JioMart likely to be integrated into WhatsApp messenger later this year: Reports

The move by both companies could bring true WeChat-like integration of chat, shopping and payments all in the same app.

JioMart integration with WhatsApp will also strengthen Reliance Retail’s efforts to bring local grocery stores onto the platform (Jio)

WhatsApp has long aimed to expand the ambit of its services globally, ever since it was acquired by Facebook for $19 billion in October 2014. The company aims to bring customers in contact with their favorite businesses on the chat platform, without them leaving the app altogether. Services like WhatsApp Pay and WhatsApp for Business have been efforts on this front.

In April 2020, Facebook invested a whopping $5.7 billion (over ₹43,000 crore) in Reliance Jio Platforms, the biggest telecom operator in the country. The companies are now looking to embed JioMart into the world's most popular messaging service, WhatsApp, according to reports.

WhatsApp and Jio may be closer to their goal, with the first large-scale retail integration with another business possible within the next six months, according to a report by Mint, which cited officials speaking on condition of anonymity. This comes less than a year after its investment in Mukesh Ambani's Jio, and at the perfect time when users would appreciate the convenience of interacting with businesses on their phones.

JioMart integration with WhatsApp will also strengthe Reliance Retail's efforts to bring local grocery stores onto the platform, the Mint report states. Grocery shops that participate will get a commission on the sale and delivery can be handled by either the store or Grab, the company's own firm.

With JioMart's goal of dominating the e-commerce market after capturing the offline retail space, this integration will give it a much-needed boost to compete with the likes of established players like Amazon and Walmart-owned Flipkart. JioMart was launched last May and has since tied up with WhatsApp to enter the online retail space.