In an interview Abhijeet Rajpurohit, COO and Co-founder of CloudTV uncovers how the brand is transforming India’s Smart TV ecosystem. Abhijeet discusses how CloudTV bridges gaps in OS accessibility for Indian OEMs, their key innovations, and strategic collaborations. From bundled OTT content to AI-driven features and global expansion plans, CloudTV is shaping the future of connected, affordable smart entertainment.
Read the full interview here:
TimesTech: CloudTV was formed to address the challenges Indian TV manufacturers face in accessing a robust, affordable TV OS. Can you elaborate on the specific gaps in the Smart TV supply chain that inspired you to launch CloudTV?
Abhijeet: Basis our research on the Indian Smart TV market, it became clear to us that the local manufacturers were facing significant barriers in accessing a reliable Operating System. Global OS providers came with high licensing fees, long certification timelines, and required expensive hardware, making it difficult for Indian OEMs to stay competitive. In addition, the heavy dependence on global supply chains further drove up costs and limited flexibility. As a result, go-to-market (GTM) timelines grew longer and manufacturing costs rose, making Smart TVs less affordable for Indian consumers. Realising these gaps, we introduced CloudTV OS as a homegrown alternative – an affordable, hardware-efficient, and customizable solution designed for Indian manufacturers and audiences. With CloudTV OS, our mission became clear – to reduce costs, accelerate the GTM timeline, and empower India to become self-reliant when it came to Smart TV technology.
TimesTech: CloudTV OS has carved out a significant presence in the market with over 12 million users and partnerships with 250+ Smart TV brands. What are the key innovations and strategies that have contributed to this rapid growth and adoption?
Abhijeet: The biggest factor behind our growth is understanding of the needs of Indian OEMs. Many of them required an affordable OS without compromising on performance. CloudTV OS is optimized for cost-effective hardware, enabling even mid and small-scale brands to build Smart TVs at competitive prices. Our compatibility with different hardware requirements makes us more approachable to work with. In addition, unlike others, we offer more customization options for our partners. Our Voice Assist supports not only Hindi but also regional languages like Marathi and Gujarati, to name a few on our list that is set to expand soon. Another major challenge we have addressed is the Go-To-Market (GTM) timeline for brands. Through our partnership strategy, we have focused on simplifying the GTM process, making certifications faster and more flexible. Our affordable licensing model has further enabled more brands to adopt CloudTV OS, leading to the strong market adoption we are witnessing today.
TimesTech: CloudTV recently partnered with MediaTek to launch a CTS-compliant platform supporting Android 14 and major content providers like YouTube and Prime Video. How does this collaboration enhance CloudTV’s offerings, and what impact will it have on the Indian Smart TV ecosystem?
Abhijeet: Achieving CTS (Compatibility Test Suite) compliance marks a significant milestone for us. It ensures that CloudTV OS meets the same stability and security standards as global OS providers. This paves the way for potential new partnerships with top-tier brands. With this certification, we will be able to integrate with a wider global app ecosystem like YouTube, giving the Indian consumer access to more options in terms of content. One of the key impacts of this partnership is that it positions CloudTV OS as an even stronger alternative to global OS platforms, reducing dependency on international providers while maintaining world-class quality.
TimesTech: Your partnership with DishTV Watcho integrates multiple OTT apps into a single subscription. How do you see bundled content offerings shaping the future of Smart TV consumption in India?
Abhijeet: With content fatigue becoming more prevalent, solutions like OTT aggregator services are a great way to combat this problem. We have recently introduced our new feature, “CloudTV Bundle” in partnership with DishTV Watcho, which will allow users to access multiple OTT applications with just one login. Through this partnership, consumers will now benefit from a smooth, hassle-free user journey without the need to switch logins between multiple applications. This reduced friction in navigation adds a layer of ease that is highly preferable for the viewer. This OAS partnership will also enable app partners to reach CloudTV’s 12+ million viewer base while helping them expand their reach.
TimesTech: CloudTV’s collaboration with Changhong aims to provide a more affordable set-top box solution, reducing costs by ~40% compared to other certified devices. How do you balance affordability with maintaining a high-quality viewing experience?
Abhijeet: CloudTV’S OS is designed to be highly efficient, which means we are not limited to or require expensive, high-spec hardware to deliver a great experience. This allows us to cut costs while still offering all the key features users expect. Through our software optimizations, we are able to provide smooth performance, an intuitive UI, and enable access to premium content – all at a much lower price point. For us, at CloudTV, the goal has always been to make smart entertainment more accessible without compromising on quality. To support this vision, our business model continues to evolve in a way that fosters strong, profitable partnerships that can drive long-term value for both us and our collaborators.
TimesTech: CloudTV has been at the forefront of Smart TV OS innovations in India. What’s next for CloudTV in terms of new features, global expansion, or upcoming partnerships?
Abhijeet: CloudTV is expanding beyond its initial the Smart TV OS segment. We are currently building a connected ecosystem across devices. With our recent foray into Set-Top Box space powered by the CloudTV OS system, we now have other digital signages as well. Further to this, there are also global expansion plans in the works, which are aimed at bringing affordable Smart TV solutions to new markets. On the technology front, we are enhancing our AI-powered features to enable better content recommendations and voice search, while also strengthening our partnerships with OTT platforms to elevate the user experience on TV.
We are excited for what lies ahead and look forward to shaping the future of connected entertainment, one innovation at a time!
