Soon after introducing 4G keypad phones with custom OS, Reliance Industries has now reportedly started testing its indigenously made smart TV OS for televisions. The upcoming software is expected to power select TV models that could launch around the Diwali season in India, citing sources, The Economic Times reported.

The OS is expected to be based on Google's Android platform and will likely take on rivals like Samsung's Tizen OS, LG's webOS, Hisense's Vidaa OS and more. According to the report, Reliance has offered the OS to a few homegrown TV makers to test out the system for bugs and feedback collection. The company reportedly plans to launch the 4K and FHD smart TVs running on Jio OS.

For the unaware, the company currently offers TVs under the BPL and Reconnect labels. It may partner with homegrown TV makers to boot the OS on other devices. The report noted the pricing of the upcoming models is likely to remain in the entry-level space. The smart TV OS could bundle Jio apps such as JioCinema for entertainment.

The revenue model could depend on advertising and broadband connections of the telecom service provider. Meanwhile, hints of the OS in the works were first shared by Akash Ambani, chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited last year. However, no significant plans were detailed at that time. According to the report, Reliance may not charge any licensing fees for the smart TV OS.

However, big players including Samsung and LG are not expected to change to Jio TV OS because of the availability of their custom proprietary OS. It will likely be open source and developers could build apps for the OS, which can be optimised for smart TVs and other devices. Meanwhile, Jio has not confirmed any timeline concerning the launch of the Jio TV OS or smart TVs.