As India looks to establish a homegrown leader in the global artificial intelligence race, billionaire Mukesh Ambani is positioning Reliance Industries at the center of that effort by expanding AI-powered services across phone calls, mobile applications, and connected homes.
Speaking at the company’s annual shareholder meeting on Friday, the Mumbai-based conglomerate introduced Jio Call Agent, an AI assistant capable of joining phone calls to transcribe conversations, generate summaries, and complete tasks such as booking cabs, ordering food, and making reservations. Activated with the voice command “Hey Jio,” the service is expected to launch later this year for Jio’s network of more than 500 million users.
Rather than offering the assistant as a standalone application, Reliance is integrating it directly into Jio’s telecom network, aiming to make AI a built-in feature of everyday phone calls. The strategy could reduce users’ dependence on third-party call assistant apps while giving Reliance a significant distribution advantage in the increasingly competitive AI market.
Reliance also revealed an AI-powered version of its MyJio app, allowing users to perform tasks such as activating eSIMs and selecting roaming plans using natural language. Alongside it, the company introduced TeleFrame, a smart home display powered by AI agents that proactively provides weather updates, schedules, reminders, and other personalized recommendations. The product aligns with the broader industry trend toward ambient AI assistants for the home, an area where companies like Amazon and Google are also investing.
The announcements represent the next phase of Reliance’s AI strategy as India works to strengthen domestic capabilities in a sector currently dominated by U.S. and Chinese technology firms. The expansion builds on the launch of Reliance Intelligence last year, an initiative focused on developing AI infrastructure and services for consumers, businesses, and governments, including support for 22 Indian languages.
“India should not be a mere consumer of AI created elsewhere. It must become a creator, adopter, and a global leader in AI,” Ambani, 69, said during the meeting.
Reliance has steadily expanded its AI ambitions through partnerships with Google, Meta, and Nvidia. Earlier this year, the company announced plans to invest $110 billion in AI infrastructure as it seeks to become a major force in India’s growing AI ecosystem.
The company also unveiled a broader suite of AI-powered services for healthcare, education, agriculture, and small businesses. The offerings—JioHealthIQ, JioLearnIQ, JioKrishiIQ, and AI Vyapar—are designed to support multiple Indian languages while addressing local market needs.
Investors also received an important update on Jio’s long-awaited public listing. Ambani confirmed that Jio Platforms’ board has approved a draft prospectus for an initial public offering, which includes a fresh issue of up to 270 million shares, according to a stock exchange filing.
At the same time, Reliance’s expanding AI ecosystem raises new questions about data privacy. Although the company said its AI services will operate with user consent, it did not clarify whether information collected through phone calls, mobile apps, or connected home devices could be used to train AI models or shared with technology partners.
Reliance’s latest AI push comes as many Indian companies continue relying heavily on foreign AI models and cloud infrastructure. Recent restrictions affecting access to some of Anthropic’s advanced AI models have highlighted that dependence, demonstrating how overseas decisions can directly impact startups and businesses building AI products in India. That growing supply-chain risk is encouraging major Indian conglomerates to develop their own AI infrastructure instead of relying on external providers.
Last week, Reliance also announced a partnership with Meta to build an AI data center in Gujarat, expanding on Meta’s earlier investment in Jio Platforms and a joint venture launched last year to develop AI solutions for enterprise customers in India and international markets.
Reliance is not the only Indian conglomerate accelerating its AI strategy. Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, and the Adani Group have also expanded their AI initiatives and partnerships with companies including Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI as India’s largest corporations compete for leadership in the country’s rapidly evolving AI landscape.
For Reliance, however, the stakes are particularly significant. With Jio preparing for its long-awaited IPO and the conglomerate’s shares down about 17% this year, the company is counting on AI to become one of its key long-term growth drivers.
