Google partners with Ambani’s Reliance to offer free AI Pro access to millions of Jio users in India

In a strategic move to bolster its presence in emerging markets, Google has formed a partnership with Reliance Industries, led by billionaire Mukesh Ambani. This collaboration aims to offer Google's AI Pro subscription free of charge for 18 months to eligible Jio users as part of their 5G plans. The announcement was made on Thursday, highlighting the alliance with Reliance, which stands as India's largest company by market capitalization. This partnership follows closely on the heels of another collaboration between Perplexity and Reliance's competitor, Bharti Airtel, which also aims to provide free AI access to its 360 million subscribers. India, recognized as the world's most populous nation and the second-largest internet market with over a billion users, presents a lucrative opportunity for global tech companies. While the country has yet to witness a substantial homegrown AI innovation, U.S. tech giants are increasingly targeting it as a significant frontier for collecting diverse data, refining AI models, and testing new use cases that can be scaled in other emerging markets. The Jio offer will initially target users aged 18 to 25, before being made available to all Jio subscribers nationwide. It includes access to Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro model through the Gemini app, enhanced capabilities for generating AI images and videos via tools like Nano Banana and Veo 3.1, expanded usage of Notebook LM for academic purposes, and a generous 2 TB of cloud storage across platforms such as Google Photos, Gmail, Drive, and WhatsApp backups. According to Reliance, this partnership is also set to explore the integration of more localized AI experiences for Jio users. The estimated value of the 18-month offer is approximately ₹35,100 (around $396). Normally, Google's AI Pro plan costs ₹1,950 (approximately $22) per month in India and includes a complimentary one-month trial. In addition to the consumer initiative, Reliance is collaborating with Google Cloud to enhance access to its Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) within India. Reliance's AI division, Reliance Intelligence, is positioned to be a key partner for Google Cloud, focusing on expanding the reach of Gemini Enterprise among Indian organizations and developing AI agents tailored for the platform. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, remarked that this announcement will empower consumers, businesses, and India's dynamic developer community with advanced AI tools. At Reliance's recent annual general meeting, the company revealed partnerships with Google and Meta to strengthen AI capabilities in India through a new subsidiary, Reliance Intelligence, alongside a joint venture between Reliance and Meta involving a significant investment. Meanwhile, Google competitor OpenAI has also announced plans to provide free access to its ChatGPT Go plan for all users in India starting November 4. This entry-level tier, which launched in August, has already expanded to 17 countries across Asia. Major AI players, including OpenAI and Anthropic, are setting up operations in India to better understand local user needs and expand their influence in this vast emerging market. Earlier this year, Google offered a complimentary one-year subscription to its AI Pro plan for Indian students, a promotion that concluded on September 15. With India already driving the adoption of U.S.-led AI platforms, extending free trials of paid AI versions could further accelerate this trend and solidify India’s status as a vital consumer market for generative AI tools. However, the challenge remains for these AI companies to convert this initial interest into sustainable revenue once the free offers conclude. Ambani stated, "Through our collaboration with strategic and long-term partners like Google, we aim to make India not just AI-enabled but AI-empowered—where every citizen and enterprise can harness intelligent tools to create, innovate, and grow."