Reliance Jio unveiled a mass-market smartphone jointly developed by the digital arm of its parent company and Google, priced INR6,499 ($86.78) and available in a range of 18- and 24-month installment options.

Mukesh Ambani, chairman and MD of Reliance Industries, stated he is a firm believer in the power of the digital revolution to empower the lives of 1.4 billion Indians.

“We have done it in the past with connectivity. Now we are enabling it again with a smartphone device.”

The JioPhone Next will go on sale on 4 November at JioMart Digital retail outlets across India. It runs Pragati OS, an Android-derived platform developed by Google and Jio Platforms.

Jio stated the entry price is INR1,999, with a service plan beginning at INR300 for 5GB of data a month over 24 installments. The top-tier data plan includes 2.5GB a day for INR550 a month. For plans covering 18 months the price is INR50 higher.

The operator noted the “unique financing option” makes it accessible for a much wider set of consumers.

Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai used Twitter to highlight “deep collaboration” with Jio, tailoring the device to Indian users and helping more people “access the internet”.

The smartphone was due to launch in September but was delayed by a global component shortage.