JAMMU: Reliance Jio on Tuesday announced launch of the country's first operating system for smart TV - JioTele OS.

JioTele OS will cater to the growing demand for smart TVs and enable TV OEMs to provide experience at affordable prices, according to a company statement.

Terming it a "next-generation platform" Jio said it has been crafted to redefine the entertainment experience while catering to the needs of Indian consumers.

Smart TV sets powered by JioTele OS will be available from February 21, 2025, as it is debuting with brands such as Thomson, Kodak, BPL and JVC.

"More brands are set to join the lineup in 2025, ensuring a wide range of options for Indian consumers," it said.

With approximately 35 million connected TV households in India, Jio expects demand for digital entertainment to continue to rise.

"However, many consumers encounter challenges due to the limited capabilities of their connected TVs, such as restricted customisation, limited access to high-quality regional content, and the absence of seamless, premium user experience," it said.

JioTele OS aims to transform Indian households with a fast, premium, and content-rich smart TV platform.

It will offer "AI-powered recommendations, seamless integration of global and regional content, support for leading apps, and regular updates. This initiative seeks to transform entertainment in India, ensuring seamless and accessible viewing for every household," it said.

JioTele OS will compete with Google's Android TV, WebOS and Samsung's Tizen.

According to Counterpoint Research, India's smart TV market is around 13.4 million units and close to USD 6 billion in revenues.

The market is almost flat in terms of volume and growth is happening on the premium side with large screen TV sets.

However, with recent changes announced in the Union Budget of reducing customs duty on open cell earlier this month, to encourage local assembly of displays, Counterpoint Research VP Research Neil Shah said it will catalyze local assembly of displays which is the costliest part in TV and drive 5-10 per cent cost savings for OEMs eventually.

"This in turn should potentially drive lower prices or higher margins for OEMs depending upon OEMs choosing to pass it on to consumers," he said adding "This should drive up the Smart TV demand by 10-12 per cent in 2025."