Jio will invest Rs 10,000 crore in UP in three years: Mukesh Ambani
Over two crore JioPhones will be made available in UP within two months; Reliance Foundation to contribute to Namami Gange Mission.
Reliance Industries Limited chairman and managing director Mukesh Ambani on Wednesday said Jio will invest another Rs 10,000 crore in Uttar Pradesh over the next three years. He said Jio will establish a Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution within the campus of a reputed university in Uttar Pradesh.
Speaking at the UP Investors’ Summit-2018 here, Ambani said Jio had already created over 40,000 direct and indirect jobs in UP. Along with other businesses of Reliance, such as retail, polyester and petroleum, Jio will create over one lakh sustainable livelihood opportunities in the state in the coming years, he said.
Ambani made a commitment to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Reliance Foundation will deem it to be its ‘pious duty’ to contribute to the success of Namami Gangen – the National Mission for Clean Ganga. He said the Ganga is “our mother and pious for all”.
Ambani said he also wanted to see the youth of the state become smart. “Therefore, we have introduced JioPhone, which is India’s own smart phone. It is available for a nominal deposit of Rs 1500, which is refundable after three years. In other words, we have made it virtually free because we want even the poorest Indian to become digitally empowered. So huge is the demand for JioPhones all over India that there is a wait-list for it in many states,” he said. .
Ambani said, “UP is special for me. Therefore, I am happy to announce that Jio will make available over two crore JioPhones in UP within the next two months on a priority basis.”
He also said with an investment of Rs 250,000 crore so far, Reliance has built a world-class digital infrastructure all over India, including UP, in less than two years.
Praising Lucknow, Ambani said, “I have never seen a state capital so beautifully decked up for an Investors’ Summit.” He said PM had a dream to make Uttar Pradesh into Uttam Pradesh and Sarvottam Pradesh, adding the PM’s dream can be realised. “We all will fulfill the dreams of making UP into Uttam Pradesh,” he said.
He also showered praise on UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath.
“Uttar Pradesh is also fortunate in having a karma yogi like you as its CM. Coming to UP is a patriotic duty for me because India cannot rise to its full potential without the rise of 22 crore people of UP. And when UP starts running, no power on earth can stop our country from becoming a global economic power,” he said.