Reliance Jio, Micromax consortium bags smartphones deal in Chhattisgarh

A consortium led by Reliance Jio and Micromax plans to supply the smartphones for the Chhattisgarh government’s ambitious scheme aimed to bridge the digital divide.

Under the Sanchar Kranti Yojana (SKY) scheme that was launched last week, the state government would distribute smartphones to 5 million eligible beneficiaries. Besides college students, women staying in the rural areas and families living below the poverty line (BPL) in the urban areas would also get the smartphones.

Reliance Jio Micromax and Lava Airtel consortium participated in the tender floated by Chhattisgarh Infotech Promotion Society (CHIPS) thrice when first two attempts failed. “The consortium led by Reliance Jio and Micromax emerged as the lowest bidder and had been awarded the contract to supply smartphones for the scheme,” CHIPS officials said.

The company would provide handset for Rs 2,509.92 that was cheapest when compared to the price of same features model available in the market, they said. The state government had set a target to distribute the smartphones in the next four months.