Two Dubai-based siblings have made a surprising offer to Reliance, offering to transfer the JioHotstar domain to the company for free.
In a surprising move that has garnered significant attention in the business and tech world, two Dubai-based siblings have offered to give the JioHotstar domain to Reliance Industries for free. This offer, which is not only generous but also strategically intriguing, comes at a time when Reliance’s digital and media wings are rapidly expanding, particularly in the streaming sector.
Dubai siblings Jainam and Jivika offer Reliance the domain jiohotstar.com for free after purchasing it from a Delhi app developer.
Dubai siblings, Jainam and Jivika, who bought the controversial JioHotstar domain from a Delhi app developer who had asked Reliance Industries to pay him ₹1 crore for the site, have made a new offer to Mukesh Ambani’s company.
In an unexpected twist, the siblings offered to give Reliance the domain for free.
Updating their statement on jiohotstar.com, the two children said that they decided that it was best if Reliance owned the domain.
“With all the discussions happening, we now think it might be best for Team Reliance to have this domain, if they want it. We are happy to give jiohotstar.com to them for free, with all the proper paperwork. To be clear, this is entirely our choice. No one from Reliance or any legal group has contacted us or pressured us in any way. We made this decision on our own, without any pressure from friends, family, or anyone else,” their statement read.
13-year-old Jainam Jain and 10-year-old Jivika Jain said that they had acquired the domain to help out the Delhi-based app developer and never intended to sell it for money.
They added that they had received a number of emails from people wanting to buy the domain who “offered a lot of money.”
“We want to clear up any confusion: we never expected this attention and never meant to cause any controversy. Our only goal was to support the developer and share our seva (service) journey,” they said, adding that the domain was not for sale.
“If Reliance is interested, they can contact us and we will handle the transfer smoothly. If they are not interested, that’s okay too. We will continue to share updates about our journey and work,” they wrote.
What’s the JioHotstar controversy?
The row began when an anonymous app developer reached out to Reliance Industries to buy the JioHotstar domain from him for over ₹1 crore, so he could fund an executive MBA course at Cambridge University in the UK.
The developer had purchased the domain name after reading rumours in 2023 that Jio Cinema and Hotstar might merge their platforms.
Seeing this as an opportunity to earn money to support his higher studies, he aimed to sell the domain after the merger was set to go ahead this year.
However, Reliance Industries refused to entertain any deal with him when he reached out, reported news agency PTI. Instead, he sold the domain to the Dubai siblings, who said they bought the domain to as a “part of our efforts to support and uplift others.”
Potential Impact on the Digital Ecosystem
Should Reliance accept the offer, it could further consolidate the company’s position as a dominant player in India’s fast-growing digital ecosystem. It could also set the stage for a more integrated experience, bringing together telecom, broadband, and digital entertainment under one roof. Such a move would not only give Jio an upper hand over competitors like Airtel and Vodafone Idea but could also set a new standard for how digital platforms in India operate.
Moreover, the integration of Jio’s telecom services with streaming platforms like Hotstar could push Reliance into more aggressive content acquisition and production, potentially making JioHotstar a stronger competitor against global players like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
For Disney, which currently owns Hotstar, the move could either be seen as a threat or an opportunity, depending on how Reliance chooses to use the domain. There could be potential discussions between Disney and Reliance on the future of the Hotstar brand in India, especially with the streaming market growing increasingly competitive.
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