From shareholders to partners: How Google and Meta’s Jio investments evolved into an AI alliance

When Meta and Google invested in Jio Platforms in 2020, the deals were seen as strategic bets on India’s growing digital economy. Five years later, the two technology companies have moved beyond being minority shareholders in Reliance’s digital arm. They now operate as partners in the conglomerate’s artificial intelligence push.

Meta is working with Reliance through a 70:30 enterprise-AI joint venture built around its open-source Llama models. Google, meanwhile, is partnering with Reliance to establish a dedicated cloud region in Jamnagar, powered by Reliance’s clean energy and connected through Jio’s network.

The developments mark a shift from capital participation to collaboration across AI software, cloud infrastructure, connectivity and enterprise applications.

The 2020 investments

The partnerships date back to Reliance Industries’ ₹1,52,056-crore fundraising exercise in 2020, when Jio Platforms raised money from 13 investors for around 33% of the company.

Facebook, now Meta, invested ₹43,574 crore for a 9.99% stake. Google followed with ₹33,737 crore for a 7.73% stake. FoneArena and The News Minute reported the details at the time.

Google’s investment came with a commercial agreement to develop an affordable Android smartphone with Google Play. The fundraising also positioned Jio Platforms as more than a telecom company, with ambitions across digital services, devices, payments, commerce and entertainment.

Ahead of Jio Platforms’ proposed public listing, Meta affiliate Jaadhu Holdings held 9.98% and Google International held 7.73%, according to Angel One.

Meta’s enterprise-AI partnership

At Reliance Industries’ annual general meeting in August 2025, the company announced Reliance Intelligence, a wholly owned AI subsidiary, along with a joint venture with Meta.

The companies committed an initial investment of about ₹855 crore, with Reliance holding 70% and Meta 30%. The venture will develop enterprise AI platforms, tools and sector-specific solutions based on Meta’s Llama models.

The partnership expands Meta’s role from a strategic investor and consumer-technology partner to an operating collaborator in Reliance’s enterprise AI plans. Reliance brings its business presence, digital infrastructure and distribution capabilities, while Meta contributes its AI models and technology ecosystem.

Google’s infrastructure role

Google’s partnership with Reliance is focused on the infrastructure layer.

The companies are establishing a dedicated Google Cloud region in Jamnagar. According to PTI, as reported by The Week, Reliance will power the facility with clean energy, with Jio providing connectivity.
The arrangement could give Reliance access to Google’s cloud and AI capabilities while enabling Google to work with a partner that has large-scale energy, network and consumer-distribution assets in India.

For Reliance, the Jamnagar facility is part of an effort to build domestic AI capacity and offer cloud and AI services to businesses, developers and public-sector users.

From affordable internet to affordable intelligence

Google CEO Sundar Pichai has described the Reliance partnership as nearly a decade old. In remarks cited by TelecomTV, he credited the relationship with helping expand affordable internet access in India.

The next phase is built around a similar proposition, with AI replacing connectivity as the central opportunity.

Meta’s partnership focuses on enterprise applications based on Llama, while Google’s centres on cloud infrastructure, computing capacity, and connectivity. Together, they reflect Reliance’s attempt to build across the AI stack - from energy and infrastructure to models, applications and distribution.

The commercial outcomes are still to be established. But the progression is significant: two minority stakes acquired during Jio’s 2020 fundraising have evolved into strategic partnerships supporting Reliance’s next technology push - artificial intelligence.