Meta tightens grip on India’s internet infra as Big Tech looks to reduce dependence on telcos

Meta, the owner of glossy platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, is doubling down on an unglamorous yet critical part of the business: connectivity infrastructure. Its recently announced Project Waterworth, which the company has referred to as its most “ambitious subsea cable endeavour yet”, places India at the very centre. 

As the pressure on such infrastructure (subsea cables and terrestrial connectivity) surges in an increasingly artificial intelligence-driven world, Meta is looking to invest $200 million to create a pan-India network, with points of presence across 15 locations and also cable landing stations, The CapTable has learnt. Meta has named this Project Gajendra. This Managed Optical Fibre Network (MOFN) will be set up through its Ireland-based affiliate Edge Network Services Ltd, and is expected to be completed in two years.  

Speaking at the Broadband India Forum’s conference on submarine cable systems recently, which was sponsored by Meta, Scott Cowling, Director of Network Investments at Meta, explained the Big Tech firm’s focus on the region, saying the country is young, rapidly growing, advantageously positioned geographically, and has plentiful power. 

Meta isn’t alone in its network endeavours. Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are also investing in robust pan-India fibre cable networks to connect their data centres and server nodes. These networks are second only to those of India’s leading telecom companies. Industry executives say that Big Tech’s annual spending on setting up and maintaining these networks could be around Rs 5,000 crore.