Make In Odisha: Mukesh Ambani’s rural punch! Reliance Jio has connected 43,000 villages in the state

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani Monday said that Reliance Industries’ telecom arm Reliance Jio has led India’s digital transformation, and announced that RIL will invest Rs 3,000 crore more in various businesses in the state over the next three years, in addition to the Rs 6,000 crore already invested so far in Odisha. He was speaking at the Make in Odisha Conclave 2018, the flagship biennial investors’ summit of the state government of Odisha, which kicked off today and is being attended by investors from countries including Japan, Germany, China, Italy, Saudi Arabia and South Korea.

While noting down that most of the company’s investments are in creating the Jio network, Ambani said, “Since Jio commenced operations little over two years ago, India has moved from the 155th rank in mobile broadband penetration to being the number 1 nation in mobile data consumption in the world. Further, he stated that Relinace Jio has connected all cities and towns, and 43,000 villages in Odisha and the per capita data consumption in Odisha is among the highest in the country.

“It is a mission to transform India ─ to transform Odisha. We have created sustained new employment opportunities ─ both direct and indirect ─ to over 30,000 people in the state,” he said, adding that the company is also working with the state government of Odisha on an initiative to integrate several lakh women in the state in the digital mainstream under the “Mission Shakti” Scheme.

While inaugurating the second edition of Make In Odisha Conclave, chief minister Naveen Patnaik invited delegates from across the world to discover the business and growth opportunities in the state.

Apart from Mukesh Ambani, Vedanta Group chairman Anil Agarwal, Aditya Birla Group’s Kumar Mangalam Birla and chairmen of SBI and Bandhan Bank are the star speakers at the conclave. The five-day meet of industrialists, bankers and trade experts has been designed to be a unique platform for discussing various aspects of building the Odisha.

Several leaders from across the country are attending the event, along with the local entrepreneurs as the summit will provide a platform to offer leadership perspective from industry leaders to next-generation leaders.