The controversy over JioHotstar.com domain has taken a fresh turn. The domain, which was secured by an anonymous app developer in Delhi much before the JioCinema and Hotstar merger, seems to have been sold to two children in Dubai.
It all started with a letter appearing on JioHotstar.com, which was the most obvious choice for a joint streaming platform after the merger of Disney+ Hotstar and Viacom18, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries. However, an app developer in Delhi had already purchased the domain in 2023, anticipating a merger of the two streaming platforms.
In his letter, the developer demanded Reliance to shell out a little more than Rs 1 crore to purchase the domain from him. He reasoned that this money to pursue an executive MBA course at Cambridge University in the UK.
The app developer later stated that a Reliance executive reached out to him and his request for Rs 1 crore was denied. He said that Reliance, in fact, was taking legal action against him for infringing on its trademark.
However, on Saturday, JioHotstar.com had a new landing page, with two new faces greeting the website visitors. The two faces are of Jainam and Jivika -- two Dubai-based siblings. According to their website jainamjivikafuntime.com, Jainam is 13 years old while his sister is 10 years younger to him.
In the letter, Jainam and Jivika claim they purchased the JioHotstar domain to "support a young software developer from Delhi".
Here's the content of the letter:
"Hello! We are Jainam and Jivika – siblings from Dubai, UAE, on a mission to make a difference. Even though we’re just kids, we believe that age is only a number when it comes to spreading kindness and positivity. Our recent journey began during our summer holidays when we left our home in Dubai for 50 unforgettable days in India. We had a purpose: to connect with children from various backgrounds, share our love for learning, teach skills for studying and setting goals, and inspire them to dream big.
Throughout our journey, we were met with inspiring moments and new friendships. We taught kids not only about studying but also about having the courage to set ambitious goals. Together, we laughed, learned, and grew, creating memories that we’ll treasure forever. This website is our way of sharing those memories with you – through photos, videos, and stories from our Seva journey. We hope it brings you closer to the incredible kids we met and encourages you to spread kindness in your own special way.
Along the way, people showed their appreciation through gifts, blessings, and even small donations, which we collected over our travels. When we returned to Dubai, we used a portion of this collection to support a young software developer from Delhi by purchasing this domain for his benefit. Through sharing our journey here, we aim to inspire others and keep the domain open for future sale to anyone who wants to continue this positive mission.
And one more thing – we love taking on new challenges! Make sure to watch our videos where we’ve shared some of these fun challenges, and we hope they inspire you to try something new too."
Jainam and Jivika have a YouTube channel where they make DIY content about toys and games.
An NGO is also registered against their name -- Jainam Jivika Foundation. The foundation's directors are Kantilal Shankarlal Jain and Shobha Kantilal Jain.
Reliance Industries is yet to release a statement about the new owners of JioHotstar.com.
