Amazon Web Services (AWS) has teamed up with Tata Communications to build a high-capacity network to support AI workloads across India.

The project, which Tata said would be one of its largest ever network deployments in the country, will stretch from AWS’s data center regions in Mumbai and Hyderabad to the hyperscaler's Direct Connect and AWS Edge Network sites in Chennai.

The long-haul network is designed to act as a backbone for AI and machine learning workloads, with technology from Tata set to be installed to provide high-bandwidth, low-latency connections.

“The infrastructure is designed to support the most data-intensive workloads, like 5G, generative AI, and high-performance computing,” said Jesse Dougherty, VP for network edge services at AWS.

“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."

India is among the key growth markets for AWS, with the hyperscaler investing tens of billions of dollars to increase capacity in the country.

Some $8.3 billion has been marked to develop cloud infrastructure in Maharashtra, while a further $2 billion is reportedly going towards building out data centers in Telangana state, including outside of Hyderabad.

Of the sites being connected to the Tata-supported network, AWS has snapped up land near its facilities in Mumbai, though no plans for a potential facility have been disclosed.

The new network connecting AWS’s Indian facilities will feature express routes with ultra-low latency to help users seamlessly transfer their data.

A press release detailing the project suggests AWS will deploy its custom network technologies on the network.

While it doesn’t name specific applications set to be used, that could include offerings like Direct Connect, which reduces variability for more predictable performance than general internet routes, or Nitro Card, which optimizes the hyperscaler’s network packet processing and reduces latency for high-throughput applications.

Upon unveiling the planned network, the pair suggests it could be used to enable businesses across India to build and train AI applications for sectors like healthcare, finance, and education.

“AI is transforming industries globally, and our collaboration with AWS positions us at the forefront of this revolution in India,” said Genius Wong, EVP for core and next-gen connectivity services and CTO at Tata Communications.

“Together, we're enabling a network that not only meets the current demands but anticipates the needs of tomorrow.”