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Reliance 'Jio' runs into trouble in Tamil Nadu market

Jio Tamil Nadu  Tenali Rama


Three days after the mega launch of `Jio' by Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani, the product has run into trouble in the Tamil Nadu market. DMK leader M Karunanidhi has objected to the product name of `Jio', saying the DMK opposes it on the grounds that the name is in Hindi. 


``Name it `Vaazhga' (live),'' Karunanidhi is believed to have advised.


The ruling AIADMK, for a change, agrees with Karunanidhi. However, it has pushed for `Amma Vaazhga' (Long live Amma) as the name of the product in Tamil Nadu, if Reliance wants access to the market. ``Jio is a great brand. But Amma Vaazhga will be a greater brand, Saar,'' an AIADMK leader is reported to have told Mukesh Ambani, showing him photographs of Amma canteen, Amma salt, Amma vegetables, Amma water, Amma pharmacy, Amma mobiles.


MDMK leader Vaiko wants the free offer that Jio has announced till December 2016 to be extended to all Sri Lankan Tamils. ``They are our brothers and sisters. They also need free voice calls and data. I appeal to Anbukuriya (dear) Mukesh Ambani avargal, Son of Late Anbukuriya Dhirubhai Ambani avargal and Smt Kokilaben Ambani avargal to kindly consider this request on behalf of the entire Tamil Eelam,'' said Vaiko in a statement. 


The response in the Kerala market too dipped once the habitual drinkers realised that `Jio' was not a new brand of liquor. The high-brow south Mumbai crowd too has not taken well to the brand. Socialite Shobhaa De tweeted : ``Jio jao, Selfies lo. What a waste of time and opportunity.''


Barring these hiccups, Reliance sources say the rest of the country has reacted with a lot of enthusiasm, especially after the splash with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's photograph on the front page of all national newspapers on Friday. Reliance sources have disclosed to Tenali Rama that Mr Modi was the first choice for the `endorsement'.


``We did consider Dr Manmohan Singh as well but the moment he heard that voice is free, he panicked. I am unlikely to speak to anyone, even if it is free, he said, excusing himself,'' said a Reliance spokesperson. 


Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's name also reportedly came up during discussion briefly. But his insistence on naming the phone `Rohith Vemula' queered the pitch. ``All Dalits will buy your phone, think of the empowerment you will create, Mr Ambani,'' he is believed to have said but Reliance did not buy into the idea.


In a peek into how the idea to launch Jio came out, Tenali Rama was shown a video of a discussion between Mukesh Ambani and his wife Nita Ambani, from a year ago. In it Mr Ambani, exasperated with the video buffering on his phone, is heard asking Nita, ``Yeh Bharatwaasi kaun si chakki ka Data consume karte hai?'' 


Ms Nita replies, ``Airtel, Idea aur Vodafone ka.''


``Hum do aur wo teen. Bahut na-insaafi,'' says Mukesh Ambani to himself and proceeds to work out the roadmap to annihilate competition. On Thursday, when the market cap of the trio fell by Rs 13000 crore, he is believed to have watched a re-run of `Sholay' and laughed aloud when Amjad Khan's Gabbar Singh roars, ``Teeno marr gaye.''


Jio received a shot in the arm when the Supreme court a day after the product launch, asked Karnataka in the Cauvery river water dispute case with Tamil Nadu to ``live and let live''. 


``This line of Jio aur Jeene do shows, that even our learned judges also are not untouched by the Jio fever,'' said the Reliance spokesperson. 


Among the first buyers of Jio phones was cricketer-turned-politician-turned-laughter king Navjot Singh Sidhu. ``That is why I have named my outfit Awaaz-e-Punjab. It will have a free voice. Ab thokko taali,'' said Sidhu.


Meanwhile sitting in the UK, Vijay Mallya is reported to have mulled `Pio' as a product with whisky free but charge for the soda, water and peanuts. 


(Tenali Rama is a satirical series by senior journalist T S Sudhir)
 

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