Jio Platforms Ltd, the digital services arm of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), which has raised more than Rs 1.04 lakh crore from 10 global investors, is likely to foray into online health and learning as it looks to tap its telecom subscriber base of nearly 39 crore, analysts said.
The Mukesh D Ambani-led entity has already revealed its intentions in edutech as well as leverage Jio’s digital services in healthcare.
The coming months could see Reliance sharpening its focus in these two segments.
Reliance in 2018 acquired around 73 per cent in education technology provider Individual Learning Pvt Ltd (Embibe). Akash Ambani, director at Reliance Jio, had said they were planning to connect 1.9 million schools and 58,000 universities across the country.
In healthcare, a RIL subsidiary in 2018 had invested in KareExpert Technologies, a digital healthcare platform. The JioHealthHub app allows users to book a test, get check-ups and store health data.
RIL has acquired more than 80 per cent in C-Square which provides software solutions in pharma for various stakeholders, including clearing & forwarding agents, distributors and retailers.
The group operates H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre, which is one of the most advanced hospitals in the country.
Reliance is reportedly in discussions to acquire a majority stake in online pharmacy Netmeds.
“Healthcare is one of three key focus areas for RIL where it believes that by leveraging technology it has room to offer a differentiated proposition to the consumers. In healthcare, the focus areas for RIL appear to be the in the preventive as well as the consumer segment. Over time, monetisation could be led by e-pharmacy delivery, transaction based services as well as wellness related subscription services,” a report from BofA Securities said.
The note added that if the reported M&A talks with NetMeds were to materialise and Jio engages with them for online medicine delivery, it could fill an important piece missing from its current consumer health offering.
BofA Securities said 2020 would be the key trigger for online healthcare led by an increased focus on heath post the Covid-19 pandemic.
In February, research firm RedSeer Consulting had projected the e-health sector will grow 13 times to become a $16-billion opportunity by 2024-25.
In a separate report, the analysts at BofA Securities indicated that Embibe would be the main vehicle for RIL’s plans in the ed-tech sector.
“RIL wants to make education accessible to the widest possible group of students (even in rural areas) by deploying technology. RIL intends to connect over 1.9 million schools and 58,000 universities across India with technology. Jio’s mobile and fiber broadband could act as a good connectivity platform to achieve this,” the brokerage said.
Bofa said as part of Jio’s enterprise offerings, RIL is planning to put school syllabuses across the country in a digital format and serve it through a tablet or smartphones. The plan is to do this across all educational boards from Class I to Class XII.
