MAM
Alburt Media bags media mandate for Ed-Tech Start-up basicfirst
MUMBAI: BasicFirst, an innovative Ed-Tech start-up, has appointed Alburt Media to manage its media mandate in India. The appointment was a result of a multi-agency pitch. The mandate includes handling overall operations of ATL across India. The account size is estimated to be Rs.300 crores.
Started with a vision to make quality education available in the remotest locations of India, BasicFirst caters to various academic needs of K6 to K12 students. It is an aptitude-based personalized learning initiative by a group of education experts, which offers post-school education and test-prep guidance.
Commenting on the association, Piyush Mishra, CEO, Alburt Media stated, “We are excited to be associated with BasicFirst. India has a huge potential market for Ed-tech and BasicFirst with its innovative products and high-quality content such as ‘24×7 Doubt Clearing App’ and ‘Rent A learning Tablet’ is determined to take a major share of the pie.”
Talking about appointing Alburt Media, Randhir Kumar, Founder & CEO of BasicFirst said, “ The association seems to fit in well as the approach followed by Albert Media is strategic and the customer insights they offer makes them the perfect partner for our growth plans. We look forward to a long and fruitful partnership.”
Govind Mishra, Marketing Head at BasicFirst said, “Alburt Media understood our requirements well. Their proposed strategy and approach was innovative and it captured the sentiments we want to portray for the brand.”
Brands
JioHotstar EVP, head subscriptions (SVOD) and media Piyush Kothari exits
Streaming executive signs off after 6.5-year run across DisneyStar and JioStar
MUMBAI: Piyush Kothari, EVP and head subscriptions (SVOD) and media at JioHotstar, has stepped down from his role, bringing the curtain down on a 6.5-year stint spanning the DisneyStar and JioStar eras.
Kothari shared the update in a note reflecting on what he called a “transformative” phase for the media industry and a personal journey through the fast-evolving world of streaming and sports entertainment.
“The last few years have been transformative for the media industry and experiencing this journey up close over the past 6.5 years with DisneyStar and now JioStar has been a thriller,” he wrote, thanking colleagues and collaborators who shaped his time in the business.
Kothari joined JioHotstar in November 2024 as EVP, head subscriptions (svod) and media, where he oversaw subscription revenues and subscriber growth for the platform’s svod business.
Before that, he spent over five years at The Walt Disney Company in a series of leadership roles. His last position there was head of product, growth, partnerships and international expansion for Disney+ Hotstar, where he led efforts to scale subscription revenues across direct to consumer and partnership channels. The role also involved overseeing the service’s standalone businesses in markets such as Singapore, Canada and the UK.
Earlier, he served as lead, corporate office and strategic projects, working across the company’s entertainment, sports and streaming businesses. He also headed business operations at Mashal Sports, the entity behind the Pro Kabaddi League, where he helped steer the league through key commercial milestones including a five year broadcast and streaming media rights deal.
Alongside his operational roles, Kothari also served as nominee director on the board of Mashal Sports and was a director on the board of Novi Digital, the company that operates Hotstar.
Before entering the media and entertainment space, Kothari held senior roles across consulting, fintech and conglomerates. He worked with Welspun Group as head, group executive office, with Aditya Birla Group as joint president and business head, digital, analytics and strategy at Aditya Birla Idea Payments Bank, and earlier served as vice president in the chairman’s office at the group.
His career also includes stints at Accenture as principal, Accenture Strategy, and earlier at Shell in channel development and sales.
Reflecting on his time in the media sector, Kothari said he leaves with a lasting belief in India’s subscription economy. He also joked about picking up a new affection along the way.
“Carrying with me love for kabaddi, a deep belief in the potential of the subscriptions business in India, and fond memories and friendships,” he wrote, adding that he is now “onward to the next chapter”.
