OpenAI Teams with Reliance to Bring AI Search to JioHotstar

Partnership Overview

OpenAI announced a partnership with Reliance to add AI‑driven conversational search to the Indian streaming service JioHotstar. The feature leverages OpenAI’s API to allow users to search for movies, series, and live sports using natural‑language text or voice prompts in several languages. It also provides recommendations based on user preferences and viewing history.

Strategic Context

The announcement came during the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, where OpenAI’s Sam Altman appeared alongside industry leaders such as Anthropic’s Dario Amodei and Google’s Sundar Pichai. OpenAI’s move is part of its “OpenAI for India” push, which seeks to deepen its presence in the country through infrastructure, enterprise, and education partnerships. The company already has a New Delhi office and plans to open offices in Mumbai and Bengaluru later this year.

Technical and User Experience Details

The AI search will be integrated into both live and on‑demand formats on JioHotstar. Users can issue queries in multiple languages, and the system will return relevant titles along with deep links that take viewers directly to the content within the platform. OpenAI also plans to surface JioHotstar recommendations inside ChatGPT, allowing users who search for entertainment through the chatbot to receive contextual suggestions and direct access to the catalog.

Industry Landscape

Streaming and television platforms are increasingly experimenting with conversational interfaces. Netflix has been testing a similar natural‑language search experience using OpenAI’s technology, while Google introduced Gemini‑powered discovery features for its Google TV platform. OpenAI’s chief executive of applications, Fidji Simo, said the partnership is intended to bring more personalized AI experiences into entertainment and live sports, enabling viewers to move “from curiosity to context” through natural interactions.

Broader Implications

Uday Shankar, vice chairperson of JioStar, noted that embedding AI into content discovery could reshape how audiences find and engage with programming. The collaboration expands OpenAI’s footprint in India, a market with more than 100 million weekly ChatGPT users, and aligns with other initiatives such as collaborations with the Tata Group on AI‑ready data centers and agreements with Indian companies like Pine Labs, Eternal, and MakeMyTrip.