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Weekend Unwind with: The Pant Project’s Dhruv Toshniwal
Mumbai: With another weekend upon us, it is time to unwind with the latest Q&A edition of Indiantelevision.com’s Weekend Unwind—a series of informal chats that peek into the minds of business executives through a fun lens in an attempt to get to know the person behind the title a little better.
In this week’s session, we have The Pant Project founder Dhruv Toshniwal.
Without further ado, here it goes…
Your mantra for life
Get one per cent better every day
A book you are currently reading or plan to read
Nassim Taleb, Skin in the Game & Antifragile
Your fitness mantra, especially during the pandemic
Some workout is better than no workout. Just start, and don’t miss two days in a row.
Your comfort food
Indian (paneer) or Italian (pizza)
A quote or philosophy that keeps you going when the chips are down
I know the pieces fit because I watched them fall apart (from the song Schism by Tool)
Your guilty pleasure
I have a major sweet tooth
The last time you tried something new
Yesterday. As an entrepreneur, you are always trying out new things in your business and daily life.
A life lesson you learned the hard way
If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a no. I would say yes to too many things earlier on in life, and that wouldn’t leave enough space to focus on the most important ones.
What gets you excited about life?
Waking up every day and building a little part of the India story. This is going to be such an amazing decade for India to grow on all fronts.
What’s on top of your bucket list?
Hitting a hole-in-one at golf. I’ve been playing for 20 years and haven’t yet gotten one!
If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?
Those who see action in inaction and inaction in actions are truly wise amongst human beings (The Bhagavad Gita).
One thing you would most like to change about the world
End war. We can peacefully coexist on this planet with different faiths & nationalities.
An activity that keeps you motivated and charged during tough times
Spending time in nature, going for long walks with my wife and golfing.
What lifts your spirits when life gets you down?
I’m generally an eternal optimist and tend to see things with a positively coloured lens. You can’t get too down about life as an entrepreneur because if you let yourself, there are 1000 reasons you can use to justify being down.
Your go-to stress buster
A quick sprint or high-intensity cardio workout session.
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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”.
