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Weekend Unwind with Thermocool Home Appliances Ltd’s Rajeev kr Gupta
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 Thermocool Home Appliances Ltd, MD, Rajeev kr Gupta.
Without further ado, here it goes…
Your mantra for life
Health is the foundation of success
A book you are currently reading or plan to read
Gita and Planning for Ramayana
Your fitness mantra, especially during the pandemic
Jogging & Yoga Meditation
Your comfort food
Simple Dal उड़द दाल, & Roti Saags (Leafy greens)
A quote or philosophy that keeps you going when the chips are down
Thinking about the problem and his solution
Your guilty pleasure
Watching cricket, especially when the Men in Blue are playing
The last time you tried something new
Base jumping
A life lesson you learned the hard way
The rush of daily living is part of life and will be settled daily.
What gets you excited about life?
The problem of daily routine I enjoyed when I resolved it
What’s on top of your bucket list?
Family happiness & spending time with family
If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?
Resolve your problem on a daily basis & enjoy
One thing you would most like to change about the world
Educating everyone for a greener future
An activity that keeps you motivated and charged during tough times
Meditation & Thinking about the good times
What lifts your spirits when life gets you down?
Music listening
Your go-to stress buster
Music & Yoga
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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”.
