Jio prepaid recharge through WhatsApp soon

New Delhi: Telecom major Reliance Jio and Meta (formerly Facebook) on Wednesday said Jio users will soon be able to recharge their subscription using WhatsApp.

Speaking at Meta's Fuel for India 2021 event, Jio Platforms Ltd Director Akash Ambani said Jio and Meta teams are working closely to open more avenues of collaboration.

"One such avenue is Jio on WhatsApp, which is simplifying the entire 'prepaid recharge' which will be rolled out very soon. This will bring consumers convenience like they've never had before," he said.

The feature is slated to be rolled out in 2022. Jio Platforms Director Isha Ambani noted that the feature will make the process of recharging simple, especially for older citizens who at times may find it difficult to head outside.

"It is really exciting how the end-to-end experience for Recharge through WhatsApp along with the ability to make payments can potentially make the lives of millions of Jio subscribers much more convenient," she said.

Reliance Jio had 429.5 million users at the end of September 2021 quarter. In April 2020, Meta (Facebook at that time) had announced an investment of USD 5.7 billion ( Rs 43,574 crore) in Jio Platforms.

The companies had also talked about creating a better shopping and commerce experience in India working with JioMart by leveraging WhatsApp's communication and payments platform.

On Wednesday, Akash Ambani said there are currently over half a million retailers on JioMart and the number is growing.

"We continue to be so excited about our partnership with Meta and in collaboration with the WhatsApp team, we intend to build out native features that will not only help users shop seamlessly on WhatsApp but will also help retailers increase stock assortments, improve margins and get them closer to perhaps a larger base of customers, like never before," he added.

Meta Chief Business Officer Marne Levine said India is rapidly becoming a global hub for innovation, leading the way and setting an example for so many other countries to follow - especially in a post- pandemic world.

"Our goal as a company has always been to enable new opportunities for businesses of all sizes, especially for the more than 63 million small businesses across India. They are the backbone of the economy, and they form the heart and soul of rural and urban communities, alike," she said.