Mumbai, April 23: Bank of Baroda and Reliance Jio have announced a collaboration to launch bob World Lite, a mobile banking application tailored for feature phone users on the JioPhone Prima 4G device. This initiative aligns with the vision of the Government of India and the Reserve Bank of India to enhance inclusivity and make digital payments accessible to feature phone users. The companies stated that this industry-first initiative aims to provide seamless and comprehensive digital banking access to millions across the nation.
Innovative Banking Solution for Feature Phones
The bob World Lite application will be accessible to both existing Bank of Baroda customers and users of other banks through a straightforward self-onboarding process.
“Unlike traditional mobile banking apps that function solely on smartphones, the bob World Lite app is designed to offer a complete suite of everyday banking services on affordable feature phones. This approach significantly expands its reach across semi-urban and rural India. It features a lightweight, low bandwidth architecture with keypad navigation and secure access, making digital banking simple and accessible,” the official release noted.
Pre-installed on JioPhone Prima 4G Devices
The bob World Lite mobile app currently provides functionalities such as UPI-enabled scan and pay, fund transfers, bill payments, mobile recharges, and profile management, with more features expected in future updates. Under this partnership, the application will be pre-installed on JioPhone Prima 4G devices and will also be available for download via JioStore for existing users.
Expanding Digital Banking Beyond Smartphones
Debadatta Chand, Managing Director and CEO of Bank of Baroda, commented on the development, stating that this initiative represents a significant step toward broadening digital banking access. “Driving digital inclusion remains a core priority for us at Bank of Baroda. Currently, bob World mobile banking serves retail customers while bob World business caters to merchants, SMEs, and corporate clients. Our collaboration with Jio to launch bob World Lite is a crucial move toward extending digital banking beyond the smartphone ecosystem. With a large and growing base of feature phone users in India, this initiative enables simple, secure, and anytime banking while helping bridge the digital divide. It also opens up opportunities for us to onboard and engage with a wider customer base, reinforcing our commitment to inclusive and sustainable growth,” Chand stated.
Sunil Dutt, President of Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, emphasized the company’s dedication to digital democratization. “At Jio, we have always focused on expanding the reach of digital services to every Indian, with affordability at the core. JioPhone has been central to realizing that vision, putting affordable devices and digital services in the hands of millions across India while serving as a powerful tool for digital inclusion. Today, our partnership with Bank of Baroda marks the next step in that journey, enabling seamless digital banking access for millions of users. We are bringing full-featured banking to JioPhone users across the country in a way that is secure and tailored to their needs,” Dutt concluded.
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