Facebook’s investment in Jio takes on Airtel-Google partnership

Facebook’s investment in Jio takes on Airtel-Google partnership

Today who isn't aware of Social media app named Facebook which is easier to operate and the largest social networking site of the world and most widely used is seems like someone who is disconnected from Online platform. The news is that CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg decided to take a huge step in collaboration with Mr. Mukesh Ambani this quarantine.

Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, which provides connectivity platform to over 388 million subscribers, will continue to be a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jio Platforms. Jio was launched in September 2016 and in just over three years, became India’s largest mobile services company by subscriber base. It is the only Indian telecom company that has its entire network built on 4G VoLTE (voice over long-term evolution) technology. All other companies have a blend of 2G, 3G and 4G technologies.

Earlier this year, telecom operator Bharti Airtel and Google Cloud announced a partnership to offer G Suite to small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) in India as part of its integrated information and communication technology portfolio
 Reliance Jio's investment and partnership with the likes of Facebook and Microsoft could give it a headstart over Airtel-Google partnership by expanding the digital platforms reach across a ready-to-tap market.

Global social media and digital advertising platform Facebook announced a $5.7 billion, or ₹43,574 crore, investment in Jio Platforms Limited, part of Reliance Industries Limited. This makes Facebook its largest minority shareholder.
The target audience is the 60 million odd small businesses across the country that are the fabric of the unorganised retail economy.
Facebook, said in a statement, that the collaboration with Jio will create new ways for people and businesses to operate more effectively in the growing digital economy. Bringing together JioMart, Jio’s small business initiative, with WhatsApp, will enable people to connect with businesses, shop and ultimately purchase products in a seamless mobile experience.
“With communities around the world in a lockdown, many of these entrepreneurs need digital tools they can use to find and communicate with customers to grow their business," said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a Facebook post today.

Earlier this year, telecom operator Bharti Airtel and Google Cloud announced a partnership to offer G Suite to small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) in India as part of its integrated information and communication technology portfolio. G Suite is a set of intelligent apps--Gmail, Docs, Drive, Calendar and more--designed with real-time collaboration and machine intelligence to bring people together and help them work in a smarter and safer way.
This partnership provided a platform for both companies to tap growth opportunities in India, which ranks among the fastest growing economies and has the second highest number of internet users in the world. Airtel serves over 2,500 large businesses and over 500,000 SMBs and technology startups across India.
In 2019, Reliance Jio announced a 10-year deal with Microsoft to help the operator set up a network of large data centres across India. The tech giant will deploy its Azure cloud platform in these centers to support offerings.

Jio had announced it will also provide the combined cloud-Microsoft app infrastructure free of cost to startups and for a monthly fee of ₹1,500 to micro, small, and medium enterprises.
Airtel, on its part, offers Google potential access to over 2,500 large enterprises and over 5,000 small enterprises through this partnership. Traditionally, Microsoft has a large enterprise presence in the country. Google has a presence in the B2C market, thanks to the prevalence of Android smartphones.
The telecom rivalry in India is supplemented by a larger rivalry of big tech companies like Amazon, Facebook and Google also trying to establish a lead in tapping the biggest open market for internet users. While the B2C market of advertising directly to users has its limitations, both in terms of the business that can be tracked and the personal information of users that can be shared, a B2B approach through small and medium businesses will give tech companies access to hyperlocal behavioural patterns across the country.
Reliance’s recent investments in startups across artificial intelligence or AI, e-governance and regional language platforms only multiplies this offering, setting the stage for a big tech war across the Indian internet ecosystem.
 This is the major step as Everyone at home in india mainly use Facebook more due to the major provider of Internet connection most popular Reliance Jio.
Jio can be credited with bringing data to the poorest of Indians at costs lowest in the world. Before its launch, 1GB of data easily cost Indians upwards of ₹100. The same data is available today at less than one-tenth of the cost. That has propelled Indians to the league of highest data consumers in the world with mobile streaming of entertainment, news, sports and games replacing traditional delivery platforms.
The synergy between Jio and Facebook will help realise Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s ‘Digital India’ Mission with its two ambitious goals — ‘Ease of Living’ and ‘Ease of Doing Business’ – for every single category of Indian people without exception. In the post-Corona era, I am confident of India’s economic recovery and resurgence in the shortest period of time. The partnership will surely make an important contribution to this transformation," an RIL press release quoted its Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani as saying.
The partnership between Facebook and Jio is unprecedented in many ways. This is the largest investment for a minority stake by a technology company anywhere in the world and the largest FDI in the technology sector in India. The investment values Jio Platforms amongst the top 5 listed companies in India by market capitalization.