MUMBAI: Online giant Google and Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani opened advance orders in India on Monday for an entry-level smartphone billed as the world's most affordable, joining the race to tap into the booming budget market.

Ambani's conglomerate Reliance Industries announced in July last year that it would partner with Google to launch the 4G smartphone, competing with Chinese and South Korean manufacturers that already have a strong foothold in the South Asian nation.