RIL pledges $39 bn investment in `Digital India’ programme

Mukesh Ambani-led reliance industries ltd (RIL) proposes to spend Rs250,000 crore (a little over $39 billion) in Digital India programmes, more than double the government's estimated expenditure of $18 billion.

Speaking at the launch of the `Digital India Week' today, Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani said his company plans to invest about Rs250,000 crore ($39.3 billion) in Digital India initiatives.

"I believe Digital India will be a huge success because of the adoption of technology by the youth of India," Ambani said.

"Digital India as we have seen empowers them to fulfil their aspirations. We at Reliance will invest over Rs. 2,50,000 crores across the Digital India pillars," he said.

The group's initiatives under it will create over 500,000 direct and indirect jobs, even as `Digital India' will empower citizens by the use of IT and its tools, he said.

Ambani said the launch of Digital India initiative was a momentous occasion in an information age where digitisation was changing the way one lives, learns, works and plays. It can transform the lives of 1.2 billion Indians using the power of digital technology.

He said his group, under the Reliance Jio platform, will roll out an internet protocol-based wireless broadband infrastructure across all 29 states in India. Reliance Jio will also set up a nationwide distribution network for 150,000 small vendors to sell and service devices.

"This apart Jio is working with leading device manufacturers, encouraging them to 'Make in India' smart phones and internet devices at an affordable price. We will give them an assured offtake through our retail system."