JioStar is betting that conversations with viewers powered by generative AI will become a powerful tool for the streaming TV company. The Reliance Industries unit, which boasts 500 million monthly users, is using OpenAI's technology to move beyond traditional recommendations, envisioning an AI-powered platform where conversations help users discover shows, buy products and eventually influence what gets made.

What You Need to Know

  • JioStar integrating OpenAI-powered conversational search into JioHotstar
  • Users can describe their mood or ask for recommendations in natural language
  • Over 60% of users choosing the feature now speak rather than type
  • JioStar also integrating food delivery via Swiggy and testing product purchases from shows
  • Building an AI studio in India to produce content from microdramas to feature films

Conversational Search Comes to JioHotstar

JioStar, India's largest media company formed by the merger of Reliance Industries' Viacom18 and Walt Disney Co.'s India operation, is using OpenAI's technology to move beyond traditional recommendations. The company envisions an AI-powered platform where conversations help users discover shows, buy products and eventually influence what gets made.

The streaming service rolled out OpenAI-powered conversational search earlier this year. Instead of typing keywords, viewers can describe their mood, ask for recommendations for a date night or simply tell the app they have 45 minutes to watch something. More than 60% of users choosing the feature now speak rather than type, according to Chief Architect Vijay Seshadri.

From Content Discovery to Content Commerce

JioStar sees those conversations extending well beyond entertainment. The company recently integrated food delivery into its streaming platform through a partnership with Swiggy, allowing users across around 690 cities watching cricket games or blockbuster movie releases to order meals without leaving the app. It has also experimented with letting viewers purchase clothing featured on MTV reality show Splitsvilla.

Bharath Ram, JioStar's chief product officer, described those initiatives as the first step toward content commerce. Eventually, viewers could ask where to buy a jacket worn by a character or order a cricket team's jersey while watching an Indian Premier League match using the same conversational interface.

The AI Studio and Content Production

To prepare for that future, JioStar is building an AI studio in India. The studio is designed to produce far more than microdramas. It is developing production workflows that combine text, image, audio and video models from multiple AI providers, with OpenAI supplying conversational search as well as text and voice capabilities.

Stephan Bugaj, senior vice president of GenAI content and technology who leads JioStar's AI studio, said the goal is not simply to make production cheaper but to expand what Indian filmmakers can create. AI will help creators tell better stories rather than replace them.

What This Means for Users

For the average JioHotstar user, the AI integration means you can find content by describing your mood rather than typing keywords. The system already handles over 300,000 hours of programming and more than 60% of users who try the conversational feature choose to speak rather than type.

The commerce angle is still in early stages, but the Swiggy integration already lets users order food while watching cricket or movies. The next step is purchasing products seen in shows directly through the same conversational interface.

Bottom Line

JioStar's AI push transforms JioHotstar from a passive streaming platform into an interactive discovery engine. With 500 million monthly users and OpenAI-powered conversations, the company is building a future where you talk to your TV and it talks back — and sells you things while it's at it.