Nvidia to supply AI chips to RIL, other Indian firms: CEO Jensen Huang

American chipmaker Nvidia has said that it would supply chips to Indian enterprises, including Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), as it aims to foster faster adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and related technologies in the country. During the Nvidia AI Summit 2024 held at the Jio Convention Centre in Mumbai, Jensen Huang, CEO of the world's second-most valuable firm said it will supply Blackwell AI processors for a one-gigawatt data centre that RIL is constructing in Gujarat.

The plans to supply chips to Indian companies was initially discussed during a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the United States earlier this year, he said, adding the chip manufacturer aims to capitalise on India's robust semiconductor expertise and expanding market.

Huang made the statements in a fire-side chat with RIL chairman and managing director Mukesh Ambani.

Furthermore, Nvidia plans to deliver tens of thousands of its Hopper AI chips to support large-scale data centres, being set up by companies such as Yotta Data Services, Sify Technologies and Tata Communications.

The country's chipmaking industry is still in its infancy, as establishing fabrication facilities is a capital-intensive endeavour that typically spans several years, and operating such facilities necessitates a workforce with specialised training.

Huang remarked that India is poised to become a leading exporter of AI technology, replicating its earlier success as the leading software exporter. He emphasised that the country possesses essential components for success—AI, data, and AI infrastructure—along with a substantial user base.

Indian businesses are increasingly focused on developing AI models that cater to the diverse linguistic landscape, enhancing consumer engagement and facilitating functions such as customer service AI assistants and content translation. With a population exceeding 1.4 billion and affordable internet access, India represents a significant growth opportunity for the US technology firms.

Huang also said that Tech Mahindra is the first Indian IT services company to implement its new Hindi-language AI model, creating a customised AI solution named Indus 2.0, which is centred on the widely spoken language across the nation. Nvidia is also collaborating with other major IT companies, including Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, and Wipro to train about 500,000 developers in the design and deployment of AI agents utilising its software.

According to Huang, India has tremendous growth potential in AI. "India is already world-class in designing chips, and it is developing AI," he added. "Rather than merely serving as an outsourcing destination, India is poised to become an exporter of AI." The Hindi-language AI model introduced on Thursday aligns with Huang's belief that each nation must cultivate its own AI capabilities through local infrastructure, data, and workforce to promote inclusivity.

Since establishing its presence nearly two decades ago, Nvidia has developed engineering and design centres in India, with offices located in cities such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad. In September 2023, RIL and Nvidia committed to create AI supercomputers in India and develop large language models tailored to local languages. Subsequently, Nvidia also announced a similar collaboration with Tata Group.