OpenAI is in discussions with potential local partners to establish a facility with at least 1 gigawatt of capacity
In sum – what to know:
OpenAI targets Indian expansion – The company is planning a gigawatt-scale data center in India, potentially one of the largest in the country’s fast-growing AI and cloud market.
Scouting local partnerships – Discussions with Indian partners are underway, though the location and timeline remain uncertain..
Part of global Stargate strategy – The India project would extend OpenAI’s $500B infrastructure drive, following major commitments in the U.S., Abu Dhabi, and Norway.
U.S. AI company OpenAI is planning to construct a massive new data center in India as part of its global Stargate AI infrastructure expansion, according to local press reports.
The reports, which cited people familiar with the matter, noted that the ChatGPT developer is in discussions with potential local partners to establish a facility with at least 1 gigawatt of capacity in the world’s most populous nation.
If realized, the site would rank among India’s largest, alongside recent data center investments by Microsoft, Google, and Reliance Industries.
The location of the data center and timeline for the construction remain uncertain, though CEO Sam Altman may reveal plans during an upcoming trip to India this month, the sources said.
The San Francisco–based AI company has already embarked on an aggressive infrastructure buildout. In the United States, OpenAI is working with SoftBank and Oracle on its Stargate initiative, which aims to deliver 4.5 gigawatts of capacity — an initiative unveiled by President Donald Trump in January.
The Stargate initiative has an estimated long-term cost of $500 billion; $100 billion has already been earmarked for its early phases. At its core, the Stargate scheme plans to build a network ofAI data centers across the U.S. The initiative aims to provide sufficient capacity to meet growing demand for AI across sectors including scientific research, healthcare, automation, defense, and finance
The project could become the largest AI infrastructure buildout to date, spanning multiple locations and phases. It is being led by OpenAI in partnership with SoftBank and Oracle. OpenAI is contributing AI models and technical leadership, while SoftBank is providing funding and strategic support. Oracle is a key infrastructure partner.
OpenAI previously announced the launch of “OpenAI for Countries” as an initiative within the Stargate project. It has announced plans to offer formalized infrastructure partnerships with national governments, in coordination with the U.S. administration, to help build local AI data center capacity.
Under this initiative, the company will partner with countries to help build in-country data center capacity. These secure data centers will help support the sovereignty of a country’s data, build new local industries, and make it easy to customize AI and leverage their data in a private and compliant way, OpenAI said.
OpenAI has recently announced Stargate Norway, its first AI data center initiative in Europe, as part of its OpenAI for Countries program. The new facility will be located in Narvik in Norway — a region chosen for its renewable hydropower resources, low energy costs, and industrial base. Once completed, Stargate Norway will deliver 230MW of compute capacity, with expansion plans for up to 520MW in total.
OpenAI said it intends to be an initial offtaker and may scale its usage over time. “This is one of the most ambitious AI infrastructure investments in Europe to date. Narvik’s abundant hydropower, low-cost energy, cool climate, and mature industrial base make it an ideal location to deliver large-scale, sustainable AI capacity,” OpenAI said.
The project is a joint venture between infrastructure provider Nscale and industrial conglomerate Aker, who will co-own the facility 50/50. Nscale will also lead the design and build of the site. The AI data center will aim to deploy 100,000 Nvidia GPUs by end-2026, using closed-loop, direct-to-chip liquid cooling. Waste heat will be repurposed to support low-carbon businesses in the area, the firm added.
The company had also announced plans to develop an AI facility in Abu Dhabi.
