This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
Alphabet (GOOG, Financials) said Thursday it will offer its Gemini AI service at no cost to more than 500 million users of Reliance Jio, India’s largest telecom network. The offer is part of a new agreement with Reliance Intelligence, a joint venture between Reliance Industries and Meta.
The plan will include Gemini 2.5 Pro access, expanded NotebookLM tools, and 2 TB of cloud storage features valued at roughly 35,100 rupees, per user. The rollout begins with 18- to 25-year-old Jio 5G users before expanding to all subscribers over the next 18 months.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai said the move will help expand access to AI across India, while Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani called it a step toward making the country AI-empowered.
The announcement follows similar efforts by Perplexity AI and OpenAI, which recently launched free plans with India’s top telecom providers, underscoring how global firms are competing to capture the world’s fastest-growing digital market.
