As a part of ongoing farmers' protest against new farm laws, products of Ambani and Adani groups including Reliance Jio asked to boycott by many farmer leaders. In various social media platforms thousands called for boycotting using #BoycottAmbaniAdani, #BoycottJioSim and #PortJio.
Persons like tribal activist Hansraj Meena has supported the boycott through twitter. This mass boycott and mobilisation has resulted in reduction of share value of Reliance, on December 11th price of one share fell to 1999 from 2035 when market closed.
Mean while, In a letter submitted before the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI),Reliance Jio Infocom (RJio) has accused Airtel and Vodafone Idea (Vi) of spreading rumours about the company during the ongoing protests by farmers against the new farm reform laws, reports Money Control
The company also asks to take strict action against the two entities, claiming that they are resorting to unethical ways to spread rumours that Reliance stands to gain from the new farm bills.
"These companies continue to remain directly/indirectly involved in supporting and furthering insinuations and false and frivolous rumours of Reliance being an undue beneficiary in the farm bills," it said.
In the complaint to TRAI, it said that "We submit that Airtel and Vi remain unabated in pursuit, this vicious and divisive campaign through its employees, agents, and retailers. They are inciting the public by making preposterous claims that migrating Jio mobile numbers to their network would be an act to support farmers protests,"
Call for boycott has been circulating in social media platforms along with instructions for changing service providers from Jio to others for the past few days. The list of products of Ambani Group and Adani group are also getting shared widely.
From its establishment onwards. Reliance Jio had a growth in the number of subscribers in each month till last September.
Based on Telecom Regulation Authority of India (TRAI) report, total number of Active Wireless Subscribers in India in September 2020 identified as 958.45 million and out of this 35.19 per cent of wireless subscription are done through Reliance Jio thus being the largest mobile network operator by market share.
However, Bharat Airtel have a greater number of additions in subscribers than Jio, 1.17 per cent and 0.36 per cent respectively.
If the movement intensifies the company may have a difficult phase to be pass on.