HCLTech to establish its first AI data centre at Odisha Sovereign AI Park in Bhubaneswar with a ₹14,257 crore investment, partnering with Sarvam and the state government
OdishaPlus Bureau
HCLTech announced on Friday its intention to establish its inaugural artificial intelligence (AI) data centre at the forthcoming Odisha Sovereign AI Park, collaborating with AI startup Sarvam and the Odisha government. The project entails a projected capital investment of Rs 14,257 crore, which includes financial support from the state government.
This initiative signifies HCLTech’s foray into India’s comprehensive AI infrastructure sector, following its recent declaration earlier this month regarding plans to broaden its involvement in this area.
The AI data centre will be constructed through a tripartite collaboration involving HCLTech, Sarvam, and the Government of Odisha. The investment is designed to enhance India’s sovereign AI capabilities and expedite the development of the nation’s data ecosystem.
As stated by the company, the facility will integrate HCLTech’s full-stack AI expertise with Sarvam’s foundational models to create sector-specific AI applications tailored for both public and private sector organizations, while also fulfilling the government’s data sovereignty mandates. Furthermore, the platform will facilitate multilingual AI-driven services to enhance digital accessibility, aligning with the Centre’s objective of making AI universally available.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) for this initiative was formalized between HCLTech, the Odisha government, and Sarvam, with the presence of Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Electronics and IT Minister Mukesh Mahaling, HCLTech Chairperson Roshni Nadar Malhotra, HCLTech CEO and Managing Director C Vijayakumar, and Sarvam Co-founder Pratyush Kumar.
“HCLTech has consistently represented India’s technology sector. In alignment with the Digital India and Atmanirbhar Bharat vision articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we aim to facilitate India’s sovereign AI ecosystem through unique offerings across the value chain, supported by targeted investments and collaborations. We are excited to embark on this journey in partnership with the Odisha government and Sarvam,” stated Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Chairperson of HCLTech.
HCLTech stated that India ranks as one of the fastest-growing technology markets globally, with the country’s data centre ecosystem experiencing rapid expansion. This growth is fueled by the digital economy’s development, data localisation mandates, and a rising demand for GPU infrastructure to facilitate AI training and inference tasks.