SAM Advises Meta on Its First Hyperscale Data Centre in India With Reliance Industries
Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. (SAM) has acted as legal counsel to Meta Platforms Inc. in connection with the establishment of its first Meta hyperscale data centre in India, located in Jamnagar, Gujarat, in collaboration with Reliance Industries Limited (RIL). This landmark India–US cross-border transaction involves the development of next-generation digital infrastructure within a proposed Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Jamnagar and is among the largest data centre developments in the country.
Introduction
Reliance Industries Limited and Meta Platforms have partnered to develop a 168-megawatt data centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat — the first built-to-suit data centre capacity in India for Meta. Under the agreement, RIL will provide comprehensive end-to-end services spanning the entire lifecycle of the data centre, from design and construction to the ongoing management of utilities, renewable power supply, network connectivity, and fully managed operational services. Meta will lease the entire initial 168 MW capacity to support its global infrastructure operations, core business services, and rapidly growing artificial intelligence (AI) computing requirements.
The project envisages the development of hyperscale data centre buildings with a critical load capacity of 168 MW. The data centre will be powered by renewable energy and cooled with desalinated seawater. The project is expected to be delivered within two years, with provisions for future expansion as demand grows.
SAM advised Meta on all legal aspects and documentation relating to the establishment of the project, including the associated commercial, regulatory, SEZ, and real estate aspects of the transaction.
Legal Teams Involved
Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. advised Meta Platforms Inc.
Transaction Team
- Deepto Roy, Partner
- Dnyanraj Desai, Partner
- Neeladri Chakrabarti, Consultant
- Shubham Sharma, Principal Associate
- Aakaansha Arya, Senior Associate
- Jayalakshmi Sankar, Associate
- Harshita Chitlangia, Associate
- Sudekshana Venkatesan, Associate
Tax Team
- Gouri Puri, Partner
Disputes Team
- Shashank Mishra, Partner
- Akshi Rastogi, Principal Associate
Real Estate Team
- Bhoumick Vaidya, Partner
- Tasneem Zaveri, Senior Associate
- Mansi Dhadke, Associate
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Significance and Impact
Announced on 10 June 2026, this is the first built-to-suit data centre capacity in India for Meta and represents a significant milestone in India’s emergence as a global hub for AI infrastructure. The development further strengthens the long-standing relationship between Reliance and Meta, following Meta’s $5.7 billion investment in Jio Platforms in 2020 and subsequent collaborations in digital services and AI initiatives.
Jamnagar offers access to renewable energy, desalinated seawater for cooling, proximity to submarine cable landing stations, and connectivity through Jio’s fibre network, making it highly suitable for hyperscale AI infrastructure. The transaction’s SEZ dimension adds a layer of regulatory complexity, with SAM advising across commercial, SEZ, real estate, tax, and disputes workstreams simultaneously — underscoring the breadth of the legal mandate on a cross-border infrastructure deal of this scale.
Conclusion
This transaction sees one of India’s leading law firms, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co., counsel a global technology giant on a landmark India–US cross-border deal for next-generation digital infrastructure development within a proposed SEZ in Jamnagar, Gujarat. With an initial capacity of 168 MW to be delivered within two years, this project marks Meta’s first built-to-suit data centre capacity in India — and a defining moment for the country’s digital infrastructure ambitions.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It is based on the details provided and publicly available sources.
