India / Will ensure COVID-19 vaccine reaches every corner of India: Nita Ambani

Mumbai: On Wednesday, 15 July 2020, Reliance Industries Limited promised that they would help make sure it reached every nook and corner of the country.

Speaking during the AGM, Nita Ambani said: “Friends, the war against coronavirus is far from over. Reliance Foundation is gearing up to partner with the government and local municipalities, for mega-scale COVID testing across India, with the help of Jio's digital infrastructure.

And I assure you, as soon as the corona vaccine becomes available, we will volunteer by using the same digital distribution and supply chain, to ensure that the vaccine reaches every nook and corner of our country. For Mukesh and me, being of service to our nation has given us a deep sense of satisfaction. We are so proud of our Reliance Family's contribution to India's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and their efforts to help alleviate the suffering of our brothers and sisters.”

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) Chairman Mukesh Ambani said JioMart and Facebook-owned Whatsapp will work together to create more growth opportunities for kirana stores in India.

"Facebook and Jio share a strong vision for digitally empowering consumers as well as SMEs and entrepreneurs across India," he said.

"Reliance Retail is India's largest and most profitable retail business, with revenues of Rs 162,936 crore and EBITDA of Rs 9,654 crore. It is the fastest-growing retailer in the world and only Indian company in the top 100 global retailers," Ambani said.

Ambani further stated that JioMart will expand its offering in four verticles -- "electronics, fashion, pharmaceutical and healthcare." He also said the firm's online grocery delivery service will be "working closely to create growth opportunities for millions of Indian small merchants and enable customers seamlessly transact with kirana shops." "Reliance retail is entering new commerce and accelerating its partnership with JioMart. Reliance retail has 12,000 stores across India and has deep-rooted bonds with farmers. It is India's first farm to the home company on a global scale," Ambai added.

Isha Ambani, daughter of Mukesh Ambani, further explained how JioMart is empowering offline kirana stores in the country and added "its beta pilot programme in 200 cities has received positive feedback." "JioMart is built upon two fundamental pillars: 1. A powerful omni-channel tech-platform to unite customers, kiranas and producers. 2. A widespread physical network of Reliance Retail that takes benefits of new commerce to every corner. It is built to digitally enable, empower and engage kirana stores. Kiranas will stay connected and transact with their customers on the JioMart platform, facilitated by a multifunctional POS," she said.

"With JioMart, kirana stores will no longer be held back by limited product range, space, or delivery challenges. The partnership with JioMart can potentially help kirana stores grow business and earnings," she added.

She further stated that a "unique solution that JioMart offers is to convert the kirana's existing stores in less than 48 hours into refreshed self-service stores, thereby transforming their customer experience completely."