- OpenAI and TCS plan to build AI data centre infrastructure in India
- TCS will initially build centres with 100MW power, scalable to 1GW capacity
- The partnership aims to position India as a global hub for AI technology
US ChatGPT maker OpenAI and IT giant Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) announced Thursday a plan to build data centre infrastructure in India, currently hosting a major artificial intelligence summit.
"This infrastructure will power next-generation AI workloads and position India as a global AI hub," the companies said in a statement.
Data centres that can train and run AI systems are under construction worldwide on a massive scale, as companies race to develop super-intelligent technologies.
But the huge amounts of electricity needed to power them and water to cool hot servers have sparked alarm at a time when countries have pledged to decarbonise their grids to try and slow climate change.
On Thursday, OpenAI and TCS unveiled a "multi-year partnership to develop AI infrastructure in India".
In the initial phase, TCS will build data centres with 100 megawatts of electric power capacity "with an option to scale to 1GW (gigawatt)".
This capacity for computing power is often referred to as "hyperscale".
The companies and TCS's parent conglomerate Tata Group announced other collaborations on Thursday, including access to a business version of ChatGPT for thousands of Tata employees.
Another initiative will "provide AI training and resources to Indian youth, enabling them to apply AI responsibly and efficiently on a large scale".
US tech firms have rushed to announce deals and investments at this week's AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, where OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is scheduled to speak on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Google said it would build new subsea cables from India and chip titan Nvidia unveiled tie-ups with computing firms to provide advanced processors for AI data centres.
IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said Tuesday that India expects more than $200 billion in investments over the next two years, including roughly $90 billion already committed.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
