Viral Images of Food Sacks Falsely Linked to Ambani’s Reliance Jio

The images shows branding done by local dealers as a way to lure customers to buy the products.

Social media users falsely claimed that viral images are related to Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Amid the ongoing farmers’ protest, a set of images are being circulated to claim that Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio has ventured into the agriculture business.

However, we found that the images are not related to Reliance Jio and the branding has been done by local dealers as a way to lure customers to buy the products.

CLAIM

NSUI’s Manoj Lubana shared the image with the claim: “कानून बाद में बने है और थैले पहले, ये तस्वीर बहुत कुछ कह रही है.”

(Translated: Packets were made before law was made, these pictures are saying a lot.)

You can view the archived version here.(Source: Twitter/ Screenshot)

Another image, showing a red-coloured wheat sack, was also circulated with the same claim.

You can view the archived version here.(Source: Facebook/ Screenshot)

Several social media users shared the images on Facebook and Twitter with the same claim.

You can view the archived version here.(Source: Facebook/ Screenshot)

The Quint received a query on the claim being made in the image on its WhatsApp tipline as well.

WHAT WE FOUND OUT

We found that both red and blue images are not associated with the Ambanis’-run Reliance Jio. Let’s look at them one by one.

1. IMAGE SHOWING RED SACK

We searched on Google with relevant keywords and came across a link that carried the same image and mentioned the producer as Surat based Radhakrishna Trading Co.

(Source: Website/ Screenshot)

Speaking to The Quint’s WebQoof team, Bharat Bhai, owner of Radhakrishna Trading Co said that the sacks are just a way to lure customers into buying the product and that his company isn’t related to Ambani’s Reliance Jio in anyway.

“I am just a trader and sell products such as wheat, rice, mecca, among others. The brands that are printed on these sacks look attractive and lure people into buying the product. Wholesalers also sell sacks with Bahubali, Blackberry, Bajirao Mastani written on it. Now, this doesn’t mean that the people associated with the film are selling it.” he added.

Bharat Bhai, owner of Radhakrishna Trading Co.

The image was previously fact-checked by India Today.

2. IMAGE SHOWING BLUE SACK

We carefully looked at the logo seen on the sacks in the viral image and found that the font of the word ‘Jio’ was different as compared to the official logo of Reliance Jio.

Left: Viral image. Right: Official Reliance Jio logo.(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Further, we contacted Jio and sources close to the development told us that the images are not associated with Reliance Jio in any way.

We also noticed that the sacks in the viral images read: “Jio Agro Products.” We then searched on Google using keywords “Jio Agro Products” and came across a company called as Shri Jio Agro Food Products Private Limited.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Several social media users started pointing out that the images are related to a company called ‘Shri Jio Agro Food Products.’

We scanned the website of Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) and found that the said company is based out of Mumbai and its directors are: Kamal Ramanlal Bakliwal and Karan Prakash Bakliwal.

Speaking to The Quint’s WebQoof team, Rajkumar Bakliwal, brother of the owner denied any association with the viral images and said that the company is non-operational.

“We are not even in business right now and don’t have any products in the market,” he added. On being asked about the status of the registration of the company still being active on MCA’s website, he said, “The registration maybe active but that doesn’t mean that we are into business.”

The closest association of Reliance group with grocery products that we could find was Jio Mart which is an online supermarket offering wide range of brands and products.

Evidently, social media users falsely claimed that viral images are related to Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio.

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