Billionaire Ambani Wants AI in Every Call, App, and Home
TechCrunch AI38 days agoBusinessMukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries is integrating AI into its telecom infrastructure, targeting over 500 million subscribers across India. The initiative spans phone calls, mobile applications, and connected homes, reflecting Ambani's ambition to make AI a default layer of everyday connectivity. The move positions Reliance as a potential AI distribution platform at a scale rivaling the population of entire continents.
Canadian Pension Giant Acquires 8.2% Stake in India's CtrlS Data Centers
TechCrunch AI41 days agoBusinessA major Canadian pension fund is acquiring an 8.2% equity stake in CtrlS, one of India's largest data center operators with more than 15 facilities nationwide. The deal reflects surging institutional appetite for AI infrastructure assets in emerging markets. India has become a focal point for global capital as AI workload demand outpaces available data center capacity.
Sarvam Becomes India's Newest AI Unicorn with $234 Million Round Led by HCLTech
TechCrunch AI43 days agoBusinessSarvam, a Bengaluru-based AI startup, has achieved unicorn valuation after closing a $234 million funding round led by HCLTech. The Indian IT services giant contributed $150 million — more than 64% of the total raise — making it the dominant backer in the deal. The milestone places Sarvam among India's most heavily capitalized AI ventures and underscores growing strategic interest from established Indian corporations in domestic AI development.
Anthropic Suspends New-Model Access in India, Sparking AI Sovereignty Debate
TechCrunch AI44 days agoBusinessAnthropic's decision to suspend access to its newest models for India has ignited a broader debate among the country's tech community. Industry leaders are examining whether relying on foreign AI providers poses a strategic risk to India's ambitions. The episode is being framed as a potential inflection point for Indian AI policy and domestic development priorities.
Opendoor Exits India, Sparking Rethink of AI and Outsourcing Models
TechCrunch AI47 days agoBusinessOpendoor is shutting down its India operations less than two years after expanding there, citing a move to bring operations closer to U.S. customers and build smaller AI-native teams. The decision has drawn attention because India is the world’s largest Global Capability Center market, with millions employed in multinational offshore units. Still, Opendoor has also been cutting costs broadly, so the move is a complicated case study rather than clear proof of AI replacing outsourcing.
Meta signs first AI data center deal in India with Reliance
TechCrunch AI48 days agoBusinessMeta has signed its first AI data center deal in India with Reliance. The 168-megawatt facility is intended to support Meta’s global AI computing needs and can be expanded over time. The report frames this as an infrastructure move rather than a new model or product launch, highlighting how AI competition increasingly depends on scalable compute capacity.
AirTrunk commits $30B to build 5GW of AI data centers in India
TechCrunch AI53 days agoBusinessAustralian data center operator AirTrunk has committed $30 billion to build AI data centers in India. The planned capacity is 5GW, according to the brief report. The article does not provide details on timeline, locations, customers, financing structure, or power arrangements, so the main takeaway is the scale of the proposed AI infrastructure investment.
This startup is betting India’s gig economy can train the world’s robots
TechCrunch AI62 days agoBusinessHuman Archive, founded by Berkeley and Stanford researchers, is using India’s gig economy to gather physical-world AI data. Workers are paid to wear camera-equipped caps and sensor devices while moving through real environments. The company is targeting the growing demand from AI and robotics labs for real-world training data needed to develop physical AI systems.