The Jio Platform of Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) and Google on Friday announced that the JioPhone Next smartphone, jointly designed by the two companies, would be made available at stores across the country from Deepavali.

“This will be the most affordable smartphone anywhere in the world with an entry price of ₹1,999 and the rest paid via easy EMI over 18/24 months,” both companies said in a joint statement.

JioPhone Next will be available at Reliance Retail’s JioMart Digital retail locations. The EMI scheme starts at ₹300 per month for 24 months for the cheapest handset, while the expensive one with more GB space would cost ₹600 per month for 18 months.

“This is the first time that a phone in the entry-level category is getting a financing option,” the companies added.

“I am delighted that Google and Jio teams have succeeded in bringing this breakthrough device to Indian consumers in time for the festival season, in spite of the current global supply chain challenges caused by the COVID pandemic,” said RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani.

“I have always been a firm believer in the power of the Digital Revolution to enrich, enable and empower the lives of 1.35 billion Indians. We have done it in the past with connectivity. Now we are enabling it again with a smartphone device,” he added.

He said among the many rich features of JioPhone Next, the one that has impressed him the most — one that would empower common Indians the most and take their digital journeys to the next level — was its contribution to India’s linguistic integration.

“India’s unique strength is our linguistic diversity. Those Indians who might not be able to read content in English or in their language can get it translated, and even read out, in their own language on this smart device,” Mr. Ambani said.