New Delhi, Jan 9 (IANS): US-based company Kai Technologies on Tuesday announced it has been able to grow in the Indian market through the successful launch of its KaiOS (operating system) that is powering Reliance JioPhones.

"We are thrilled by the performance of KaiOS on the JioPhone. The launch opens up more opportunities for millions of Indians," Sebastien Codeville, CEO of Kai Technologies, said in a statement.

KaiOS combines the powerful capabilities of a smartphone with the affordability of a basic handset.

KaiOS originates from the Firefox OS open-source project started in 2011 and has continued independently from Mozilla since 2016. KaiOS was first launched publicly in the US market in 2017.

"KaiOS provides the right operating system for the JioPhone with its functionalities and adaptability," added Sunil Dutt, president of devices at Reliance Retail.

The mobile operating system supports 4G/LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS and is compatible with chipsets from major manufacturers.

According to a research report released by CMR Market Research, mobile handset vendors in India registered a 22 per cent jump in revenues to Rs 1.36 lakh crore in 2016 from revenues of Rs 1.12 lakh crore in 2015.

The report states that feature phones have about 57 per cent of the market. With the launch of KaiOS-powered mobile phones in India, these devices are likely to emerge as a new category all together.

"We have incorporated the adaption of Indian languages, enabling digital payments, and media delivery to the masses in India," Codeville added.