Key Highlights from the launch and Leadership Remarks
1. Vultr’s AI Supercompute Cluster in Chennai
Vultr has expanded its AI infrastructure footprint in India with the launch of a 20-megawatt AI supercompute cluster in Chennai, powered by AMD Instinct MI355X GPUs.
Key details of the facility include:
● 20 MW computing capacity, with more than 10,000 AMD Instinct MI355X GPUs.
● Powered by AMD Instinct MI355X GPUs and AMD EPYC CPUs to support large-scale AI training and inference workloads.
● The Chennai cluster is Vultr’s second-largest supercompute cluster globally, after its largest facility in the United States.
● The company plans to continue expanding its computing infrastructure in India, bringing successive generations of GPUs and CPUs closer to developers and businesses.
2. Vultr’s India Presence
Vultr began its India operations in 2022, establishing three data centre regions in New Delhi NCR, Bengaluru and Mumbai. Its infrastructure initially leveraged AMD EPYC processors, with the company subsequently expanding its offering to AMD Instinct GPUs, including the MI300X, MI325X and now MI355X.
Vultr is the world’s largest privately held independent cloud infrastructure provider, with a global footprint spanning six continents. Its globally distributed network is designed to connect up to 90% of the world’s population within two milliseconds, enabling developers and enterprises to access high-performance cloud infrastructure closer to where they operate and innovate.
3. StartupTN–Vultr MoU: Enabling Tamil Nadu’s Startup Ecosystem
Vultr India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with StartupTN, the Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Mission, to extend cloud computing credits and preferential pricing to eligible startups across the state.
The initiative aims to reduce infrastructure costs and improve access to computing resources for startups developing and scaling technology products.
Benefits announced under the initiative:
● Early-stage startups: US$2,500 worth of Vultr credits, along with a 20% discount.
● Eligible startups beyond the early-stage funding threshold: US$45,000 worth of Vultr credits, along with a 20% discount.
The initiative is intended to support product development, experimentation and deployment, particularly for startups working in AI and deep technology.
4. Key Leadership Remarks
Kevin Cochrane, Chief Marketing Officer, Vultr
Kevin Cochrane highlighted India’s growing importance as a global centre for AI development and the country’s engineering talent as a key driver of Vultr’s investment in the market.
He noted that India is moving beyond consuming AI technologies to actively building and developing AI applications for global markets. He also highlighted Vultr’s efforts to strengthen its developer relations function and support India’s open-source developer ecosystem.
On the Chennai investment, he emphasised the importance of bringing computing infrastructure closer to the communities driving innovation.
“India isn’t just consuming AI. The buildout of AI is happening here.”
“This is where the talent is. This is where the challenge is literally changing the world.”
Thiru. P Mathan Raja, Minister of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Government of Tamil Nadu
The Minister highlighted the importance of making advanced computing infrastructure accessible to startups and MSMEs across Tamil Nadu, including those in smaller cities. He noted that access to computing resources could support applications such as product design, software testing, inventory management and operational efficiency.
He welcomed the MoU between Vultr and StartupTN, emphasising the need for affordable technology access to ensure that infrastructure investments translate into opportunities for businesses across the state.
“The true measure of technology is not how sophisticated it is, but the opportunity it creates.”
Thiru. Dr. Atul Anand, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary to Government of Tamil Nadu, IT & Digital Services Department
Dr. Atul Anand welcomed Vultr’s investment in Chennai, highlighting Tamil Nadu’s engineering talent, growing startup ecosystem of approximately 16,000 startups and established technology capabilities. He emphasised that affordable computing infrastructure is essential to accelerating AI innovation and encouraged Vultr to extend accessible pricing packages to startups, particularly those based in Tamil Nadu. He also assured the company of the state government’s support for its operations and growth.
Thiru Singai G. Ramachandran Chairman, Tamil Nadu Startup & Innovation Mission
Thiru Singai G. Ramachandran highlighted Tamil Nadu’s growing manufacturing, electronics and deep-tech ecosystem, noting that access to advanced computing infrastructure is essential to taking homegrown innovation to global markets.
The address highlighted Chennai’s approximately 567 deep-tech startups, with an estimated ecosystem valuation of ₹75,000 crore, as well as the need to strengthen AI and software capabilities alongside the state’s established manufacturing strengths.
Emphasising the importance of measuring the impact of infrastructure investments, the StartupTN leadership noted:
“Beyond measuring infrastructure by megawatts, measuring its impact is very important.”
Thiru Singai G. Ramachandran also highlighted the MoU with Vultr, including the cloud credits and preferential pricing being extended to eligible startups.