Jio yesterday launched internet-enabled Jio Bharat phones at Rs 999, packing in a cheaper monthly plan of Rs 123 for unlimited voice calls and 14 GB data.

The new offering aims to accelerate the ‘2G Mukt Bharat’ vision, as India still has 250 million mobile subscribers trapped in the 2G era with feature phones.

While India is leading the 5G revolution on one side with the transformational Jio True 5G network, there is a section of society that is unable to reap the benefits of digital technology in entirety, the company stressed.

“Jio Bharat is being launched with the objective of empowering every Indian with the power of digital services, especially those who cannot afford a smartphone. This will truly mark the beginning of digital freedom for the 250 million feature phone users in India and will bridge the digital divide,” Jio said in a statement, according to a PTI report from New Delhi.

Beta trial for first one million Jio Bharat phones starts from July 7, 2023.

Besides Reliance Retail, other phone brands (starting with Karbonn) will adopt the ‘Jio Bharat platform’ to build ‘Jio Bharat phones’.

Jio Bharat is priced at Rs 999, “the lowest entry price for an internet-enabled phone”, Jio said.

It is offering a 30 per cent cheaper monthly plan and  seven times more data compared to feature phone offerings of other operators.

“Rs 123 per month for unlimited voice calls and 14 GB data, compared to other operators’ Rs 179 plan for voice calls and 2GB data,” the statement added.

Lately, the digital disempowerment and disparity for feature phone users has become worse, with other telecom operators increasing the minimum price to stay connected, the statement said, adding even basic voice services for a 30-day period, which used to cost Rs 99 previously, now costs Rs 199.

Akash Ambani, Chairman, Reliance Jio, said there are still 250 million mobile phone users in India who remain “trapped” in the 2G era, unable to tap into basic features of the internet at a time when the world stands at the cusp of a 5G revolution.

“Six years ago, when Jio was launched, we made it clear that Jio will leave no stone unturned to democratise internet and pass the benefits of technology to every Indian,” he said.

Technology will no longer remain a privilege for a select few, he said, highlighting that the new Jio Bharat phone is another step to ensure every single person reaps the benefits of digital society.

“It is at the centre of innovation, and it continues to demonstrate our focus on bringing disproportionate and true value for different segments of users with meaningful, real-life use cases,” he said.