Jio to roll out made-in-India 5G

MUMBAI: Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) chairman Mukesh Ambani announced the development of a made-in-India 5G technology solution that he envisions will be the cornerstone of the company’s strategy to create a connected digital ecosystem, spanning telecom, e-commerce, retail and enterprise solutions in India and outside.

“Once Jio’s 5G solution is proven at India-scale, Jio Platforms

› Google and Jio are partnering to build an Android-based smartphone operating system

MUKESH AMBANI, RIL chairman

would be well-positioned to be an exporter of 5G solutions to other telecom operators globally, as a complete managed service,” Ambani said at the company’s 43rd annual general meeting on Wednesday.

“We believe we can design an entry-level 4G…or even 5G smartphone at a fraction of its current cost. But, to power such a value-engineered smartphone, we also need an equally value-engineered smartphone operating system... with India in mind. Google and Jio are partnering to build an Androidbased smartphone operating system,” Ambani said, adding that Google has agreed to invest ~33,737 crore for a 7.7% stake in Jio Platforms.

Analysts said a key part of Jio’s strategy is to leverage the technology that is developed by start-ups in which Reliance has invested.

MUMBAI: Alphabet Inc.’s Google will invest $4.5 billion in Reliance Industries Ltd’s digital unit, joining a list of global backers, including Facebook, seeking to exploit India’s vast and fast-growing market of internet users.

The deal will give Google a 7.73% stake in RIL’s Jio Platforms at a valuation of ₹4.43 lakh crore, marking the US technology giant’s biggest-ever investment in an Indian company. The transaction is subject to regulatory and other approvals. The partnership with Google was announced by RIL chairman Ambani during the company’s annual meeting.