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Until a few years ago, smart TV manufacturers in India had to rely on operating systems (OS) developed in other countries. On the other side, consumers had to spend more money on high-end TVs to stream content. 

For father-son duo and tech enthusiasts Abhijeet and Jagdish Rajpurohit, who have over a decade of experience in the smart TV and digital solutions industry, this opened a unique opportunity. In 2017, they launched Cloud TV, to make a homegrown OS for smart TVs.

“We saw a surge in smart TV sales and a flood of brands wanting to enter the same space. However, a significant challenge arose. The global OS players did not support Indian OEMs, and their products didn’t align with local requirements,” Abhijeet explains. 

Cloud TV OS is designed to be lightweight and efficient, allowing it to run smoothly on lower-spec hardware.

The bet has paid off. 

Cloud TV now has partnerships with around 170 TV brands such as Lloyd, Akai, Sansui, Hyundai, T-series, Croma, VISE, and Amstrad. 

Bootstrapped with approximately $5 million from family and angel investors, the Mumbai-based startup has a user base of approximately six million.

“We recognised the challenges faced by Indian consumers in accessing quality content that caters to their linguistic and cultural preferences. With a mission to make digital entertainment more accessible and affordable, we set out to develop an operating system that could seamlessly integrate local content with global streaming services,” Co-founder and COO Abhijeet tells YourStory.

Identifying the Gap

Abhijeet explains that in the early days of OTT in India, smart TVs had limited functionality, with most being used merely to mirror phones or stream YouTube. This revealed a clear gap in the market, as global TV manufacturers were offering products with inadequate features that didn’t meet the needs of Indian consumers.

The first step in addressing this challenge was to launch a proprietary TV brand, Cloud Walker TV.  

Recognising the demand from smart TV manufacturers, Cloud TV expanded its offerings 2021 by providing software to other brands, allowing them to sell home-grown solutions that met global smart TV standards, including features, app support, and software security. “It was clear there was a real need for an Indian OS tailored to regional lifestyles and regulations,” Abhijeet says.

What does it offer?

Cloud TV offers access to over 200 apps, including major OTT platforms like Disney+ Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, and Zee5, as well as live TV channels for real-time viewing of shows, news, and sports.  

“Our focus was to create an operating system that is not just compatible but optimised for different chipsets and RAM configurations, ensuring that every user gets a premium experience regardless of their device’s specs,” explains Abhijeet.

The OS’ regional language voice assistant lets users search for content and control their TV in multiple languages. Powered by advanced (natural language processing) NLP, it understands and responds to regional dialects, offering a more accurate and personalised experience.

Abhijeet states, “We ensure users can interact with the system in their native language and discover content tailored to their regional preferences and cultural trends. We are also expanding our distribution network to ensure coverage in remote areas. By providing educational resources and in-store demonstrations, we aim to help consumers, particularly in regions with growing technology adoption, understand the benefits of smart TVs,”

Cloud TV supports content downloads for offline viewing, allowing users to watch their favorite shows and movies without an internet connection.

Business model

Cloud TV, a B2B2C platform operates on a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model with a focus on monetisation through licensing fees and advertisements, including ads on platforms like YouTube and recommending apps, content, or services within the TV’s interface. 

The licensing fee can range from as low as Rs 40 per device, depending on the arrangement.

It also offers some customisation options (like adding brand logos), it operates under a ‘Powered by Cloud TV’ model rather than a full white-labeling approach. 

In the past year, its software has been integrated with over 1.5 lakh devices. “We’re growing at a rate of 50-70% annually, and we expect to reach 2.5 to 3 million units sold by the end of this year,” shares Abhijeet.

“While India is our primary focus, we specialise in delivering an affordable and comprehensive smart TV experience, making our brands popular among first-time and budget-conscious buyers. With a strong presence in Northern and Western India, we are now expanding our distribution to Southern Indian homes,” Abhijeet notes.

The startup focus on affordability and accessibility has resonated with consumers, resulting in rapid adoption.

Way ahead

Cloud TV, which competes with Android TV OS, Apple TV OS, Roku OS TV and Tizen OS, plans to integrate with 10 million devices within the next three years.

“We are exploring collaborations with international brands and expanding into regions like MENA, LATAM, and the Indian Subcontinent due to their cultural and linguistic similarities, and are actively working on these expansions,” Abhijeet says.

The startup is developing two new products that will leverage the Cloud TV OS partner ecosystem and significantly boost revenue.

Apart from TV’s, Cloud TV OS will soon be available on STBs, used by major ISP (internet service provider), DTH (Direct-to-home), and MSO (multiple system operator) companies in addition to TVs, the co-founder said.   

According to the Connected TV Marketing Association (CTVMA), Samsung’s Tizen OS is projected to have the largest market share (12.9%) of smart TV operating systems worldwide in 2024, with 120 million smart TVs. Samsung’s Tizen is the top smart TV OS platform, followed by Hisense (VIDAA OS) at 7.8%, LG (Web OS) at 7.4%, Roku (Roku TV OS) at 6.4%, and Amazon (Fire TV OS) at 6.4%.