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JioMart

JioMart Shopping Services Launched By Meta And Jio Platforms On WhatsApp.

American Tech-Giant Meta and Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries subsidiary JIO Platforms declared an e-commerce venture which would be the first worldwide end-to-end shopping experience for consumers on WhatsApp where they can order from JioMart straight without leaving the WhatsApp chat. This association will allow the customers to browse through the JioMart catalogue, select them, add the products to the cart and do the purchasing all within the chat via the local payments track Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

WhatsApp, the world’s most renowned messaging application used by approx. a half billion Indian population every month achieved the approval to broaden its payments powered by Unified payment interface (UPI) services previously this year to about 100 million users in the country after numerous regressions and interruptions.

Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director, Reliance Industries, said, “When Jio platforms and Meta announced our partnership in 2020, Mark and I shared a vision of bringing more people and businesses online and creating truly innovative solutions that will add convenience to the daily lives of every Indian.”

Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO, Meta, said in a Facebook post, “Excited to launch our partnership with JioMart in India. This is our first-ever end-to-end shopping experience on WhatsApp — people can now buy groceries from JioMart right in a chat. Business messaging is an area with real momentum and chat-based experiences like this will be the go-to way people and businesses communicate in the years to come.”

Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com

Meta formerly known as, Facebook, is a substantial minority investor or we say partner in Jio platforms, the largest telecommunication venture in India, providing their services to over four hundred twenty-one million subscribers. Also, Jio declared that it would be investing up to 25 million USD to introduce the 5G services in the country this year in October with its target to reach every town in the South Asian market by the end of the coming year.

JioMart
Image source: www.logisticsinsider.in

The launch of JioMart on Whatsapp tracks the JioMart and Meta starting to test a fusion with some selected users two years ago. If it were to be a success, a commerce platform could result in a great revenue increase for WhatsApp which has predominantly dodged serving ads to the app users. Also, it could be a prominent way to accelerate digital transformation in India through this innovative strategic partnership between these two renowned enterprises and offer people and businesses of all scales, be it small or large, promising opportunities to connect in several new ways and strengthen the economic growth of the country.

Chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, Mukesh Ambani, said, “Our vision is to propel India as the world’s leading digital society. When Jio platforms and Meta announced our partnership in 2020, Mark and I shared a vision of bringing more people and businesses online and creating truly innovative solutions that will add convenience to the daily lives of every Indian. One example of an innovative customer experience that we are proud of developing is the first ever end-to-end shopping experience with JioMart on WhatsApp. The JioMart on WhatsApp experience furthers our commitment of enabling a simple and convenient way of online shopping to millions of Indians.”

Source: www.business-standard.com

Consumers can initiate shopping via WhatsApp on JioMart by just sending a ‘Hi’ message to the JioMart number, +917977079770, on WhatsApp and, explore the great deals on JioMart.

This announcement was part of the 45th Annual General Meeting also referred to as AGM by Reliance Industries limited administered by Mukesh Ambani himself. This innovative idea would open new gates of success for JioMart and WhatsApp.

5G spectrum

5G spectrum Auction Begins: These 13 Cities Will Get 5G Services First In India.

The auctions for the deployment of the 5G spectrum has initiated in India for a nationwide 5G roll-out. They are supposed to be concluded over the next few days and hopefully by the month-end. A spectrum with a 20-year time frame with a validity of over 72 GHz is up for auction. The spectrum auction includes spectrum in several frequency bands having both low (600 GHz, 700 GHz, 800 GHz, 900 GHz, 1800 GHz, 2100 GHz, and 2300 GHz) and high (26 GHz).

There have been claims about the speed of 5G by the government that it will be about ten times faster than the 4G we’re currently using. It will bring an enormous change to the telecommunication industry. Now, after speculation by DOT (Department of Telecommunication), the 5G service will be established in India in 2020 as you know, the auctions have already started.

It is also claimed by the department of telecommunications that the 13 cities all over the country will get the chance to establish 5G at first. Then it will slowly expand over the other parts of the country as there are many parts of the country where there are places with no 4G connectivity and last week Jio established 4G connectivity in a town named Pangong Lake in the Ladakh region. The cities that will get the 5G are Delhi, Gurugram, Gandhinagar, Mumbai, Pune, Jamnagar, Lucknow, Bengaluru, Chennai, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Ahmedabad.

5G spectrum
Image source: hindustantimes.com

Currently, there is no information about the telecom operator corporation, which will be the first to commercially and successfully deploy this 5G spectrum services in India. The leading telecom operator firms such as Airtel, Jio, and Vi (Vodafone and Idea) have already initiated setting up their trial sites in mentioned cities.

The Department of Telecommunication has collaborated with eight agencies that are IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur, IISC Bangalore, Society for Applied Microwave Electronica & Engineering, and Center of Excellence in Wireless Technology, for the national 5G test bed project initiated in 2018.

The Department anticipated a price range of 70,000 crores to 1,00,000 crores from the 5G spectrum auctions that would usher in great new age offerings and innovative business models which would enable high-speed connections, and generate high revenue for various enterprises, and provide employment emerging from the allocation of innovative use-cases and technologies. The biddings are expected to last for about two days. The 72 GHz will be worth 4.3 lakh crore INR.

It is also anticipated that Mukesh Ambani’s Jio will be leading the expense, followed by Bharti, and Airtel while there is meager participation seen from Vodafone Idea (Vi) and Adani Group. Reliance Jio has an Earnest Money Deposit of 14,000 crores, while its competitor Adani Group has made a minor deposit of 100 crore INR. There would be less chance of aggressive bidding as there are only four participants in the race. While Reliance Jio may be intensely bidding in the auctions, there is not any major bidding by Adani Group.

The government is searching for various measures to cut off the expense of performing business for Telecommunication Service Provider firms. It announced reforms in the telecom sector in September 2021, which will serve as a huge benefit for this spectrum auction. The reform comprises zero Spectrum Usage Charges (SUC) on the spectrum that will be purchased in the coming auctions. The telecom Service providers will be receiving a significant relief from SUC being the cause as it will reduce their operational costs for them. It will be seen as an immense revolution in the telecom industry, providing many opportunities for providers and consumers.

Reliance Jio

Reliance Jio – Indian company that started the wave of the wireless 4G network all across India

Everyone demands a faster network and in fact, it is the need of the present era. However, Reliance Jio started the wave of 4G in the Indian telecom market in 2016. With affordable prices and a faster network, Reliance Jio became much popular in India. In fact, it became India’s largest mobile operator as of 2019. As well, it is 3rd largest mobile network operator in the world. Presently, the firm has been covering more than 22 telecom circles, and about 38.75 million uses the Jio network. The firm has also launched fiber to home service recently in 2019.

All About Reliance Jio

An Indian telecommunication firm Reliance Jio is well-known all over the world. It is headquartered in Mumbai, India. The firm is known for introducing LTE network all across the country, covering more than 22 telecom circles. As well, the firm made use of voice over LTE to enable voice service on the 4G network.

In 2015, the firm launched Jio soft as a beta version. Initially, it was limited to employees and partners. While it was made public in 2016 and soon became a major mobile network operator in India. The firm also launched fiber to home service in 2019. With this, it enables services like home broadband, TV, and telephone services. Recently, the firm was in the news as it raised about 21 billion dollars in 2020. For this, Jio sold 32.97% equity stakes in the Jio platform.

The person behind Jio’s success- Mukesh Ambani

Mr. Mukesh Ambani, the head of the Reliance industry is one of the successful industrial leaders of India. This person not only maintains the name of Reliance but also grow the network of the business all over the world. One of such milestones led by Mr. Mukesh is Reliance Jio. Today, it became some of the most expansive 4G broadband wireless networks in the world. Apart from the business, he holds many prestigious memberships of international organizations. He is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Foundation board. As well, he is having the membership of the United States National Academy of Engineering.

History

Initially, the firm was registered with the name Infotel Broadband services Limited in 2007 at Ambawadi, Gujarat. After three years, the Reliance industry acquired IBSL with 95% stakes. At that time, the firm has already had 4G broadband spectrums in all 22 circles in India. Since then it is one of the subsidiaries of the Reliance industry. In 2013, the firm has entered the telecommunication market with the name Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited.

Reliance Jio
Image Source: counterpointresearch.com

Launching the 4G service for free

The firm launched 4G service in 2015. But initially, it was for an internal purpose, for employees and the office. However, it was made available for consumers in 2016. For almost one year, Jio offered free data and voice services which later on extended to March 2017. With this free offer, Jio has acquired a number of users, crossing the number of 1.6 crores. In just 83 days, the firm set the record by acquiring more than 50 million subscribers. As well, it also reached 100 million subscribers in a year.

Controversies

Just after it entered the consumer market, the Centre for Public Interest Litigation filed a PIL in SC against JIO. As per that PIL, the Indian government accused of granting a pan-India license to JIO. It also alleged JIO for taking additional fees for voice telephony with its 4G data service. However, the Supreme court revoked the PIL as the government and Jio explain the rules which they followed.

Products and services

The firm entered the market with 4G broadband service in 2016. As of 2018, the firm introduced Jio GigaFiber as well as broadband internet. As well, it launched television and landline service in the same year. On the third anniversary of Jio, it made a surprising announcement to offer streaming of films in theatre for JioFiber subscribers.  Currently, the firm covers the network of more than 250k km of fiber optic cables in India. By way of launching 4G all across India, Jio has started offering free wi-fi services in cities all across the nation.

Introducing JioPhone

In 2017, the JioPhone create a buzz in the mobile industry for its affordable price that actually works on the 4G network. Many consumers booked the JioPhone overnight and enjoyed the speed of 4G. With the huge popularity of the first model, the firm unveiled the second version of it in the following year. JioPhone became hit among mid-age persons as it is simple to use yet, comes with advanced features.  As well, Facebook, Whatsapp, and Youtube can be accessed easily on JioPhone.

Jio apps

Like the grand entry in 4G service, Jio launched a number of apps on Google Play. These apps are free and available in various segments. Like health, entertainment, Messaging, as well as apps for backups. Only one thing is needed to enter in Jio’s app world, i.e., Jio number. Some of the apps in the entertainment segment are JioCinema, JioTV, JioNews, JioSaavan, etc. For chat and video calls, the apps are JioPages, JioMeet. Other apps are JioHealth, JioMoney, JioVoice, MyJio, and many others that are available on the play store.

JioPages

Reliance Jio launches Made-in-India web browser, JioPages

Reliance Jio has launched its web browser called JioPages which is specially made in and for India. JioPages uses the Chromium Blink engine which is indeed very powerful as it provides a very efficient search experience with faster engine migration. Jio while making a statement yesterday also said that this engine provides faster page loads, efficient media, streaming, encrypted connection, etc. The Chromium Blink engine was first launched in 2013 and it was created by the contributions from Google, IBM, Samsung, Facebook, Microsoft, and many other tech giants.

Since the new web browser is designed entirely in India, this is expected to attract a healthy number of users. With many other features of the JioPages, the company keeps privacy as its prime goal thus establishing an encrypted connection. The new JioPages web browser can be downloaded from the Play Store for Android users while the company didn’t mention any launch date about the iOS variant. Since the web browser is created for Indian users, JioPages will be available in eight different Indian languages, focusing more on localized news content creation, etc. So, let’s have a detailed look at the features of JioPages.

Features of JioPages

From personalized regional content to an advanced download manager, JioPages have started with a handful to give to its customers.

JioPages
Image Source: jio.com
  • Personalized content is a huge advantage for the users as they might only be interested to read content about the domain of their choice. So, JioPages let the users customize the content feed based on region, language, and topic. And, once you choose your interested fields you will receive notification exclusively for the content important to you.
  • A personalized home screen with a theme makes an intense appeal to the users as it gives them the liberty to choose for themselves. JioPages lets you choose any leading search engine as your default such as Google, Bing, Duck Duck Go, Yahoo, or MSN. There is also an option to pin websites which saves time as you may want to pin the most visited websites. Users are also given an option to choose from beautiful themes and not to mention the hyped dark mode.
  • JioPages is providing content in eight different Indian languages. The languages are Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Bengali, Gujarati, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada. Apart from regional languages, you can also set content priority based on your geographic region. Once you do that, the top sites of your location will start appearing.
  • The Advanced Download Manager automatically separates the downloaded files based on image, video, documents, and others.
  • Incognito Mode is one of the best features of JioPages. By turning on the Incognito mode you can enable private browsing as the web browser’s surfing history will not be saved in the system. The Incognito Mode is made safer in JioPages as you can put a 4-digit code or fingerprint scan to enable the mode. 
  • Ad Blocker and Informative Cards also added in the features of the JioPages. While the former blocks the random ad pop-ups the latter captures the headline of a given topic and displays on the screen as a compact clickable option. 

The 5G connectivity

Before the launch of JioPages, the company has also entered the realm of connectivity by collaboration with Qualcomm. Emerging out as one of the biggest companies in the energy conglomerate, Reliance is now holding its roots firm in tech as well. India is the world’s second-largest mobile market in terms of users. So, by collaborating with Qualcomm, Reliance is bringing effective 5G solutions for the Indians. Radisys Corp. is working along with Qualcomm Technologies to roll out 5G network services in India at the earliest.

Reliance is also preparing the largest network connectivity, Jio for the fifth-generation wireless service with an in-house technology to provide for 400 million of its users. Ambani believes that this will keep his network away from political disputes thus leaving his rivals behind. Honestly, this is a very strategic move by the company as they don’t need to switch to a new system if the company develops its wireless technology. The company is always interested in selling this in-house tech to other carriers if it becomes successful.

Facebook

FACEBOOK BECOMES THE LARGEST MINORITY SHAREHOLDER OF RELIANCE SUBSIDIARY JIO

The adaptability of people with the internet is booming in this era of digitalization. We Indians have especially engrossed ourselves in the technical development for a while now. Many companies are showing genuine interest in Indian social and economic growth. Because India is going through a rapid transformation in the sphere of economy our world has ever witnessed. And, it is happening mostly due to the involvement of India in digital technologies. With every passing day, people are showing enthusiasm to use the internet do to something valuable. They are learning new skills, opening small businesses, etc. Within the last five years, around 500 million people got internet access in India. This led one of the biggest social media platforms to invest in Jio Platforms, the technical division of Reliance Industries.

The Investment

Jio is a Reliance subsidiary that provides broadband, mobile services, and online commerce stage to the Indian people. It is one of the leading internet platforms in India currently. So, what can be better than the gigantic social media platform collaborating with one of the largest network enterprises? Facebook announced that it is investing $5.7 billion in Jio Platforms, thus making Facebook its largest minority shareholder. This deal has summed up Jio’s value to $65.95 billion.

Facebook already has a mammoth size market in India. It has the largest number of Whatsapp users from our country, that is, 400 million users. So, further investment in the Indian market will help the company operate more effectively and contribute to the digital economy. Everything happens today with a few swipes on our mobile screen. And, Facebook aspires to connect more people through the power of Whatsapp and fuel Jio’s small businesses like JioMart.

A New Partnership

Facebook says that Jio has gone through some excellent development in less than three years of its launch. Moreover, after Jio has come into the market, the number of Internet users in India has escalated very fast. So, the company looks forward to opening new opportunities for people through the services of Jio. Already, 388 million people are using the internet service of Jio and the number is expected to rise soon.

Facebook is currently targeting small businesses in India. There are around 60 million small enterprises that can grow bigger with stronger connectivity. But, the pandemic of COVID-19 is indicating a huge downfall in the economy which will affect these small businesses. So, responding in the need of the hour, Facebook along with Jio commits to helping businesses grow again. With affordable internet collection and a huge audience, businesses can digital and hence expand internationally.

Something big is coming up

Facebook and Jio have come together to make a stronger community in the sphere of digital business. The plan is to make a new app that will connect people around the world and help in purchasing products as well. Though, the companies didn’t make any big announcement about releasing the app as it is an ongoing project. The companies want to create something similar to WeChat, a multipurpose app for the Indian market.

Delays have been caused in this project due to the outbreak of novel coronavirus. But, it is clear that a multipurpose app is coming in its way. It will help people buy groceries, do shopping, and also make the payment from JioMoney. But, the final model of this new business isn’t clear yet. Reliance has not mentioned if there will be more than one investor for Reliance Jio and Reliance Retail. But, both the companies have set off to launch this new super at the earliest.  

Future planning

The whole world is losing its financial stability due to the lockdown. Recently, the oil price has also gone negative. But, Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance brings a ray of hope. He said that this new collaboration will help Indi recover economically during the post-Corona phase. So, Reliance is looking forward to a long time commitment with Facebook to heal and embrace the digital environment of India.

With this new partnership, it is predicted that India might have 2.1 billion devices connected to the internet by 2023. In this collaboration, Morgan Stanley acted as the financial advisor of Jio Platforms. This partnership will open new opportunities for the people of India.