Here's what Mark Zuckerberg has to say about Facebook's $5.7 Billion investment in Jio

Social media giant Facebook on Wednesday announced an investment of USD 5.7 billion (Rs 43,574 crore) to buy a 9.99% stake in the firm that houses Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Limited's (RIL's) telecom arm Jio, as it looks to expand presence in its largest market in terms of subscriber base. 

Facebook CEO and co-founder, Mark Zuckerberg said:

There's a lot going on in the world right now, but I wanted to share an update on our work in India. Facebook is teaming up with Jio Platforms -- we're making a financial investment, and more than that, we're committing to work together on some major projects that will open up commerce opportunities for people across India.

India is home to the largest communities on Facebook and WhatsApp and a lot of talented entrepreneurs. The country is in the middle of a major digital transformation and organizations like Jio have played a big part in getting hundreds of millions of Indian people and small businesses online.

This is especially important right now because small businesses are the core of every economy and they need our support. India has more than 60 million small businesses and millions of people rely on them for jobs. With communities around the world in lockdown, many of these entrepreneurs need digital tools they can rely on to find and communicate with customers and grow their businesses. This is something we can help with -- and that's why we're partnering with Jio to help people and businesses in India create new opportunities.

I want to thank Mukesh Ambani and the entire Jio team for their partnership. We're looking forward to getting started.

'Jio has brought more than 388 million people online'

Facebook said the investment "underscores our commitment to India and our excitement for the dramatic transformation that Jio has spurred in the country". "In less than four years, Jio has brought more than 388 million people online, fueling the creation of innovative new enterprises and connecting people in new ways. We are committed to connecting more people in India together with Jio," it added.

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Together with WhatsApp and Instagram, Facebook overall is estimated to have more users in India than any other single country. The number of internet users in India is projected to rise to about 850 million in 2022, according to consultancy PwC, up from 450 million in 2017. "The partnership between Facebook and Jio is unprecedented in many ways. This is the largest investment for a minority stake by a technology company anywhere in the world and the largest FDI in the technology sector in India," RIL said.

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(with PTI inputs)