In a landmark move that signals India’s growing ambitions in artificial intelligence, India has announced a strategic partnership with UAE-based technology leaders to build one of the country’s most powerful AI supercomputers. The system, with a planned capacity of 8 exaflops, will significantly enhance India’s ability to develop and deploy advanced AI systems domestically.
The collaboration brings together Abu Dhabi–based AI company G42, Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), U.S. semiconductor firm Cerebras Systems, and India’s Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC). The project aims to create national-scale AI infrastructure hosted and operated within India.
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A Major Leap in AI Compute Power
An exaflop represents one quintillion calculations per second. At 8 exaflops, the new supercomputing system will dramatically expand India’s computing capacity, enabling faster training and deployment of large-scale AI models across sectors including healthcare, agriculture, education, defense, and public services.
The infrastructure is expected to play a pivotal role in India’s AI Mission, supporting research institutions, startups, enterprises, and government agencies seeking access to high-performance computing resources.
Advancing Data Sovereignty
A key objective of the initiative is to ensure that sensitive and strategic data remains within India’s borders. The supercomputer will operate under Indian regulations, with all data processed domestically. This move addresses growing global concerns around data security, regulatory compliance, and digital sovereignty.
By hosting AI workloads locally, India strengthens its control over critical digital infrastructure while reducing reliance on overseas cloud providers for advanced AI compute.
Strategic India–UAE Technology Cooperation
The project reflects deepening economic and technological ties between India and the UAE. The partnership builds on ongoing cooperation in technology, defense, space, and energy, underscoring both nations’ commitment to innovation-led growth.
G42 brings global AI and cloud expertise, MBZUAI contributes academic and research leadership, and Cerebras provides advanced AI chip technology optimized for large model training. C-DAC will play a central role in deploying and managing the infrastructure within India.
Enabling Economic Growth and AI Leadership
Industry leaders emphasize that national AI infrastructure is increasingly vital for economic competitiveness. The new supercomputing platform will lower barriers to AI development for Indian businesses, enabling startups and enterprises to build advanced AI tools without depending entirely on foreign compute ecosystems.
As one of the world’s fastest-growing digital economies, India is investing heavily in AI infrastructure to position itself as a global innovation hub. The 8-exaflop supercomputer represents a strategic step toward building scalable, secure, and sovereign AI capabilities.
Once operational, the facility is expected to accelerate AI research, empower domestic industries, and strengthen India’s role in shaping the global AI landscape. The initiative marks not only a technological milestone but also a statement of intent: India aims to build, control, and lead in the next generation of AI-driven growth.
