Brands
JioStar absorbs IndiaCast to streamline distribution
Merger creates one-stop hub for content, digital, and delivery
MUMBAI: In a move that proves JioStar isn’t just playing for the screen but for the entire stadium, the media behemoth has announced it is officially folding its distribution wing, IndiaCast, into the main mothership.
After the dust settled on the colossal Reliance-Disney marriage, the house that Mukesh built is tidying up the furniture. By absorbing IndiaCast, JioStar is effectively cutting out the middleman by becoming its own delivery boy.
IndiaCast has long handled the distribution of channel packs like Colors and MTV to cable and DTH operators. Now, instead of working as a separate company, it will be fully merged into its parent, JioStar.
The strategy is simple: less paperwork and more control. By merging under a fast-track scheme, the company is removing extra legal steps and administrative work that come with running two separate entities.
For viewers, the change may not be immediately visible, but behind the scenes it creates a one-stop shop for Indian entertainment. JioStar now controls the entire chain: it owns the content through channels like Star Plus and Colors, the digital platform through JioHotstar, and the distribution pipeline after absorbing IndiaCast, bringing everything under one roof.
According to regulatory filings, the merger is retrospective, dating back to April 2025. IndiaCast will eventually be dissolved without the messy drama of a formal winding-up. For the employees and assets, it is a same desk, different letterhead situation as everything transfers to the JioStar banner.
It is a classic bit of corporate housekeeping that ensures the new media kingpin is lean, mean, and ready to dominate your living room.
Ola has a new voice. The ride-hailing giant has appointed Shirsha Majumder as senior manager for PR and communications, bringing in a seasoned hand to sharpen its brand narrative and media relations.
Majumder arrives from Acko, where she spent close to four years playing a central role in shaping the insurance company’s communications strategy. Before Acko, she built her credentials across a string of well-regarded organisations including HDFC Life, Adfactors PR and Edelman, accumulating over nine years of experience across reputation management, media relations, strategic messaging and stakeholder engagement.
At Ola, she is expected to bring that breadth of experience to bear on the company’s communications function at a time when the brand is navigating an increasingly competitive and scrutinised market.
For a company that has rarely been far from the headlines, getting the communications right matters. In Majumder, Ola has picked someone who knows how to manage a narrative under pressure.
