#8: Reliance Jio - How India's largest company enabled a mobile revolution & how Africa can also have a "Jio Moment"
Afrobility: Africa Tech and BusinessPlay episode
Show notes
Overview: Today we’re going to talk about the potential for a Reliance Jio moment in Africa. We'll start with some context of the Reliance parent group, its telco subsidiary - Reliance Jio (& its digital services subsidiary Jio Platforms) & their impact on India. Then we'll end by discussing ways Africa can also have a Reliance Jio moment. This episode was recorded on July 26, 2020.
Companies discussed: Reliance group, Reliance Jio / Jio Platforms, Dangote Group, Remgro, Transcorp, Naspers, Safaricom / Vodacom, Transsion, América Móvil & MTN
Business concepts discussed: India Tech, vertical integration, government relationships, pricing strategy, import substitution, industrialization, debt financing & equity fund raising
Conversation highlights:
(00:33) - Why the Reliance Jio story is important to Africa (02:29) - Background on Reliance parent group - founding & IPO (03:50) - Reliance backward integration & expansion (07:20) - Similarities to African conglomerates (11:04) - Starting Reliance Jio Telecoms (13:17) - Jio impact on competition, Indian economy & consumers (18:55) - Jio 2020 fundraising (24:24) - How can we have a "Jio moment" in Africa? (25:47) - Western Africa candidates to create a Jio moment (28:27) - Southern Africa candidates to create a Jio moment (35:27) - Eastern Africa candidates to create a Jio moment (37:00) - African governments or Non-African candidates to create a Jio moment (42:13) - Bankole’s overall thoughts & outlook (46:26) - Olumide’s overall thoughts & outlook (50:30) - Bankole’s recommendation & small wins (54:18) - Olumide’s recommendation & small wins
Olumide’s recommendations & small wins:
Recommendation: Designing your life book (by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans) Small win: "Earnings calls" app by Borsa Finance --> It's earnings season! Small win: Kuda bank --> First digital-only Nigerian bank
Bankole’s recommendations & small wins:
Recommendation: You're Not Listening: What You're Missing and Why It Matters Small win: Watched football this weekend with my friends on a conference call. Potential for a unified co-watching experience product --> Have ideas? E-mail us!
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