Ambani may make Jio related announcement on Dec 1; Experts say may extend free voice/data offer

NEW DELHI: Reliance Industries Limited’s Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani may make an announcement on telecom venture Reliance Jio while addressing employees and stakeholders of the group.

Many expect the company to extend its welcome offer, which gives customers free unlimited voice, video calling, SMS and unlimited daily data. This may also resonate with potential subscribers who face a challenge for withdrawing and using cash after the government's move to demonetize Rs500 and Rs1000 notes on November 8.

The benefits of free unlimited Voice and data under the Welcome offer are available to its subscribers till December 31, 2016, but only to those customers who subscriber by December 3, the end of the 90-day period permitted for introductory offers after their launch, as mandated by the regulator, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.

The 4G entrant is offering free voice and capped data services along with free access to its digital services like Live TV, Video On Demand and music service and cloud storage.

“Mass scale free welcome offer could continue until March 2017 to attract subscriber growth towards the celebrated 100 million mark,” Motilal Oswal analysts in a recent note.

Separately, CLSA said the demonetisation drive and a slump in smartphone sales are likely to hurt Jio's entry strategy, adding that the 4G entrant is expected to extend free services beyond December.

"Even before demonetisation, issues with network optimisation and quality had raised the risk of extension of promotions beyond December 2016 by Jio,” CLSA said in a report.

Reliance Jio though has said it has garnered over 50 million subscribers in just 83 days since the service went live commercially on September 5.