JioHotstar Taps AI and Connected TV to Enhance Consumer Experience

JioStar executives outlined strategies for JioHotstar’s product development during the APOS conference, emphasizing consumer behavior, artificial intelligence, and connected television. Bharath Ram, chief product officer, stated that product vision begins with the consumer experience, while Vijay Seshadri, chief architect, highlighted AI’s role in content discovery and commerce integration.

According to Ram, JioHotstar focuses on India’s diverse audience, including mobile-first viewers, connected TV households, and premium subscribers. The platform aims to identify common viewing behaviors while tailoring experiences, targeting mobile users for connected TV upgrades through events like the IPL 2026 tournament. With nearly 100 million connected televisions in the Indian market, the company prioritizes engagement across multiple screens.

What is driving JioHotstar’s AI strategy?

Seshadri noted that AI is transforming content discovery, with conversational search—where users interact via voice rather than text—seeing over 60% adoption. This interface combines imagery and voice to refine recommendations, such as suggesting family-friendly content for Friday evenings. Additionally, JioHotstar’s JAMS video intelligence layer makes content machine-readable, enabling semantic search and commerce opportunities.

How might AI reshape entertainment and commerce?

Ram suggested that understanding content details—like products or characters—could blur the line between entertainment and commerce. He cited the “Jeeto Dhandana Dhan” game, integrated with Swiggy, as an example of audience readiness for transactional interactions. Seshadri added that seamless purchasing during content consumption could drive significant changes in the next 12 months.

What challenges does JioHotstar face in scaling its platform?

Seshadri highlighted engineering demands, noting that JioHotstar handled over 5 million subscription requests per minute during the IPL. Systems were designed to manage India’s UPI-based payment ecosystem without disrupting user experience, underscoring the platform’s infrastructure complexity.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is JioHotstar’s primary focus in product development? JioHotstar prioritizes consumer behavior, AI, and connected television, aiming to unify mobile and TV experiences while targeting mobile users for connected TV upgrades.

How is AI being used beyond content recommendations? AI is employed to make content machine-readable, enabling semantic search and commerce opportunities, such as identifying products within scenes for potential purchases.

What role did the IPL play in JioHotstar’s strategy? The IPL 2026 tournament was used to encourage mobile users to transition to connected TV, with targeted efforts to increase engagement during high-traffic events.

What potential hurdles could JioHotstar face in merging entertainment and commerce?