Ambani bets on AI with new Reliance unit, partnerships with Meta and Google

Reliance Industries Ltd. and Meta Platforms Inc. are setting up a joint venture to develop artificial-intelligence solutions for Indian businesses, in one of the most high-profile tie-ups yet in the country’s evolving AI market.

The venture will be capitalised at approximately Rs 855 crore (roughly $100 million), with Reliance holding a 70% stake and Meta the remaining stake, the companies said on Friday. The partnership, expected to close by the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to regulatory approvals, will focus on building enterprise tools powered by Meta’s open-source Llama models.

The new entity aims to deliver AI in two main formats: a full-stack platform-as-a-service that allows organisations to customise and deploy generative-AI models, and a suite of pre-configured applications designed for both cross-functional and industry-specific use cases. Reliance said the offerings will target sectors ranging from sales and marketing to IT operations, customer service, and finance.

The two companies are positioning the venture as a way to make enterprise-grade AI accessible to a broad swath of Indian organisations, from large corporates to small and midsize firms. 

By combining Meta’s engineering expertise with Reliance’s nationwide reach and digital infrastructure, including Jio’s connectivity network and RIL’s AI data centres, the partners say they can lower costs and ensure secure, low-latency deployments. The flexibility to run applications on the cloud, on-premises, or

Reliance’s infrastructure is also expected to help businesses manage expenses more efficiently.

“This partnership will democratise enterprise-grade AI for every Indian organisation—enabling them to innovate faster, operate more efficiently, and compete confidently on the global stage,” said Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the venture would bring the company’s AI models into “real-world use” in one of its most important markets. “We’re excited to deepen our partnership with Reliance to bring the power of open-source AI to Indian developers and enterprises,” he said.

With lower entry costs, Reliance and Meta said small businesses and startups could adopt advanced AI tools more easily, narrowing the technology gap with larger rivals.

Partnership with Google 

Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai said the AI opportunity in India is “extraordinary,” predicting it would transform industries ranging from energy and telecom to small neighbourhood stores. Speaking at Reliance Industries’ annual general meeting, he said Google and Reliance are working together to apply AI across the conglomerate’s businesses and will set up a dedicated Google Cloud region in Jamnagar, powered by Reliance’s clean energy and linked to Jio’s network. 

Pichai added that as Reliance’s largest public cloud partner, Google Cloud is already supporting the company’s core workloads while jointly developing advanced AI initiatives. “With Reliance and the Jio ecosystem, we are excited to put AI into the hands of more people and businesses so they can do extraordinary things,” he said.