In 2016, Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries and the richest man in Asia, launched what would become the most ruthless, brilliant, and transformative takeover of a major industry in modern history.
Within six months of entering India’s telecom market, he rewrote the rules. In less than three years, his company, Reliance Jio, forced 11 competitors out of the game, captured over 400 million users, and slashed the cost of mobile data by over 90%, turning India into the cheapest data market in the world.
Ambani didn’t achieve this by chance. He followed a deliberate, high-stakes playbook that any ambitious African entrepreneur can learn from.
If you’re aiming to dominate your sector, be it in fintech, agriculture, logistics, or media, this story is your blueprint.
1. Identify a broken system and solve for scale
Before Jio, India’s telecoms industry was deeply flawed. Data was expensive. Coverage was uneven. Millions of Indians, especially in rural areas, were unconnected.
Instead of competing on the same broken playing field, Ambani built something entirely new – India’s first 4G-only, all-IP telecom network. It was faster, leaner, and ready for the data explosion.
Local context
In Africa, the systems are often more broken. Farmers still depend on unpredictable middlemen. Millions remain unbanked. Logistics across borders is a nightmare.
Twiga Foods, a Kenyan startup, tackled this by connecting farmers directly to vendors via a mobile platform, eliminating wasteful intermediaries and ensuring better prices for both sides.
Similarly, Max in Nigeria reimagined logistics by providing digital, on-demand mobility solutions for delivery and transport, addressing the chaos of urban transportation and last-mile delivery.
2. Bet big, then bet bigger
Ambani didn’t tiptoe in. He poured more than $20 billion into infrastructure before acquiring a single customer. When others scoffed, he doubled down.
By the time Jio launched, it had towers in over 200,000 villages and urban coverage in 18,000 cities.
Local context
African entrepreneurs often lack access to capital. But boldness is still a mindset.
For example, Flutterwave, which began by solving cross-border payments in Africa and raised over $200 million to expand its fintech infrastructure.
Or Andela, which originally trained software developers and connected them with global tech companies. They bet on the continent’s talent and proved that bold execution attracts global capital and scale.
3. Give first, charge later
Jio launched with an audacious offer: free data, calls, and texts for six months. Rivals called it suicide. But Ambani understood that behaviour change comes with incentives.
Local context
Boomplay, Africa’s largest music streaming platform, gave away music streaming access at zero cost or with ad support. This allowed millions across Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana to enjoy digital music without upfront payment.
By giving first, Boomplay built loyalty and amassed over 70 million users before monetizing through ads, premium subscriptions, and partnerships with telcos.
DON’T MISS THIS: Top 8 criteria African VC firms consider before funding a startup in 2025
4. Change the customer, not just the product
Jio didn’t just offer faster internet, it introduced millions to streaming, video calls, and online payments for the first time. The behaviour change was as important as the tech.
Local context
In Nigeria, Paystack didn’t just build an online payment gateway, they educated and onboarded SMEs to accept digital payments, shifting thousands from cash to digital-first operations.
In Kenya, M-Pesa fundamentally changed how people store, send, and spend money.
Launched by Safaricom, it introduced mobile wallets and banking access to millions who had never used a bank account. These startups built tech and also reshaped financial behaviour.
5. Build an ecosystem, not a product
Ambani didn’t stop at telecoms. Jio was a wedge into a digital lifestyle. He launched JioTV, JioCinema, JioMoney, and more. Each user became embedded in an entire Reliance ecosystem.
Local context
Ecosystem thinking is powerful. Consider mPharma, a Ghanaian healthtech startup that didn’t just solve medicine inventory issues, it now manages supply chains, digitizes pharmacies, and runs diagnostic centers across multiple countries.
Similarly, Lori Systems in logistics started by connecting freight with transport, and now offers end-to-end visibility, financing, and optimization services to logistics players across East and West Africa.
6. Make the competition bleed
By pricing data at $0.15/GB, Ambani forced competitors to slash prices, merge, or exit.
He weaponized affordability to eliminate resistance. In less than two years, Airtel posted its first-ever loss, Vodafone merged with Idea, and the industry was never the same.
Local context
You don’t need to kill your competitors, but make it hard for them to match your execution.
Jumia, Africa’s e-commerce giant, differentiated itself with aggressive promotions, a proprietary logistics arm, and hyper-local delivery.
It outpaced several regional players who lacked the infrastructure and burned out in the process.
Competitive advantage in Africa is won through logistics, price innovation, and trust.
7. Think infrastructure, not just App
Jio wasn’t a shiny app; it was the network behind the apps. Ambani understood that whoever owns the rails, owns the game.
Local context
Wave, based in Senegal, built ultra-low fee mobile money infrastructure that offered 70% cheaper services than incumbents.
By focusing on infrastructure, they quickly became the dominant fintech in Francophone West Africa.
Kobo360, a Nigerian startup, focused on logistics infrastructure by aggregating trucks and freight in real-time across borders. They weren’t just a delivery app; they became the logistics backbone for regional trade.
8. Partner with the giants
After proving scale, Ambani attracted investments from Facebook ($5.7B), Google ($4.5B), and Qualcomm. Jio disrupted, and also became the future of India’s internet.
Local context
African startups are now attracting global giants. Paystack was acquired by Stripe for $200 million, validating Africa’s fintech prowess.
Visa invested in Interswitch, a pioneer Nigerian payments company.
Flutterwave and Chipper Cash have raised capital from global investors, proving that once you build scale, it’s relatively easy to attract and command capital from global players.
Disruption requires courage, not just capital
Ambani’s success wasn’t just about money. It was vision, audacity, and obsession with the long game. He understood the landscape, built what others feared, and redefined what was possible.
If you want to disrupt an industry in Africa, take the same playbook.
Find the broken systems, bet big, move fast, give first, and never play small. The next Jio won’t come from Silicon Valley. It might just rise from Lagos, Nairobi, or Accra.
Are you ready to build it?
