Delhi: At the inaugural Global AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani laid out a sweeping vision for India’s AI future. Speaking alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron, Ambani asserted that India is poised to become one of the world’s leading AI powers in the 21st century. He cited six strategic strengths underpinning this ambition: Demography, Democracy, Development, Digital Infrastructure, Data Generation, and AI Harvest.
Jio’s Mission: Democratizing Intelligence
Ambani drew a parallel between Jio’s transformative role in internet access and its next step in AI. “India cannot afford to rent intelligence,” he said. “We will reduce the cost of intelligence as dramatically as we did the cost of data.” He emphasized that Reliance’s AI initiatives are long-term, disciplined investments aimed at nation-building rather than speculative gains, committing Rs. 10 lakh crores to AI ventures starting this year.
Revolutionizing Education and Healthcare
Among Ambani’s high-profile announcements:
- JioShikshak: An adaptive AI teaching assistant in 22 Indian languages, targeting 250 million school children and 50 million higher education students.
- Jio ArogyaAI: First-response medical guidance in under five minutes, available on any phone and in local languages.
- JioKrishi: AI-powered agricultural guidance using satellite imagery and precision weather data, helping 140 million farmers.
- JioBharatIQ: Voice-first AI companion for learning, earning, and accessing government services.
- JioFrames & Ambient Devices: AI-enabled glasses and next-generation intelligence devices for everyday users.
Gigawatt-Scale Infrastructure and Green Energy
Ambani announced the development of gigawatt-scale data centers in Jamnagar, with 120 MW coming online in late 2026 and plans to scale further. Reliance aims to power these centers with up to 10 GW of green energy sourced from solar projects in Kutch and Andhra Pradesh. Additionally, a nationwide edge-compute network will integrate low-latency AI into Jio’s digital ecosystem, spanning from local shops and clinics to classrooms and farms.
Guiding Principles and AI for All
Ambani outlined five principles for Jio’s AI deployment: deep-tech leadership reaching informal sectors, world-leading multilingual AI, data sovereignty and trust, job creation over displacement, and collaboration with IITs, IISc, startups, and global partners. He emphasized cultural integration, stating, “Jio AI will speak in India’s language, flourish in India’s culture, and grow in India’s soil.”
Positioning India as a Global AI Bridge
Closing his speech, Ambani warned against AI concentration in the Global North, where compute power and data access remain limited. He positioned India as a bridge, advocating for shared AI innovation through collaboration rather than hoarding.
