Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio is expanding its cloud PC service, JioPC, to all internet users in India. This initiative aims to transform aging computers into AI-ready machines by streaming a virtual PC from the cloud, eliminating the need for expensive hardware upgrades.
The service, which originally launched in July, is now available as a standalone subscription for users with any internet connection, not just Jio broadband subscribers. JioPC streams a virtual computer to the user’s existing hardware, with plans offering options ranging from 8 virtual CPUs and 16GB of RAM to 1TB of storage.
The company claims this approach allows even computers older than eight years to run modern AI applications, provided they have an internet connection. Subscription costs are competitive, starting at ₹1,000 (approximately $11) for a two-month plan with 8GB of RAM and 500GB of storage, and rising to ₹5,000 (about $53) for a 12-month plan that includes 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.
According to IDC estimates, India had over 65 million PCs in use in 2025, including roughly 34 million consumer units and 31 million commercial machines. The analyst firm projects the installed base to approach 69 million by the end of 2026.
This launch comes during an extended hardware replacement cycle. IDC senior market analyst Bharath Shenoy noted that consumers and small businesses in India typically replace PCs every five to six years, compared to four to five years in 2022, while enterprise replacement cycles have stretched to about four years from three previously.
Jio is banking on cloud computing to further extend these lifecycles. By shifting processing and storage to its data centers, India’s most valuable company intends to add computing capacity without forcing users to discard their existing devices.
Prabhu Ram from the Gurugram-based CyberMedia Research suggested that JioPC could create a market where consumers pay for computing capabilities rather than constantly upgrading hardware. "Jio is broadening its value proposition by opening JioPC to non-Jio users, while also challenging the traditional hardware upgrade cycle," Ram told TechCrunch.
However, Ram does not expect JioPC to replace conventional PCs entirely. Instead, he envisions it creating a parallel, price-sensitive tier for households and students who could not previously afford new AI-capable hardware.
Shenoy pointed out that Indians traditionally prefer owning their hardware over paying for subscription services. He argued that Jio will need to convince consumers that a recurring fee is worth the trade-off, particularly given the loss of offline capabilities that a standard PC offers.
This reliance on connectivity could be a significant hurdle in smaller cities and towns, where the service requires a stable internet connection. Shenoy also noted competition from refurbished PCs, which allow users to own inexpensive hardware independent of connectivity.
Jio’s "AI-ready" pitch challenges the definition of an AI PC. While the company has not disclosed details on the underlying hardware, the specifications provided do not mention dedicated AI accelerators for on-device generative AI workloads, unlike the new generation of AI PCs.
Ultimately, Prabhu Ram believes the success of JioPC depends on whether users view cloud computing as a daily utility. If people are willing to pay for computing power rather than buying new hardware, the model could take hold, though it currently faces challenges regarding internet dependency and the comfort of owning physical hardware.
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