OpenAI is planning to construct a massive data center in India with at least 1 gigawatt of capacity, according to local press reports citing people familiar with the matter. The facility would rank among India’s largest data centers and represents part of OpenAI’s ambitious $500 billion Stargate infrastructure expansion, which already includes major projects in the United States, Norway, and Abu Dhabi.
What you should know: OpenAI is actively seeking local partnerships to establish the gigawatt-scale facility in the world’s most populous nation.
- The company is in discussions with potential Indian partners, though the specific location and construction timeline remain uncertain.
- CEO Sam Altman may reveal more details during an upcoming trip to India this month, according to sources.
- If realized, the site would join recent major data center investments in India by Microsoft, Google, and Reliance Industries.
The big picture: The India project extends OpenAI’s global Stargate initiative, which aims to build a network of AI data centers to meet growing demand across sectors including scientific research, healthcare, automation, defense, and finance.
- In the United States, OpenAI is collaborating with SoftBank and Oracle on Stargate facilities targeting 4.5 gigawatts of capacity.
- The overall Stargate initiative carries an estimated long-term cost of $500 billion, with $100 billion already allocated for early phases.
- President Donald Trump unveiled the U.S. portion of the initiative in January.
OpenAI for Countries program: The India facility would operate under OpenAI’s formalized infrastructure partnership initiative with national governments.
- The program offers countries help building local AI data center capacity in coordination with the U.S. administration.
- These secure facilities are designed to support data sovereignty, build new local industries, and enable private, compliant AI customization using local data.
International expansion: OpenAI has already announced similar projects in Europe and the Middle East through its global strategy.
- Stargate Norway: The company’s first European AI data center will be located in Narvik, chosen for its renewable hydropower resources, low energy costs, and industrial base.
- The Norway facility will deliver 230MW of compute capacity initially, with expansion plans for up to 520MW total.
- The project aims to deploy 100,000 Nvidia GPUs by end-2026 using closed-loop, direct-to-chip liquid cooling.
- Abu Dhabi plans: OpenAI has also announced development of an AI facility in the United Arab Emirates.
Why this matters: The aggressive global expansion reflects OpenAI’s strategy to establish AI infrastructure sovereignty while meeting surging demand for compute capacity worldwide.
- The initiative positions OpenAI as a key player in the race to build the foundational infrastructure needed for next-generation AI applications.
- By partnering with governments, OpenAI can address data sovereignty concerns while expanding its global footprint in strategic markets.
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