Reliance Jio and SBI to Widen Their Digital Partnership

Reliance Jio, the telecom division of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), and the State Bank of India (SBI) have recently agreed to broaden the scope of their existing digital partnership. This involves a strong focus on the accessibility of online banking services and better loyalty programmes. The customers of SBI, Reliance Jio, and Jio Payments Bank will reap the benefits of this widened joint venture.

Existing partnership between Reliance Jio and SBI

In April 2018, RIL and SBI entered into a joint venture of 70:30, to develop the Jio Payments Bank. After the success of this app, the commercial bank and the telecom company have decided to broaden their partnership.

Details of the extended partnership

Under this new agreement, Reliance Jio plans to integrate SBI YONO into the MyJio mobile application. SBI YONO is a digital platform that offers digital banking, commerce, and financial services, all in one place. Once the integration is complete, customers of the bank can access these features through the MyJio app.

With regards to the customer loyalty programme, SBI and Jio customers will benefit from Jio Prime. Jio Prime will soon offer exclusive deals from Reliance Retail, Jio, and other partner brands and merchants. Under the extended partnership, Jio Prime will also be integrated with SBI Rewardz, which is SBI’s loyalty programme. This will offer SBI customers opportunities to earn additional loyalty rewards and also wider redemption within Reliance, Jio, and more online and physical partner platforms.

Additionally, a joint statement between the bank and the telecom company stated that Reliance Jio will be SBI’s preferred partner for the bank’s design, network, and connectivity needs. With the help of Jio’s broad network in rural and urban areas, SBI plans to facilitate video-banking and other on-demand services.

Comments from both sides of the partnership

While commenting on the extended digital agreement, SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar stated that the partnership is mutually beneficial for both parties. He stated that a digital bank like SBI is very pleased to partner up with Reliance Jio, which is a popular and successful network provider. Kumar further stated that the co-operation of both sides is expected to enhance the digital foot-print for the customers of SBI. This will be achieved by offering the best and most rewarding customer experiences possible.

When commenting on the extended partnership deal, Mukesh Ambani, the Chairman and Managing Director of RIL, stated that Reliance Jio intends to bolster SBI’s customer base, which is unmatched around the world. To make this possible, Jio will commit its network and platforms. Reliance Retail will also commit its ecosystem. This combination will aim to help SBI and Reliance Jio customers to adopt digital services to meet their consumer needs.

Summary

Reliance Jio and SBI have entered into an agreement to broaden the scope of their digital partnership. This involves a focus on online banking services and loyalty programmes to enhance customer experience and help accelerate the growth of the Indian digital atmosphere

All You Need to Know about the JioPhones and the Monsoon Hungama Offer

The telecom arm of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), Reliance Jio recently announced the latest JioPhone Monsoon Hungama offer. The offer will be started from 21st July 2018. Under this offer, users may buy the JioPhone for an affordable price of INR 501 by exchanging their old feature phone.

JioPhone Monsoon Hungama offer

The offer is valid only on the JioPhone and not on the recently unveiled JioPhone2, which will be available from this Independence Day. The offer will start at 5:01 PM on 21^st July 2018.

Once the users exchange their old feature phone, they will have to make a recharge of either INR 49 or INR 153 to avail of Reliance Jio’s 4G services on their JioPhone. The prepaid plan of INR 49 offers 1GB 4G data with unlimited voice calling and is valid for 28 days. On the other hand, the prepaid plan of INR 153 offers 1.5GB 4G data with unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS per day, which is also valid for 28 days.

Features of JioPhone
The JioPhone is packed with great specifications. It comes with a 2.4-inch QVGA display along with an SD card slot. It also has FM Radio. Moreover, Reliance Jio will be adding NFC support to the device. The phone also entails a distress button. When the user presses this button, a message would be sent to the user’s loved ones if the user is in distress. The phone can also link the users Jan Dhan accounts and all other modes of secure payments.

Launch of JioPhone2

At the 41st annual general meeting (AGM) of RIL, the Chairman and Managing Director, Mukesh Ambani announced the launch of the new JioPhone 2. JioPhone2 is an enhanced version of its predecessor JioPhone. The JioPhone2 will be available for INR 2,999 and its sale will start from this Independence Day.

Features of JioPhone2
The latest JioPhone2 is equipped with 4GB ROM and 512MB RAM. The device supports SD card for expandable storage up to 128GB. JioPhone2 comes with a 2.4QVGA display. It also has a 2MP rear camera and front-facing VGA camera. Moreover, it supports LTE and VoLTE, dual-SIM, LTE, and VoWi-Fi. The device also supports FM Radio, GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and NFC. The phone comes with a smart feature that supports applications like WhatsApp, Facebook, and YouTube.

Under the Monsoon Hungama offer, the existing owners of the JioPhone can upgrade to JioPhone2 by simply paying INR 501.

Summary

Reliance Industries announced the JioPhone Monsoon Hungama offer where users may exchange their old feature phones and purchase the JioPhone at a price of INR 500. The company also launched the latest JioPhone2, which will be available from this Independence Day.

RIL’s Contribution to the Digital World

In 2003, the Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), Mukesh Ambani began his digital journey with a plan in mind: to introduce and offer new and accessible technologies to the people of India. Over the next 15 years, by reinventing and expanding his business ventures, he delivered on his promises. With a ‘customer first’ approach, RIL has made a strong presence among the masses. Now in 2018, Ambani is reinventing his original vision of making India a technologically savvy nation.

 Progress in digital business, and media and entertainment

By formulating his plans in such a way that his digital dreams found opportunities for growth, Mukesh Ambani has expanded Reliance Jio, his telecom business by collaborating with noted companies such as Saavn, Eros Entertainment, and ALT Balaji, Balaji Telefilms’ content streaming application, among others.

RIL, a multifaceted business organization

As it stands today, RIL is a multi-faceted consumer business that offers services in retail, content, health, education, e-commerce, cloud technology, artificial intelligence, and media and entertainment.

The range of achievements and the way ahead

The fast-paced evolution of the technological world demands that companies focus on customer relations to stay relevant. Because customer satisfaction is a priority in any business, RIL has made investments in advertising, marketing, customer service, research, and retail experience. RIL believes in providing quality services to customers across all sectors.

In terms of expanding and improving carriage and content, special financial resources have assigned to rise up against the challenges posed by international and domestic competitors. During the 41^st Annual General Meeting (AGM), which took place on July 5, 2018, the company stated that it is preparing to roll out new online services in a growing list of sectors like media, entertainment, security, governance, banking, and health, to name a few.

Internet-based systems will also be receiving an anticipated upgrade within 18 to 24 months. As the connectivity between network and devices keeps increasing, so will the number of software systems. Larger bandwidths, 5G technology, artificial intelligence, cinematic VR, and automation and robotics in civic services will integrate and interconnect society, making mundane tasks redundant and provide a seamless interface between end user and product.

The progress of Reliance Jio

Launched in 2016, after two and a half years of operations, Reliance Jio has acquired 200 million plus wireless customers by offering high-speed internet connection and an engaging digital ecosystem. It offers a variety of post-paid and pre-paid data plans to meet the changing needs of the Indian mobile phone users.

The assured future

RIL still has a role to play in the coming years. With technology at its center point, it has introduced plans to engage customers in an effective manner. For years, research into wearable tech, smart home appliances, immersive content, ‘predictive home’, and holography has already been underway.

Summary

RIL has made its presence felt fields of digital media, content distribution, and technologies that have not been introduced in other developing countries across the globe.

RIL Enters the Indian Broadband Services Market with Jio GigaFiber

At the 41^st Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries Limited(RIL), which took place on Thursday, July 5, 2018, the organization had announced the launch of the Jio GigaFiber, its broadband service, which would come under Reliance Jio, the organization’s telecom subsidiary. After having acquired 215 million subscribers since its commencement of business operations in 2016, Reliance Jio has ventured into the fixed broadband sector homes and enterprises with Jio GigaFiber.

Jio GigaFiber – Launch details

Mukesh Ambani, the Chairman and Managing Director of RIL, had announced the launch of Jio GigaFiber at the recently held 41^st AGM of the company. While addressing a house filled with shareholders and media professionals, Ambani stated that the purpose of launching this service is to give customers the facility of fixed broadband connectivity through the support of fiber connectivity. He also added that Reliance Jio would provide fiber connectivity to homes and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). In addition, the rollout of this broadband service would happen in 1,100 cities and customers who are interested in registering for Jio GigaFiber can register from August 15, 2018. The locations, from where the highest registrations are received, would be prioritized first, for a rollout.

Brief insights of Jio GigaFiber

Akash Ambani, the Director of Reliance Jio, had made a brief explanation of the Jio GigaFiber at the 41^st AGM of RIL. He stated that through the router, customers would get wi-fi coverage at a good speed. Moreover, he added that along with JioGigaFiber, customers would also get a set-top box and a voice-activated remote, which would have the facility of various Indian languages.

Mukesh Ambani’s vision with Jio GigaFiber

Mukesh Ambani stated that nations, which have a more developed communication infrastructure, more than 80 percent of the data consumption takes place indoors with the help of a fixed-line connectivity in offices, homes, and other premises. He stated that with Jio GigiFiber, Reliance Jio is determined to take India in the list of top five countries for fiber-based wireline connectivity as well as mobility. He stated that, for the same purpose, Reliance Jio has been running beta trials in thousands of homes. He added that once the infrastructure is organized and the rollout takes place, Jio GigaFiber has the potential to integrate various digital services such as broadband, e-commerce, and cable TV, among others. He concluded that Jio GigaFiber could be a holistic digital platform for the customers.

Other announcements during the 41^st AGM

The other key announcements, which took place during the 41^st AGM, included the launch of Jio Phone 2, which comes with a full keyboard and the feature of a horizontal screen. The introductory price of Jio Phone 2 is INR 2,999. Apart from the launch of Jio Phone 2, Mukesh Ambani also introduced an offer wherein customers could exchange their feature phone for JioPhones at a price of INR 501 from July 21, 2018. This indicated that the entry price of JioPhone has been reduced from INR 1,500 to INR 501.

Summary

RIL enters the broadband services market with Jio GigaFiber, which was announced during the company’s annual general meeting on Thursday, July 5, 2018.

Reliance Jio Launches the ‘Jio Oppo Monsoon Offer’

Reliance Jio, the telecom division of the Mukesh Ambani led Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has launched the ‘Jio Oppo Monsoon Offer’ for its subscribers. The telecom company had launched this offer on Thursday, June 28, 2018.

About the ‘Jio Oppo Monsoon Offer’

Reliance Jio is offering benefits equivalent to INR 4,900 and 4G internet data of up to 3.2 TB to all the subscribers who own Oppo devices. This offer is applicable on the INR 198 and INR 299 prepaid plans offered by Reliance Jio.

Benefits offered in the ‘Jio Oppo Monsoon Offer’

The subscribers of Reliance Jio, who own an Oppo device on a new or old Reliance Jio SIM card can avail of various benefits under the ‘Jio Oppo Monsoon Offer.’ They will get quick cashback benefits equivalent to INR 1,800. They can avail of these cashback benefits in the form of 36 cashback vouchers wherein each voucher would be of INR 50. In the second benefit, Reliance Jio will make a credit equivalent to INR 1,800 in three portions of INR 600, after the customers do the 13^th, 26^th, and 39^th prepaid recharge. Under the third benefit, subscribers can avail of discount coupons equivalent to INR 1,300 from MakeMyTrip.

Details of Reliance Jio’s new offer for MyJio app users

Reliance Jio is providing the subscribers an INR 100 discount on recharges done above INR 300. In addition to this offer, it is providing the subscribers with a 20 percent discount on all recharges below INR 300. This offer is valid on all recharges done through the MyJio app. In order to avail of the offer, subscribers need to make the payment on the MyJio app, with the help of PhonePe wallet. After availing of the offer, the subscribers will get the plan benefits at discounted prices. For instance, subscribers have to pay INR 120 for doing a recharge of INR 149. In the same way, Reliance Jio’s prepaid plan of INR 399 will be available to the users of MyJio app for INR 299. Reliance Jio’s INR 149 prepaid plan, which offers internet data of 1.5GB per day, is now providing the subscribers with 3GB internet data. Reliance Jio’s INR 399 prepaid plan, which gives the subscribers 1.5GB internet data per day, is now offering 3GB internet data per day. This benefit of 1.5GB additional internet data per day is applicable to subscribers who recharge their Reliance Jio mobile numbers till June 30, 2018.

How to claim an INR 100 discount or 20 percent discount on MyJio App

In the first step, subscribers need to sign in to the MyJio app and go to the recharge tab. Subscribers have to click on the ’buy’ button in order to go to the payment page in the next step. After that, subscribers need to choose PhonePe as an option for payment. Then, subscribers need to log in to the PhonePe account after confirming their One Time Password (OTP) and mobile number. Lastly, subscribers need to do a payment of the net payable amount by using the PhonePe wallet.

Summary

Reliance Jio launches the ‘Jio Oppo Monsoon Offer’ on INR 198 and 1NR 299 prepaid plans. It is also offering discounts of INR 100 and 20 percent to the MyJio app users.

Details of 1.5GB Per Day Internet Data Plans Offered by Reliance Jio

Reliance Jio, the telecom division of the Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) is offering its subscribers various prepaid recharge plans. These plans range from INR 19 to INR 9,999. The validity period of these plans varies from one day to one year depending on the price. The telecom entity offers four prepaid recharge plans, which offer internet data of 1.5GB on a daily basis. These plans are priced at INR 149, INR 349, INR 399, and INR 449 according to the official website of Reliance Jio.

Details of Reliance Jio’s prepaid plans of 1.5GB per day

Reliance Jio’s prepaid recharge plan of INR 149 has a validity of 28 days. This prepaid plan offers the subscribers with 1.5GB 4G internet data on a daily basis. Under this plan, subscribers get unlimited roaming, STD, and local calls. The other facilities in this plan include a complimentary subscription to all the Reliance Jio applications (apps) and 100 text messages. The total internet data offered in the INR 149 prepaid recharge plan is 42GB.

The INR 349 prepaid recharge plan offered by Reliance Jio has a validity duration of 70 days. This plan offers daily 4G internet data of 1.5GB, wherein subscribers can avail of a total internet data of 105GB. It provides the subscribers with 100 text messages and a free subscription to all the Reliance Jio apps. Subscribers have the facility of making unlimited roaming, STD, and local voice calls in this plan as well.

Reliance Jio’s prepaid recharge plan of INR 399 has an 84-day validity period. With 1.5GB internet data on a daily basis, this plan provides a total internet data of 126GB during the 84-day duration. Subscribers have the facility of making unlimited roaming, STD, and local calls in this plan. They also get 100 text messages per day and a free subscription to all Reliance Jio apps in the INR 399 prepaid plan.

The prepaid plan of Reliance Jio, which costs INR 449, has a validity of 91 days. The total internet data offered in this plan is 136GB wherein subscribers get 1.5GB 4G internet data on a day-to-day basis. Like all the other prepaid plans of 1.5GB 4G internet data per day, this plan also provides the subscribers with unlimited roaming, STD, and local voice calls. Lastly, subscribers get the benefits of 100 text messages on a daily basis and a free subscription to all the Reliance Jio apps in this plan.

Reliance Jio becomes the third largest telecom company

Since its inception in September 2016, Reliance Jio has become the third largest telecom company of India, in terms of its revenue market share. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has revealed the financial data, which indicates that the revenue market share of Reliance Jio was around 20 percent in March 2018, which marked the end of the 2017-18 financial year.

Summary

Reliance Jio is offering four prepaid recharge plans with an internet data of 1.5GB per day. The prices of these plans are INR 149, INR 349, INR 399, and INR 449.

RIL Acquires 73 Percent Stake in Embibe

The Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has stated in a Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) filing dated June 12, 2018, that it has completed the acquisition of nearly 73 percent stake in Embibe, an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based education technology platform located in Bengaluru. As per the BSE filing, RIL along with Embibe and the other stakeholders have finished the formalities. The organization stated that after this transaction it would have a shareholding of 72.69 percent in Embibe. It has also stated that Aditi Avasthi, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Embibe will continue her leadership responsibility of generating growth and development in the business.

The history behind RIL’s investment in Embibe

RIL has made an announcement on April 13, 2018, about buying a major stake of approximately 73 percent in Individual Learning Pvt. Ltd., a Bengaluru-based education technology company, which owns Embibe. According to the deal, RIL would make an investment of USD 180 million in Embibe, during the next three years.

About Embibe

Established in 2012 by Aditi Avaisthi, Embibe is an AI-based education platform that helps students in taking tests. It claims to improve the performance of students in competitive exams. It has 60+ education institutions on its platform. The two venture capital companies, who have backed Embibe include Lightbox and Kalaari. However, these companies are now expected to exit as the deal with RIL is completed.

How will Embibe make use of this investment?

Embibe will make use of RIL’s investment for various purposes, which include geographic expansion and business growth, strengthening its research and development towards AI in the field of education, targeting students with respect to professional skilling, higher education, K-12, curriculum categories all over India and globally, and vernacular languages.

Advisors associated in the RIL-Embibe Deal

Reputed organizations have played prominent roles as financial advisors, legal advisors, and tax advisors in the RIL-Embibe deal. Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC), a top advisory organization provided tax advisory and diligence services for the RIL-Embibe deal. Anand and Anand, KPMG, AZB & Partners, and Covington & Burling LLP have acted as legal advisors while Citibank was the financial advisor in this deal.

Opinions of key people

The Director of Reliance Jio, Akash Ambani, expressed delight while announcing the deal with Embibe in April 2018. Ambani had stated that RIL has the goal of connecting more than 1.9 million schools and 58,000 universities all over India with the help of technology. He added that Embibe, with its accomplished management team, would play a pivotal role in helping RIL to make its ambition for the education sector come true.

The CEO of Embibe, Aditi Avasthi, stated that her team is supercharging Embibe with the capability to deliver both content as well as results for each learning goal in the journey of every student. Avasthi stated that the objective behind this is to establish Embibe as a trendsetter in personalizing education in India and all over the globe.

Summary

Reliance Industries completes an acquisition of 73 percent in Embibe, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) based education technology platform in Bengaluru. It is set to invest USD 180 million in Embibe, during the next three years.

RIL Chairman Mukesh Ambani’s Annual Remuneration Remains Unchanged since the Past Ten Years

The Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has released its latest annual report. As per the annual report, the annual remuneration of Mukesh Ambani, the Chairman and Managing Director of RIL, remains the same for the tenth consecutive year. Since 2008-09 Ambani’s annual remuneration is INR 15 crore, inclusive of salary, commission, and allowances and perquisites. Since October 2009, Ambani has voluntarily maintained his annual compensation at INR 15 crore during a debate on right-sizing on remunerations received by Chief Executive Officers (CEOs).

Key insights of RIL’s latest annual report

According to RIL’s latest annual report, Ambani has kept his annual remuneration at INR 15 crore with the objective to continue to set an example of moderation when it comes to managerial compensation levels. As per the report, the annual salary of all the other full-time directors of RIL, which include Ambani’s cousins Hital and Nikhil Meswani, witnessed a decent hike, during the end of the 2017-18 financial year.

Mukesh Ambani’s annual remuneration break-up in 2016-17 and 2017-18

During the financial year of 2016-17, Ambani’s salary and allowances were INR 4.16 crore. The amount had a marginal rise to INR 4.49 crore in the financial year of 2017-18. His perquisites have declined from INR 60 lakh in the 2016-17 financial year to INR 27 lakh during the 2017-18 fiscal year. The commission amount earned by him remains the same during both financial years at INR 9.53 crore.

Details of RIL’s full-time executive directors’ annual remuneration

Apart from Ambani and his cousins Hital Meswani and Nikhil Meswani, the other full-time directors of RIL include P.M.S. Prasad and Pawan Kumar Kapil. During the financial year of 2017-18, the annual compensation of both Hital and Nikhil Meswani increased to INR 19.99 crore. In the 2016-17 financial year, the Meswani brothers had earned an annual remuneration of INR 16.58 crore each. During the 2015-16 financial year, Hital Meswani had earned an annual compensation of INR 14.41 crore while Nikhil Meswani took home a yearly compensation of INR 14.42 crore. In the financial year of 2014-15, both the brothers received an annual remuneration of INR 12.03 crore each. P.M.S. Prasad, the Executive Director of RIL witnessed a rise in his annual remuneration from INR 7.87 crore in the financial year 2016-17 to INR 8.99 crore in 2017-18. His annual compensation was INR 7.23 crore in the 2015-16 financial year. During the 2014-15 financial year, his yearly remuneration was INR 6.03 crore. The annual compensation of Pawan Kumar Kapil, the Refinery Chief of RIL, increased from INR 2.54 crore in the 2016-17 financial year to INR 3.47 crore in the 2017-18 financial year. He earned INR 2.94 crore in the 2015-16 financial year and INR 2.41 crore during the financial year of 2014-15.

Details of commission earned by non-executive directors

All non-executive directors of RIL, including Nita Ambani, received a commission of INR 1.5 crore each, during the financial year of 2017-18. The commission amount was INR 1.3 crore for each non-executive director during the 2016-17 financial year.

Summary

Mukesh Ambani voluntarily maintains the same annual remuneration of INR 15 crore for the past ten years. However, the yearly compensation of all other executive directors has increased.

Reliance Jio Launches Multiple Offers for Prepaid Subscribers

Reliance Jio, the telecom arm of the Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Limited has launched the ‘Holiday Hungama’ offer for its prepaid subscribers. Under this offer, the company is providing the subscribers with an instant discount of INR 100 on recharging their Reliance Jio numbers with a plan of INR 399. The offer is valid from June 1, 2018, to June 15, 2018. The objective behind this offer is to ensure that subscribers recharge their mobile numbers in an easier manner, during the ongoing holiday season. Apart from this offer, Reliance Jio is also providing the subscribers with offers such as free data of 100GB, and a maximum cashback of INR 2,750 on the purchase of Samsung Galaxy J7 Duo and Samsung Galaxy J2 (2018 model).

Details of Reliance Jio’s cashback offer of INR 100

In order to claim the INR 100 cashback offer, the subscribers have to recharge their mobile numbers through the MyJio mobile application (app) via the PhonePe payment app. The cashback amount of INR 100 will be given to the subscribers in two parts. Once the subscribers initiate a recharge request of INR 399 on the MyJio mobile app, they would get an instant cashback of INR 50. The balance cashback of INR 50 will be processed after the payment is made through the Phone Pe app. Under the recharge plan of INR 399, the customers would get a total internet data of 126GB. This recharge pack is valid for a period of 84 days and offers internet data of 1.5GB on a daily basis. Along with unlimited text messages, subscribers also get a free subscription of all Reliance Jio apps, in this pack.

Samsung Galaxy J7 Duo and Samsung Galaxy J2 (2018 model) offer details

Reliance Jio is offering an instant cashback of INR 2,750 to subscribers who purchase the Samsung Galaxy J7 Duo and Samsung Galaxy J2 (2018) models. On purchase of a Samsung Galaxy J7 Duo, the subscribers will get an instant cashback of INR 2,750. This cashback offer includes 55 cashback vouchers, with each voucher being worth INR 50. This offer includes a benefit of double internet data for four recharges. In order to avail of these facilities, subscribers need to choose Reliance Jio prepaid plans of INR 198 and INR 299.

Similarly, on the purchase of a Samsung Galaxy J2 (2018 model) subscribers will get an instant cashback of INR 2,750. Just like the offer on Samsung Galaxy J7 Duo, this will also involve 55 cashback vouchers, wherein each voucher will have a value of INR 50. This offer would also involve 4G internet data of 100GB, which will include 10 extra internet data vouchers of 10GB each. In order to claim this offer, subscribers need to choose the prepaid plans of INR 198 or INR 299, offered by Reliance Jio.

Both the aforementioned offers, which are available on the purchase of Samsung Galaxy J7 Duo and Samsung Galaxy J2 (2018) are valid until September 30, 2018.

Summary

Reliance Jio introduces INR 100 cashback offer on recharge of INR 399 from June 1 to June 15, 2018. It is also providing a cashback of INR 2,750 on the purchase of Samsung Galaxy J7 Duo and Samsung Galaxy J2 (2018).

Reliance Jio’s JioPhone Emerges as a Leader in the Global Feature Phone Market

JioPhone, the 4G feature phone launched by Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, the telecom arm of the Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has emerged as the global leader in the feature phone market. With a market share of 15% during the quarter from January to March 2018, JioPhone has made its presence felt in the global feature phone market. This information was disclosed in a new report released by Counterpoint, a research company, on Thursday, May 24, 2018. Moreover, the report stated that the regular shipment of the JioPhone is a key factor, which has contributed towards the annual growth of the feature phone market by 38%, during the quarter from January to March 2018.

Details of the Counterpoint report

The Counterpoint report stated that every year approximately half-a-billion feature phones are sold, which cater to the needs of around two billion global feature phone users. The report further mentioned that this is still a big market with a varied customer base, which still prefers using feature phones in comparison to smartphones. As per the report, India is a huge contributor towards the growth of the global feature phone market. The report added that India has solely contributed around 43 percent of the total shipments of feature phones during the first quarter of 2018. The report concluded by stating that in the era of smartphones, the modest feature phone still has the chance to take advantage of a huge market, as it has great potential.

Features of JioPhone

The JioPhone comes with a single GSM SIM option and it accepts a Nano-SIM. It comes with a RAM of 512MB. It has an internal storage of 4GB, which can be expanded up to a maximum of 128GB, with the help of a microSD card. It operates on the KaiOS operating system and is powered by a removable battery, which has a capacity of 2000mAh. It has a screen size of 2.40 inches and a resolution of 240 X 320. The screen of JioPhone is protected by a glass that is ‘scratch resistant.’ JioPhone has two cameras, which include a 0.3-megapixel front camera to click selfies and a 2-megapixel rear camera at the back. Its key connectivity options include Bluetooth, GPS, Wi-Fi, 4G, and FM. It is powered by a dual-core processor of 1.2GHz. It supports Voice over Long-Term Evolution (VoLTE), wherein users can make voice calls on a 4G network. It comes with various pre-installed mobile applications (apps) such as JioChat, JioTV, JioCinema, JioGames, JioMusic, and JioShare, among others. It supports 22 Indian languages.

About Reliance Jio

Reliance Jio Infocomm limited, popularly known as Reliance Jio is the telecom subsidiary of RIL. It started operations by launching the Reliance Jio SIM card in September 2016. In July 2017, it launched JioPhone. The library of Reliance Jio comprises of movies, events, live and recorded music, sports, and live television shows, among others.

Summary

Reliance Jio emerges as a leader in the global feature phone market, with a market share of 15% during the quarter from January to March 2018.