[ad_1]
By P R Sanjai
Reliance Industries Ltd. began testing its online shopping portal three days after Facebook Inc. said it will invest $ 5.7 billion in digital assets controlled by billionaire Mukesh Ambani.
Follow the latest updates on the COVID-19 pandemic here
JioMart, a Reliance Retail e-commerce company, went live in three neighborhoods surrounding Mumbai, taking advantage of a deal that gives access to the 400 million WhatsApp users in India currently under the world’s most expansive blockade.
Launching the portal takes Asia’s wealthiest man one step closer to his goal of establishing a digital platform to take on Amazon.com Inc. and Walmart Inc.’s Flipkart online services service for a slice of the commerce market. email from India that KPMG says will grow to $ 200 billion by 2027. Facebook hopes a partnership with JioMart will help WhatsApp be the main way for small businesses to connect with customers.
“The deployment is happening at the most difficult times considering the supply chain constraints,” said Vikraman P.N., founder of Finnoviti Consulting Pvt. “But Reliance will extend the pilot execution in several states after its agreement with Facebook. And WhatsApp will play a fundamental role in the expansion of JioMart “.
Also Read: Coronavirus India Update: Total Number of Confirmed Cases, Deaths by State
Customers should add the WhatsApp number 8850008000 from JioMart on their phones. JioMart provides a link to place the order. Once the order is placed, it is shared with a grocery store on WhatsApp. The customer receives a notification with the order and the details of the store in their number, according to the JioMartLite website.
A Reliance spokesman declined to comment.
In a video statement released on April 22, Ambani said the link to WhatsApp will help nearly 30 million Indian store owners accept digital payments from customers in their neighborhoods.
“This means that all of you can order and get faster delivery of day-to-day items at nearby local stores,” he said.
