Google partners up with Indian internet giant Jio
The news about the Jio-Google partnership is part of a bigger picture of collaborations, as Google also announced in April 2020 that it would team up with Apple to deliver a shared track and trace system across both iOS and Android smartphones. With a view to entering and dominating the Indian market, Google will now work on producing a tailored version of its pioneer Android operating system. This will allow the release of a new line of affordable, entry-level smartphones, which are crucial for boosting smartphone penetration rates. The company already has the know-how of creating Android Go, a lightweight version of its OS designed for low-powered devices. However, it is unclear to what extent the new partnership would rely on the work done on Android Go – if at all.
@Google and Jio are partnering to build an Operating System that could power a value engineered, entry-level 4G/5G smartphone. The Jio-Google partnership is determined to make India 2G-mukt: Mukesh Ambani at #RILAGM #NayeIndiaKaNayaJosh #Google #Jio
— Reliance Jio (@reliancejio) July 15, 2020
What is known, is that Google will invest a whopping $4.5 billion to purchase a share of 7.73% in Jio Platforms. Jio is an India-based internet company that is active across broadband internet and mobile services, as well as digital commerce. Its immense growth is documented through a series of partnerships and investments – of which Google is the latest. In April 2020, Facebook also took an interest in Jio, investing in a 9.9% stake in the company for an impressive $5.7 billion. Google’s investment is part of a broader $10 billion investment that the tech giant plans to roll out in India over the coming 5 to 7 years.
As the mobile market is rising, is Google looking to provide affordable smartphones for all?
Since the majority of Indian residents have no internet access, let alone smartphones, Google views this move as a way to provide more users with smartphones. Jio’s subscribers amount to roughly 400 million, which means that the collaboration could help streamline efforts to tap into an emerging market. As India is preparing to enter the 5G era, this agreement could unlock the potential of the country’s advancing digital transformation. Yet there is more to Google’s efforts than just a desire to reach out to India’s 1.38 billion population. Producing an affordable smartphone could prove the way in into the broader global population – especially in countries with developing economies, or across population segments with low smartphone usage rates in developed countries.
Source: Pexels
Google’s focus on the mobile market is easy to understand, since its value and range keeps rising exponentially every year. Mobile games are an integral part of that growth, with games from Candy Crush to Fortnite acting as trailblazers for the mobile sector across the casual gaming genre. In the more traditional market of online casino games, VegasSlotsOnline reports that mobile casino games are on the rise, with more than 13 million users playing casino games online on a monthly basis.
This has led to several providers creating mobile-friendly versions of their websites or even launching mobile apps. Companies active in a wide range of sectors have also realized the potential of the mobile market and have released relevant apps. The app version of Netflix is extremely popular, especially with users wanting to catch up on a favorite TV series on the go, while online retail giant Amazon has also launched its own Amazon shopping mobile app on Android and iOS.
With more and more people eager to turn to smartphones for everything, from gaming to shopping to entertainment, creating an entry-level Android-powered smartphone for India could just be the start of something much greater for Google.