HomeLong ReadsHow JioStar is redefining the media playbook

How JioStar is redefining the media playbook

Ajita Shashidhar
/15 min read
For decades, content was king in the media and entertainment industry. Now JioStar is rewriting the script — transforming into a technology platform where content flows, and commerce sits at the centre.
How JioStar is redefining the
Uday Shankar, Vice chairman, JioStar Credits: Narendra Bisht
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JIOSTAR VICE CHAIRMAN Uday Shankar’s eighth-floor office in Maker Chambers, Mumbai, has a breathtaking view of the Arabian Sea. “I like to have an office with a view,” he says with a smile, standing at his sleek, ergonomic standing workstation. At 64, the media industry veteran prefers to stand while working; he is as agile and hungry to disrupt the industry as he was way back in 2008 when he took over as CEO of the erstwhile Star India. This time he wants to set a precedent not just for India but for the globe.

Shankar seldom operates out of the JioStar headquarters in Mumbai. His office is at Marigold Park Capital. Formerly Lupa Systems, Marigold Park Capital is a financial advisory founded by James Murdoch (CEO of erstwhile 21st Century Fox), through which he and Shankar co-founded a strategic investment platform, Bodhi Tree Systems. Shankar has a 7% stake in the ₹31,660-crore Reliance-Walt Disney Company-owned media conglomerate, JioStar. This time, Shankar has skin in the game, and that clearly comes across while he shares his strategy and vision for the business.