Tata Communications & AWS build AI-optimised network in India
Tata Communications and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have announced an agreement to develop an advanced AI-optimised network in India connecting major AWS infrastructure sites.
The collaboration will see Tata Communications deploy one of its largest long-distance networks by size, scale and bandwidth, creating a backbone that interlinks AWS's data centre Regions in Mumbai and Hyderabad, as well as Direct Connect and Edge Network infrastructure in Chennai. This infrastructure will support the growing demand for generative AI, machine learning (ML), and cloud-based applications across the country.
Network backbone
According to the companies, the new national long-haul network aims to provide high-bandwidth and low-latency connectivity between AWS's key facilities. Leveraging Tata Communications' extended fibre and telecommunication resources, AWS will be able to offer what it describes as industry-leading security, availability, and performance for data transit between its Indian infrastructure locations.
The network will feature express routes designed to deliver ultra-low latency, which is viewed as essential for compute-intensive AI and ML workloads. The companies stated this is intended to enable seamless data transfer and processing capabilities for Indian businesses looking to build AI and cloud-based solutions.
AI and sector innovation
The collaboration is framed around enabling customers across sectors such as healthcare, finance, and education to develop and scale AI-powered applications swiftly. By making use of the enhanced network, businesses are expected to be able to build, train, and deploy AI applications with improved efficiency.
The partnership also emphasises a commitment to compliance and security. Both Tata Communications and AWS say the enhanced network infrastructure will include comprehensive security measures and will adhere to regulatory standards to protect data integrity and privacy for their customers.
Executive statements
"This association marks our largest ever National Long-Distance program and showcases Tata Communications' unparalleled capability to support large-capacity, complex projects requiring scaled network solutions," said Genius Wong, Executive Vice President, Core and Next-Gen Connectivity Services and Chief Technology Officer, Tata Communications. "AI is transforming industries globally, and our collaboration with AWS positions us at the forefront of this revolution in India. Together, we're enabling a network that not only meets the current demands but anticipates the needs of tomorrow. By building a tailored network solution we're ushering in an AI era in India, reinforcing our position as the long-term partner of choice for global technology leaders."
Jesse Dougherty, Vice President for Network Edge Services at Amazon Web Services, commented: "We are excited to work with Tata Communications to establish an advanced in-country network in India. The infrastructure is designed to support the most data intensive workloads, like 5G, generative AI, and high-performance computing. This collaboration with Tata Communications will further enable our customers in India to innovate at scale with cloud and generative AI, and drive growth in India's rapidly expanding digital economy."
Enabling digital transformation
Both companies stated that the deployment would facilitate a foundation for next-generation AI applications by improving network speed, performance, and reliability. AWS will continue to roll out custom network technologies across this network in India, which the companies say will enable businesses to access services that meet evolving demands for security and performance.
The network is expected to play a role as part of India's broader push for digital transformation, offering a data infrastructure backbone designed for high-growth sectors deploying AI and advanced computing services.