Indian technology company Jio Platforms, a part of the Reliance Industries conglomerate, has launched an innovative virtual PC service for set-top box users. This is an ambitious move by Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani to convert millions of Indian televisions into full-fledged personal computers.

The service, named JioPC, operates on a cloud-based infrastructure and is accessible through Jio's proprietary set-top box. This box can be obtained for free when subscribing to Jio's broadband internet services or purchased separately for approximately $65. Currently, JioPC is in its testing phase, and users can apply on the company's website to gain access to the virtual desktop. To use the service, users simply need to connect a standard keyboard and mouse to their television.

While JioPC opens up new possibilities, it does have some limitations. For instance, there is no support for external peripheral devices such as cameras and printers. For document work, the service utilizes the LibreOffice suite, and Microsoft Office applications are intended to be used via a web browser. The launch of JioPC is expected to significantly expand Jio Platforms' user base, which already exceeds 488 million people.

This initiative appears particularly promising given the characteristics of the Indian market: according to Pathak, approximately 70% of Indian households own televisions, but only 15% possess computers. Official Indian government statistics indicate that there are about 47 million active paid set-top box users in the country. While traditional television is declining (the number of users decreased by 8% year-over-year by March), consumers are actively migrating to internet services, creating fertile ground for cloud-based solutions like JioPC.

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