iWorld
Google’s Sundar Pichai bats for free flow of cross-border data
MUMBAI: At a time when the Indian government is highly focussed on data localisation, Google CEO Sundar Pichai has advocated free flow of cross-border data. The Google exec wrote a letter to Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad where he said such a step would encourage global companies to contribute to India’s digital economy. However, he also mentioned the importance of data privacy and security.
“Free flow of data across borders – with a focus on user privacy and security – will encourage startups to innovate and expand globally and encourage global companies to contribute to India’s digital economy,” he said.
Thanking Prasad for his visit to Google’s Mountain View campus last month Pichai said the company shares the vision of creating a truly ‘Digital India’ and remains firmly committed to being part of the India growth story.
Recently, the Justice BN Srikrishna Committee recommended in a report that every data fiduciary in India shall ensure the storage of at least one serving copy of personal data on a server or data centre located in India. Along with that, it also stated that the government can notify some categories of personal data as critical personal data that have to be stored in a server or data centre located only in India. The government has extended the date to submit public feedback on the draft bill to 30 September.
iWorld
JioStar revenue hits Rs 9,784 crore as cricket fuels 22 per cent growth
A surge in digital viewership and sports dominance fuels a blockbuster quarter for the media giant
MUMBAI: JioStar is batting on a flat pitch. The media titan’s fourth-quarter results for the financial year 2026 reveal a business scaling new heights, propelled by an unprecedented appetite for premium sports and digital-first storytelling.
Gross revenue for the quarter soared by 22.15 per cent to Rs 9,784 crore, up from Rs 8,010 crore in the third quarter. Operationally, the momentum was equally strong; revenue from operations climbed 21 per cent to Rs 8,372 crore. These figures underscore the firm’s successful integration following the Reliance and Disney merger, creating a dominant force in the Indian market.
The annual performance has been nothing short of a spectacle. Full-year gross revenue reached a massive Rs 36,248 crore, while annual profit after tax hit Rs 3,210 crore. This rapid expansion reflects JioStar’s ability to capture and monetise the massive growth in India’s media consumption.
Cricket proved to be the ultimate growth engine. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and TATA IPL 2026 delivered “record-breaking viewership” across both television and digital screens. The World Cup final alone drew a global peak concurrency of 72.5 million on JioHotstar, cementing its status as the nation’s premier streaming destination. On television, JioStar maintained a commanding 34.2 per cent viewership share, reaching a staggering 810 million viewers nationwide.
The digital numbers were just as impressive. JioHotstar averaged 500 million monthly active users, driven by consistent subscriber growth and innovative AI-led content discovery tools. These advancements are ensuring that JioStar remains at the cutting edge of the global “Race for Attention.”
With a firm grip on the country’s most valuable sporting rights and a rapidly growing digital footprint, JioStar is perfectly positioned for the future. It has built the ultimate content powerhouse—one that is ready to dominate the Indian living room for years to come.
