HCLTech said on July 24 it plans to set up what it described as its first AI data center in Odisha with Sarvam, an India-based sovereign AI startup, and the state government.

The project will use HCLTech’s AI stack and Sarvam’s foundation models for public- and private-sector applications, with a planned capital outlay of 142.6 billion rupees (US$1.48 billion).

HCLTech separately signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Odisha government to set up a Global Technology Center in Bhubaneswar.

The company said the center will house 5,000 people and is expected to start operations by 2028.

Sarvam described the Odisha project as a 50-megawatt AI-optimized facility intended to serve as a state AI public utility for sectors including mining, heavy industry, and skilling, while also supporting a wider national compute grid.

Details of Odisha’s financial support were not disclosed, beyond HCLTech saying the outlay includes assistance from the state government.

The announcement comes as India’s sovereign AI push continues, with national compute capacity crossing 58,000 graphics processing units under the IndiaAI Mission.

Sarvam said it raised US$234 million in the first close of its series B in June, with HCLTech investing US$150 million as the lead strategic investor.

🔗 Source: HCLTech

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