India’s richest man wants to turn every TV into a PC
In a bold move set to redefine digital access across India, Jio Platforms, the digital arm of the Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries, has unveiled JioPC, a revolutionary virtual desktop service. This initiative, spearheaded by India’s richest man and Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani, aims to transform millions of television sets in the world’s most populous country into fully functional personal computers.
JioPC offers a cloud-based PC experience, accessible through Jio’s set-top box. This set-top box is provided free with Jio’s home broadband service or can be purchased separately for ₹5,499 (approximately $64). Currently in a free trial phase and available via waitlist, users can access the virtual desktop on their TV simply by connecting a keyboard and mouse after receiving their invitation and setting up their account.
While promising, the service has some initial limitations. It currently does not support external peripherals such as cameras and printers. Furthermore, it comes pre-installed with the open-source LibreOffice suite, with users needing to access Microsoft Office applications via the available web browser.
Despite these initial constraints, industry experts view Ambani’s venture with JioPC as highly strategic. Tarun Pathak, a research director at Counterpoint, highlights JioPC as a very effective method for the Mumbai-headquartered company to expand its already massive user base, which stands at over 488 million. Pathak notes a significant disparity in India: while approximately 70% of households own a television, only about 15% possess a PC. However, he cautions that Jio Platforms will need robust marketing and clear explanations to “convince people that you can still use a PC on your TV using the set-top box.”
India’s active pay-TV set-top box user base is estimated at nearly 57 million, according to government data. Nevertheless, the traditional direct-to-home (DTH) TV market is experiencing a decline, with an 8% year-over-year decrease in active DTH subscribers as of March, as consumers increasingly transition to internet-based services. This shift creates a fertile ground for solutions like JioPC.
Prabhu Ram, vice president of the Industry Research Group (IRG) at CyberMedia Research (CMR), suggests that JioPC could onboard new set-top box users, particularly from underserved rural and low-income segments. Ram emphasizes that “While its potential reach is broad, its success will depend on execution — especially in addressing connectivity gaps and digital literacy — and on its ability to scale beyond early adopters to effectively serve underserved communities.”
The broader Indian PC market saw an over 8% year-over-year growth in shipments in Q1, reaching 3.3 million units, marking the seventh consecutive quarter of growth, as reported by IDC. Despite this, PC penetration in India remains considerably low, lagging behind major markets like the U.S. and China. This disparity is primarily attributed to limited disposable income and the prevalent use of smartphones as primary computing devices.
To fully capitalize on the potential of JioPC and reach a wider segment of potential PC buyers, Pathak stresses the necessity for Jio to forge partnerships with numerous app developers and productivity solution providers, ensuring a comprehensive suite of productivity applications to make the service truly valuable for consumers.
While companies like Microsoft and other cloud providers have long offered virtual desktop services, primarily targeting enterprise clients, Jio’s entry with JioPC represents a pioneering and significant move, marking the first serious consumer-oriented offering in this space, as noted by Ram. This ambitious project could democratize access to computing, bridging the digital divide in a nation rapidly embracing technological advancements.
