UDAY SHANKAR IS a picture of calm despite months of hectic deal-making as we meet him in the spacious Viacom18 corner office on the 36th floor of a Mumbai skyscraper. Clad in a blue T-shirt and white trousers far from the formal attire in his previous job, Shankar was looking out at the vast expanse of what was once home to Mumbai's textile mills when we entered.
A short drive away is the office of Disney India, where Shankar held the top job between 2007 and 2020-first as Star India's boss and later after Disney became its new owner. Reliance Industries Ltd, through Viacom18, has battled Disney to dominate India's media landscape, specifically in the general entertainment and sports categories. Big money has been spent, though not always with great success.
Ownership has often changed dramatically, and a big moment was when Reliance acquired Network18 in 2014. That was followed by Disney's $71-billion global buyout of Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox, giving it the critical India piece.
On November 14, Reliance and Disney announced the completion of a transaction to form a joint venture. At a valuation of ₹70,352 crore (around $8.5 billion), the merged entity will own over 100 television channels in nine major Indian languages, two OTT (over-the-top) platforms and over 30,000 hours of TV content annually.
Shankar will be the Vice Chairperson, providing strategic guidance, while the Chairperson will be Nita Ambani, currently also Chairperson of Reliance Foundation and earlier a director of Reliance Industries.
Denne historien er fra December 08, 2024-utgaven av Business Today India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra December 08, 2024-utgaven av Business Today India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
"OFFER MORE SOPS FOR THE NEW TAX REGIME”
Dinesh Kanabar, CEO of Dhruva Advisors, on the tax-related measures expected in the Budget, reforms, and more
IN SEARCH OF A BOOSTER SHOT
TO BOOST GROWTH, THE GOVERNMENT MAY FOCUS ON INCREASING CAPEX AND BOOSTING DOMESTIC CONSUMPTION, PARTICULARLY TARGETING THE MIDDLE CLASS. THIS COULD PROVIDE A FILLIP TO STOCKS IN THOSE SECTORS
HEALTH BOOST
THE HEALTHCARE SECTOR IS EXPECTED TO RECEIVE A SHOT IN THE ARM IN BUDGET 2025-26, WITH A FOCUS ON PRIMARY HEALTHCARE, DIGITAL HEALTH, AND BOOSTING PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURING AND RESEARCH. BUT CHALLENGES LIKE THE SHORTAGE OF HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS REMAIN
"Indian aviation to see double-digit growth for the next 30 years"
Vinay Dube, Founder & CEO of Akasa Air, on the country's aviation sector, why the airline was set up, and more
TIME TO BE SMART
This year could be a good time to take home some profits, reduce risk, and shift to large-cap investments
CLOTHES MAKETH A MAN
THE MEN’S LUXURY MARKET IN INDIA, ONCE A NICHE SEGMENT, IS WITNESSING AN EXTRAORDINARY RISE AND IS THRIVING, THANKS TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND RISING DISPOSABLE INCOMES
Front-running Redux
Ketan Parekh has again been accused by Sebi. This time the allegations are of front-running, an unethical practice in financial markets
Triumph of Engineering
The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line in J&K is set to expedite trade and tourism
MAKING A MARK
IN A LANDSCAPE DOMINATED BY THE BIG FOUR ACCOUNTING FIRMS, DHRUVA ADVISORS HAS STRUCK IT BIG ON THE BACK OF ITS TAX AND REGULATORY ADVISORY SERVICES, ASSISTING SOME OF THE MARQUEE DEALS OF INDIA INC.
TIME FOR A TAX BREAK?
INDIVIDUAL TAXPAYERS LOOK FORWARD TO THE BUDGET EVERY YEAR HOPING FOR A BIG TAX BREAK. IT HAS ELUDED THEM FOR YEARS, BUT WITH HIGH INFLATION, MODERATING URBAN CONSUMPTION, AND ROBUST TAX COLLECTIONS, WILL THE MIDDLE CLASS GET A TAX BREAK IN FEBRUARY?
