India’s richest man now wants to turn aging computers into AI-ready PCs

Reliance Jio, India's richest company, is expanding its cloud PC service to non-subscribers, enabling even older computers to access AI-ready computing power. Mukesh Ambani's firm launched JioPC last July, initially for its broadband customers. Now, any internet user in India can subscribe to the service, which streams a virtual PC from Jio's cloud to existing machines.

Plans start at ₹1,000 for two months (about $11) and include up to eight virtual CPUs, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. By 2026, India is expected to have over 69 million PCs, including 34 million consumer and 31 million commercial units, according to IDC. Ambani's strategy aims to extend the lifespan of aging machines without requiring hardware upgrades, as consumers and small businesses typically replace their PCs every five to six years, up from four years in 2022.

By offloading processing and storage to its data centers, Jio aims to extend the lifecycles of PCs further. The move also challenges traditional hardware upgrade cycles, creating a new market where consumers pay for computing capability rather than upgrading hardware. However, JioPC is not expected to replace conventional PCs, but rather offer a price-sensitive tier for households and students who couldn't afford new AI-capable PCs.

Indians generally prefer owning their hardware, so Jio will need to convince users of the value of a recurring subscription over a one-time purchase. The service requires a stable internet connection, and any disruption could negatively impact the user experience. While JioPC does not currently include dedicated AI accelerators for on-device generative AI workloads, the real test will be whether people view cloud computing as a daily utility and are willing to pay for computing power instead of buying new hardware.