Reliance Jio chairman Akash Ambani calls for data localisation, incentives for AI data centres

Reliance Jio, the nation's largest telecom company, on Tuesday said Indian users' data must remain within the country as Chairman Akash Ambani pitched for "incentives" including that on electricity for Indian companies ready to set up AI and machine learning data centers.

Speaking at IMC and ITUWTSA 2024, Ambani termed AI as a revolutionary tool for the transformation of every area including healthcare, education, agriculture and manufacturing, and emphasised it is "critical" in realising India's vision for a developed nation by 2047.

"AI is absolutely critical for realising our dream of Viksit Bharat by 2047. Therefore, India under your leadership should urgently embrace AI with a holistic strategy driven by maximum 'atma nirbhar' efforts," he said at the event which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi .

Jio, he said, is making all out efforts to bring the benefits of AI to every Indian, everywhere, just as it did for mobile broadband.

"We are committed to democratising AI, offering powerful AI models and services to everyone in India at affordable prices," Ambani said.

He described Artificial Intelligence as the most revolutionary tool of transformation invented by the human mind, and said it will disruptively transform every aspect of lives, every facet of the society, and every sector of the economy.

It will "bring in an era of unimaginable abundance and efficiency", he said, citing the potential for transformation in sectors such as manufacturing, education and agriculture.

"With AI, India has the potential to completely transform the manufacturing sector, including SMEs, so that India becomes the New-Age Factory and New-Age Services Centre for the World... The Agriculture sector, so that our farmers can become prosperous by growing more with less water," he said on the power and potential of artificial intelligence.

AI in the health sector will make quality healthcare a reality and in the education sector it will ensure that every Indian student can have the best learning opportunities.

Jio is laying the groundwork for a national AI infrastructure, he added.

Ambani further observed that the scale and speed of multilingual data generation in India, which will drive the AI revolution, will grow exponentially.

"We request the government to expedite the updating of the 2020 draft of the Data Centre Policy. Indian data should remain in Indian Data Centres," he said.

Accordingly, Indian companies ready to set up AI and machine learning data centers should get all necessary incentives, including incentives for power consumption, he suggested.

"Indian mobile companies, along with the thriving ecosystem, are in a position to offer solutions to the rest of the world, including developed countries," Ambani said.

India needs an accelerated talent generation on a scale that is necessary to make India a global AI leader.

"Some of the existing jobs will evolve, and many more exciting opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship are going to be created in a rapid way just like during the adoption of computers and the internet," Ambani said.

He pledged that India will lead the charge in mobile innovation, and "we will also fully embrace the power of AI to create a connected, intelligent future that is truly transformative for every Indian."

Ambani said the world is in awe of India which is now a digital superpower galloping down the 5G highway, from a nation crawling at 2G speed only eight years ago.

"I would like to assure the Prime Minister that India will have an even better record with 6G.

From a nation that ranked a lowly 155th in mobile broadband adoption, we have risen to become the world's largest data market," he said.

He also lauded India's progress in fostering an environment for startups to thrive. The nation, he said, has emerged as the third largest unicorn hub of the world.

UPI has become the world's number one digital payment system, he said, adding India is the only large country in the world that has one of the lowest mobile data prices, and yet one of the fastest internet speeds.

"India's per capita data consumption of over 30GB is one of the highest in the world. But that is only half the picture. The other half tells you that India's story of digital transformation is an example of inclusivity," he said.

India's digital revolution has spread to the remotest corners of the country, he said, adding over 530 million unbanked Indians have been brought into the financial system through Jan Dhan accounts.

Further, he noted that 300 million of these account holders are women.

"I feel both proud and humbled that Jio has played a significant part in this remarkable transformation," Ambani said.