product builders,” but competition for top talent will be fierce.
Still, Reliance has defied skeptics before. Jio’s meteoric rise, from launch to nearly 400 million subscribers, shows the company’s ability to execute at scale in difficult environments.
Global ambitions and IPO outlook
Alongside the AI announcement, Ambani hinted at expansion plans for Jio Platforms, signaling that Reliance may take its digital arm global.
He further revealed that a potential public listing of Jio Platforms could happen as early as the first half of 2026, raising expectations of another milestone in the company’s evolution.
With Reliance Intelligence, Ambani is betting on AI not just as a technological upgrade but as the cornerstone of India’s economic future. Backed by Google and Meta, the venture aims to position Reliance at the center of the world’s next technological revolution.
