Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries on Friday launched India’s first 4G feature phone. At an effective cost of Rs 0, JioPhone will be available from pre-booking August 24

Business  tycoon Mukesh Ambani on Friday announced the launch of Jio Phone, a 4G feature phone that offers free calls along with data packs at staggeringly low prices. Unlimited data packs for JioPhones will start at Rs 153 per month, there are also weekly and 2-day packs.

Ambani, who had taken the telecom sector by surprise with free voice calls and data last year, announced the next leap at the company’s 40th shareholder meeting on Friday.

The phone, targeted at 50 crore feature phone users in the country, will be available for pre-booking from August 24 on payment of a security deposit of Rs 1,500.

This deposit will be refunded after 36 months on return of the phone, he said, adding that the price of the phone will be “effective zero”.

He used the occasion to introduce his twin children, Akash and Isha, who presented the phone features that include calls and text messaging on voice command, Internet surfing and cable to connect the device to TV to view content, including videos.

“JioPhone will make the 2G feature phone obsolete,” Ambani claimed, adding that the company is looking to bring 5 million phones to the market a week.

“Reliance democratised the equity culture in the past. Now, Jio will democratise the digital culture in India,” he asserted. “Digital Life will no longer be the privilege of the affluent few.”