News Headline
JioStar blitzes in FY 2025, clocks Rs 10,006 crore in revenue since merger
MUMBAI: JioStar is scripting a blockbuster success story, delivering a knockout performance since its merger launch on 14 November 2024. The entertainment juggernaut reported gross revenues of Rs 10,006 crore and an EBITDA of Rs 774 crore, posting a margin of 7.7 per cent — all while still ramping up operations.
At the heart of this meteoric rise lies JioHotstar, the OTT powerhouse that debuted on 14 February 2025 and rapidly changed the game. Within just five weeks, JioHotstar crossed the milestone of 100 million paid subscribers — a feat unrivalled in the Indian streaming landscape. By March-end, monthly active users (MAUs) hit a staggering 503 million, thanks to a blockbuster calendar packed with the ICC Champions Trophy, IPL, and a digital library boasting over 320,000 hours of content.
Sport was JioStar’s turbocharger with IPL 2025 opening with fireworks, clocking 1.4 billion digital views (a 35 per cent spike year-on-year), 253 million TV viewers (up 14 per cent), and a colossal 49.6 billion minutes of total watch time across platforms (up 33 per cent). JioHotstar alone posted a dazzling 38 per cent jump in digital viewership, buoyed by a 47 per cent surge in connected TV (CTV) audiences and a 60 per cent higher CTV watch time.
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 turned out to be another mega-hit, recording the highest TV ratings ever for a multi-nation cricket tournament in India. The tournament delivered a 4.3 TVR — a 23 per cent gain over the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 — and set a new peak concurrency record with a staggering 61.2 million live viewers during the final.
JioStar also scored with the Tata WPL season 3, which posted a 19 per cent ratings lift and expanded its reach by 49 per cent. On JioHotstar, WPL viewership surged by 34 per cent, underpinned by a massive 130 per cent growth in CTV engagement.
In a strategic brand play, all sports channels were unified under the Star Sports banner, now comprising 24 channels — with dedicated Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada sports offerings to deepen regional footprints.
Beyond cricket fever, JioHotstar is claimed to be reshaping entertainment with a new wave of digital experiences. The Mahashivratri night live-stream drew an impressive 39 million views, while Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres tour streamed live to 8.3 million fans, bringing global experiences closer to Indian audiences.
A new content vertical, “Sparks,” featuring short, snappy segments from India’s top digital superstars, has tapped into the nation’s appetite for quick-binge entertainment — a strategic play to capture Gen Z and millennial attention spans.
Coupled with its arsenal of premium OTT originals and international content, JioHotstar is fast positioning itself as the de facto platform for premium digital storytelling.
While the digital frontier blazed ahead, linear TV continued to deliver knockout blows.
Star Plus cemented its dominance as India’s top Hindi GEC, with six out of the top 10 shows under its belt. Star Gold’s premiere of Stree 2 garnered a reach of 41.2 million, further reinforcing its draw among movie buffs.
Regional GECs — Star Pravah (Marathi), Star Jalsha (Bengali), Star Maa (Telugu), Star Vijay (Tamil), and Asianet (Malayalam) — retained their #1 spots across states, showcasing JioStar’s deep local connect.
Meanwhile, niche genres — Kids, Youth, and English — remained the network’s unchallenged playgrounds, extending JioStar’s leadership across every major viewer segment.
In less than six months post-merger, JioStar has not just delivered on audacious promises — it has rewritten the rulebook. With a dominant hold across digital and linear entertainment, record-breaking sports audiences, and an evolving playbook for new-age content, JioStar is emerging as India’s undisputed entertainment giant.
As Reliance’s media empire keeps building momentum, it’s clear that for rivals, the chase is only getting harder.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
