Meta and Jio Platforms on Monday launched a first of its kind end-to-end shopping experience on WhatsApp. Consumers in India can now shop from JioMart right within the WhatsApp app. They can access and browse through JioMart’s grocery catalogue, add items to cart, and make the payment to complete the purchase within the app. The development comes as Mukesh Ambani, Reliance Industries Chairman and Managing Director, announced at the 45th Annual General Meeting that Jio will begin rolling out 5G services in India by October.
As per a press statement from Jio, JioMart is a global first initiative and JioMart on WhatsApp will enable users in India, including those who have never shopped online before, to shop via WhatsApp by simply sending ‘Hi’ to the JioMart number (+917977079770) on WhatsApp. The launch is part of a strategic partnership between Meta and Jio Platforms that was announced in 2020.
“Mark and I shared a vision of bringing more people and businesses online and creating truly innovative solutions that will add convenience to the daily lives of every Indian. One example of an innovative customer experience that we are proud of developing is the first ever end-to-end shopping experience with JioMart on WhatsApp. The JioMart on WhatsApp experience furthers our commitment of enabling a simple and convenient way of online shopping to millions of Indians,” Ambani said in a statement.
The company said that the JioMart on WhatsApp experience will revolutionise “the way millions of businesses across the country connect with their consumers while bringing unparalleled simplicity and convenience to people’s shopping experience.” Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO, Meta, said that chat-based experiences like this “will be the go-to way people and businesses communicate in the years to come.”
At the event, Isha Ambani, who Mukesh Ambani introduced as leader of Reliance group’s retail business, showcased the demo of the JioMart bot. “JioMart and WhatsApp partnership will aid growth. JioMart-WhatsApp users can use WhatsApp Pay, cash on delivery (COD), and other payment methods,” she added. JioMart’s WhatsApp Bot is built by Haptik.
The development comes as Reliance Jio announced that it will begin rolling out 5G services in India by October. The country’s largest telecom operator announced a Rs. 2 lakh crore investment to deploy 5G connectivity in cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, and Kolkata by Diwali. Furthermore, the company also confirmed that the nationwide rollout of the 5G network will be done by December 2023.