Reliance Jio brings Pokemon GO to India

Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited ("Jio") will be bringing the augmented reality game 'Pokemon GO' to India through a partnership with Niantic Inc - publisher and developer of the game in association with The Pokemon Company.

With this partnership, thousands of Reliance Digital Stores and select partner premises in India will appear as 'PokeStops' or 'Gyms' in the Pokemon GO game beginning Wednesday, December 14, 2016.

This launch is in line with Jio's plans to provide a variety of entertainment-based apps and games, such as Pokemon GO.

"We are delighted to partner with Jio to launch Pokemon GO in India," said John Hanke, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Niantic. "It's exciting to see Pokemon fans in India step out and explore their neighbourhoods in search of Pokemon and Jio's disruptive high-speed 4G LTE Network will be an excellent way to experience the game."

The two companies will work together to bring Indians a richer and more enjoyable mobile entertainment experience for Pokemon GO, including activating Jio retail locations and charging stations as PokeStops and Gyms within the game and allowing Indians to catch, train, and battle at any of Jio's outlets throughout the country.

On Jio's social messaging app, JioChat, Pokemon players have access to an exclusive Pokemon Go Channel. The Pokemon Go Channel will enable Pokemon Go players to collaborate and be part of an exciting community of players with daily tips, contests, clues and special events. The Pokemon Go Channel on JioChat a fun way to socialise with other players and level-up faster.

"With over 500 million downloads globally, we are excited to launch Pokemon GO officially in India on the Reliance Jio network," said Mathew Oommen, President Reliance Jio. "Our partnership with Niantic not only brings access to the Pokemon GO app but also opens the door to more opportunities for our customers to enjoy content on Jio's one-of-a-kind mobile broadband network," said Oommen.