Reliance Retail to launch $200-laptop to replicate phone success

August 2, 2023

By Hritam Mukherjee

BENGALURU (Reuters) – India’s Reliance Retail will launch a $200 laptop next month as the Mukesh Ambani-owned retailer looks to repeat the success of its low-cost cell phone.

The 4G-enabled laptop, called JioBook, is priced at 16,499 rupees ($200.63) and will be available for purchase through the company-run retail outlets and online platform Reliance Digital from Aug. 5.

JioBook, which will run on JioOS, an operating system based on Google’s Android OS, will come with JioTV and JioCloudGames apps pre-installed, the company said in a statement.

Last October, Reuters had reported citing sources that JioBook will be produced locally by contract manufacturer Flex.

Reliance Retail to launch $200-laptop to replicate phone success — Shopping trolleys are seen parked outside a Reliance supermarket in Mumbai, India, March 16, 2021. Picture taken March 16, 2021. REUTERS/Niharika Kulkarni/File Photo

Ambani’s Reliance is known for disrupting businesses with cut-throat price offerings. Its wireless venture Jio Infocomm upended the Indian mobile market with cheap internet plans in 2016.

*Reliance Retail is an Indian retail company and a subsidiary of Reliance Industries. Founded in 2006, it is the largest retailer in India in terms of revenue.[4] Its retail outlets offer foods, groceries, apparel, footwear, toys, home improvement products, electronic goods, and farm implements and inputs. Apart from physical outlets, the company also sells products on its e-commerce channels. It has 280,000 employees at 16,700 store locations.

($1 = 82.2350 Indian rupees)