HCLTech has announced a $1.5 billion (₹14,257 crore) investment to build its first AI data centre in Odisha, India. The company signed a memorandum of understanding with Sarvam AI, an invested company, and the Odisha government to establish the facility in Bhubaneswar. The project will be located within the upcoming Odisha Sovereign AI Park and aims to support multilingual AI services and local developer ecosystem growth, according to inc42.com.
The AI data centre will combine HCLTech's infrastructure and enterprise capabilities with Sarvam AI's models to develop sector-specific applications for enterprise and government customers. The Odisha government is expected to provide financial assistance for the project. HCLTech managing director and CEO C Vijayakumar described the initiative as a key milestone in the company's full-stack AI strategy and highlighted Odisha's progressive policy environment and infrastructure as factors supporting the collaboration.
This investment follows HCLTech's recent strategic move to enter the full-stack AI market, including a planned ₹3,500 crore investment to establish AI data centres with potential capacity scaling to 50MW. In June, HCLTech acquired a 10.46% stake in Sarvam AI for ₹1,427.3 crore, strengthening its partnership. The project aligns with broader trends of Indian IT firms expanding AI infrastructure to meet growing demand for sovereign AI solutions and enterprise applications.
The AI data centre in Odisha represents HCLTech's largest announced capital outlay for AI infrastructure to date, with the company aiming to leverage the facility to serve both government and enterprise clients. The Odisha Sovereign AI Park, where the centre will be located, is positioned as a hub for AI innovation supported by state government policies and infrastructure.