Delhi Developer Buys 'JioHotstar' Domain Name With Plans To Sell, Receives Offer But Declines—Full Story

In a unique twist of entrepreneurial spirit and hope, a Delhi-based app developer who purchased the domain name "JioHotstar.com", seeks to sell it to Reliance Industries to fund his dream of studying at Cambridge University.

Shortly after the news broke, the developer told NDTV Profit in response to a query, that an executive from Reliance, Ambujesh Yadav, AVP, Commercials, reached out regarding the domain. A request was made for £93,345—representing the tuition fees for the Executive MBA program—and was subsequently denied. Reliance has indicated plans to proceed with legal action over the domain.

The developer expressed his disappointment, stating, "I hope they will reconsider this kind request. I wish such a large group could help." He maintained that he did not infringe on any trademark when purchasing the domain in 2023, as 'JioHotstar' did not exist at that time. "Nobody has a trademark for JioHotstar as of now," he noted, reaching out for any legal assistance.

The app developer had purchased the domain name in 2023 anticipating the merger of Disney+Hotstar and Reliance's JioCinema.

In the earlier letter addressed to Reliance executives, the developer shared his rationale for the purchase. He explained that he was inspired by the news of Disney+Hotstar's declining user base after losing the IPL streaming rights and speculated that Viacom18, backed by Reliance, was the only major player capable of acquiring the streaming service.

"Since Sony and Zee were pursuing their own merger, Viacom 18 (owned by Reliance) is the only major player with sufficient resources to acquire Disney Hotstar," he said, explaining the hypothesis behind the bet he made then.

Drawing parallels to Reliance's previous acquisition of Saavn, he said, "When Jio acquired the music streaming service Saavn, they rebranded it to JioSaavn, and changed the domain from Saavn.com to JioSaavn.com." This made him believe that a similar rebranding of Hotstar could lead to the creation of JioHotstar.com.

"I checked for the domain, and It was available. I was excited, as I felt that if this happened, I could fund my goal of studying at Cambridge," he added.

The developer shares his rationale for the purchase of the domain name in the letter.

Having previously participated in the Cambridge University Accelerate program in 2021, the developer noted the significant impact it had on his career. "It was a transformational experience for me. I couldn't crack IIT, but being selected for that program was incredibly valuable," he said.

However, he expressed a desire for further education, particularly in entrepreneurship, which he believes could be achieved through a full degree program at Cambridge—though the costs have always been a barrier.

Now, with the merger confirmed and speculation rife about the branding of the newly merged platform, the developer is optimistic. "I believe JioHotstar.com would be a fitting name that honors both brands while providing a seamless transition for users," he stated.

In his letter, he formally requested that Reliance contact him via the domain to negotiate the purchase. He emphasised that for a multi-billion-dollar corporation, acquiring the domain would be a minor expense, while for him, it could be life-changing.