Jio’s 100GB Free Cloud Storage: A Game-Changer That Could Push Google One and iCloud to Reconsider Prices in India

Reliance Jio’s new offer of 100GB free cloud storage could challenge Google One and iCloud among Android and Apple users in India. Experts believe this offer could push these major players to reconsider their pricing strategies, something that Dropbox and Microsoft’s OneDrive haven’t yet achieved.

Possible Impact on Pricing

Currently, Google One charges ₹130 for 100GB and iCloud charges ₹75 for 50GB. Jio’s aggressive move might encourage these companies to lower their prices, especially as Indian firms like Ola and MapMyIndia are starting to challenge big Western companies like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft’s Azure, and Google.

Challenges Ahead

Neil Shah, founding partner at Counterpoint Research, notes that while Jio’s offer is attractive for many users who struggle with paid storage, integrating Jio Cloud into existing ecosystems like iCloud and Google One may be difficult. Many users have their data, such as WhatsApp backups, already tied to these platforms.

Jio’s Bigger Strategy

Jio’s cloud storage offer is part of a broader strategy to gather user data for training AI models, similar to how Google and Apple use data to enhance their services. This was announced during Reliance’s 47th Annual General Meeting, where they introduced the Jio AI-Cloud Welcome Offer, giving users up to 100GB of free cloud storage this Diwali.

Indian Tech Companies Compete

Indian tech companies are increasingly competing with global giants. For example, Ola recently left Microsoft’s Azure Cloud for its own Krutrim Cloud, and launched Ola Maps, a new mapping service. This move saved the company ₹100 crore annually, prompting Google to reduce its Google Maps pricing by up to 70% in India.

Price Wars in Mapping Services

Following Google’s price cuts, Ola Maps announced even deeper discounts, offering 50% off Google’s new prices for large volumes, and 5 million free API calls per month. This intense competition in India’s tech market shows how local companies are pushing back against global leaders.