BharOS: IIT Madras-backed J and K Operations develop indigenous smartphone OS

(Image: IIT Madras stone plaque)

A firm incubated by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation and funded by the Indian Department of Science and Technology (DST) has developed an Indigenous operating system for use with off the shelf commercial handsets.

BharOS, developed by J and K Pvt. Ltd., is a lightweight, bloat-free mobile operating system that can be installed on commercial handsets, according to a report by The Hindu.

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IIT touts the OS as part of the AatmaNirbhar Bharat campaign, and it has stringent privacy and security standards for installation of apps.

It comes with no pre-loaded software and doesn't lock users down to default apps. The OS gives users complete control over the installation of apps and allows them to control permissions for each one.

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J and K Operations promises timely software updates and bug fixes. The app offers support for Native Over The Air (NOTA) updates.

“BharOS offers Native Over The Air (NOTA) updates that are automatically downloaded and installed ensuring that the software is up-to-date with security and bug fixes,” said Karthik Ayyar, director, JandK Operations.

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IIT Madras said that it was eager to collaborate with government agencies, service providers and private sectors to grow the use of BharOS in India.

“BharOS focuses on providing users more freedom, control and flexibility to choose and use the apps that fit their needs,” said V. Kamakoti, director, IIT Madras.