In India, there is a colossal change taking place in media. Mukesh Ambani-owned Relance Industries Limited is at the heart of this revolution. According to its latest annual report, Reliance bets big on AI to drive next phase of growth for entertainment business. The company is accelerating in its adoption of AI from mere background technology to an integral part of its media business.
With the launch of the recently announced new powerhouse JioStar, Reliance hopes to change the way 1.4 billion Indians watch, listen, and interact with content by building AI into its platforms. Numbers don’t lie; the financials reinforce this. Growth in the topline of Reliance’s media and entertainment vertical was nearly double, surging to a huge ₹34,917 crore.
The Art of Moving from Script to Screen using AI
The use of AI is not a money-saving exercise for Reliance. It is a complete redone approach to the creative process! The company is using machine learning and deep tech in every aspect of content development.
The media vertical is looking to advanced algorithms to deal with the heavy tasks that include:
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Script-writing and script analysis in terms of preferences.
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Creating high quality animation and visual effects (VFX) in an efficient manner.
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Automating voiceovers, dubbing and editing in various Indian languages.
The comprehensive solution enables the company to generate huge quantities of context-relevant content at a significantly lower cost and time.
A Case Study on the Success of All-AI Content
This plan is not hypothetical, but we are actually following it, and our progress is documented. Releasing films with AI adaptation is not new as JioStar—a joint venture between Reliance and Walt Disney Co.—has already done so for its take on the Indian epic Mahabharat. The 100 episode serial line Mahabharat: Ek Dharmayudh was written, made, animated, voiced and edited by AI.
The feedback from the viewers was unprecedented:
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The show had a massive first day as it generated 6.5 million views on JioHotstar’s first day.
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Beating Benchmarks: Exceeded average debut-day users by more than double.
The streaming giant is now planning to make a slew of all-AI content, with a TV show “Makaraj” and an animated movie “Hanuman” in the works, all motivated by this large success. This expansion includes 80 specialized AI engineers and content experts being recruited by the company on a global basis, under the banner of global veterans.
Improving the overall user experience and fostering deeper engagement with your content
In addition to creating new content, Reliance bets big on AI to drive next phase of growth for entertainment business by making user personalisation a central tenet of the next phase of growth for the entertainment industry. In a digital world serving more than 451 million monthly active users, one size fits all does not suffice!
The company has been significantly investing in upgrading its AI recommendation engines. The platform can make hyper-personalized watchlists by understanding user habits. Additionally, Reliance is aggressively entering the Connected TVs (CTVs) and smart mobile market. Soon viewers will be treated to interactive videos and voice-available navigation to make browsing effortless.
How to deal with escalating content costs
At this pivotal moment, the push for AI arrives as an opportune moment. The traditional media model is being bedeviled by a number of significant challenges, particularly the fracturing of audiences and the cost of covering live sport and high budget, star-packed movies.
Integrating generative AI with reliability gives a formidable structural edge to Reliance. It enables them to create high-quality, rich short and long video content in a lightning-fast time. This helps to keep mobile first users engaged without spending billions on traditional sets.
Although the creative unions in Hollywood are protesting against AI use in their industry, key production centres such as India and Asia are embracing the technology, driven by a huge demand for digital entertainment in those markets.
Expanding Monetization Models
The next step of expansion is also changing the way of traditional advertising and subscription fees. Reliance’s initiative to integrate AI is a transformative move that aims to transform its streaming services into a conduit for digital commerce.
Picture a Cooking Channel or a fashion drama and being able to purchase the ingredients or fashion, right from the smart screen. This integration unlocks the potential for secondary revenue streams in India’s rapidly growing market for digital commerce.
At the end of the day, Reliance characterises AI as the “divine wish-fulfilling tool of the modern world. With this tech revolution, the conglomerate is making sure that its media house becomes the top entertainment hub in each and every Indian house.
