Shares of Reliance Industries rose over 2 percent in early trade on Wednesday after the company announced a partnership with Meta to develop the social media giant's first AI-enabled data centre in India.


The stock climbed 2.39 percent to Rs 1,300 on the BSE in Wednesday morning session.

Under the agreement, Reliance will build a 168-megawatt data centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat, which Meta will lease for its artificial intelligence and computing requirements.

Reliance will provide end-to-end services for the project, including design, construction, utility management, renewable energy supply, network connectivity and managed services.

The development expands the strategic relationship between the two companies. Reliance and Meta had earlier formed a joint venture to develop AI solutions for enterprises in India and select international markets. Meta had also acquired a 9.99 percent stake in Jio Platforms through a $5.7 billion investment in 2020.

Commenting on the partnership, Reliance Industries Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani said the project would position Jamnagar as a major hub for hyperscale AI computing and strengthen India's digital infrastructure capabilities.

Reliance said the Jamnagar location offers advantages including renewable energy availability, access to desalinated water, proximity to submarine cable landing stations and connectivity through Jio's fibre network. The facility will run on renewable energy and use desalinated seawater for cooling.