iWorld
RIL to plan IPO for Reliance Jio: Bloomberg
Mumbai: Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) may launch the initial public offering (IPO) for Reliance Jio by late 2018 or early 2019 to further challenge the collective might of Airtel and the Idea-Vodafone combine, according to a Bloomberg report. Reliance Jio, which hasn’t made a profit since its official launch last year, is targeting to improve its financial performance before diluting any stake.
Reliance Jio reported net loss of Rs2.71 billion in the quarter ended 30 September 2017, though the business made profit before interest and taxes over the period. The wireless operator is “ahead of our schedule in terms of the returns” generated, Ambani said at a recent event.
A Reliance Jio listing would cap a return to the mobile market for Ambani, more than a decade after a family feud that led him to cede control of a previous telecom venture to his younger brother. Reliance Jio, which is wholly owned by RIL, launched a free-for-life call service last year that triggered a price war and consolidation in one of the world’s most crowded mobile markets.
Bharti Airtel Ltd this year agreed to absorb Tata Group’s mobile phone business, while Vodafone Group Plc and Idea Cellular Ltd announced they would merge their local operations to create the nation’s largest wireless operator. Despite being the newest entrant, Reliance Jio has accumulated more than 138.6 million subscribers, making it the fourth largest operator at the end of September, according to data from Trai.
Deliberations about a Reliance Jio listing are at an early stage, and there’s no certainty they will lead to a transaction, Bloomberg’s sources said. A representative for Reliance Industries declined to comment.
iWorld
Veto onboards B4U Network channels to boost its entertainment offering
Partnership adds films, music and regional fare as platform sharpens its large-screen pitch
NEW DELHI: Veto is stacking its content deck. The family-first CTV-focused OTT platform has onboarded B4U Network, plugging in a slate of Bollywood, music and regional programming to widen its appeal in India’s living rooms.
The tie-up brings B4U Movies, B4U Music, B4U Kadak and Bhojpuri+ onto Veto, offering a broader mix of films, songs and vernacular content aimed at diverse audience cohorts. The move is designed to deepen engagement and nudge growth as competition in connected TV heats up.
Ritu Dhawan, managing director, Veto, framed the partnership as a scale play. “At Veto, our vision is to redefine large-screen entertainment for Indian households by creating a trusted, free, and unified viewing experience. Partnering with B4U Network strengthens our ability to offer deeply engaging and regionally relevant content, helping us connect more with audiences across India,” Dhawan said. “As we grow, our focus remains on delivering relevant, high-quality entertainment that families can enjoy together.”
The integration is expected to expand Veto’s audience base while improving content discovery and depth. The platform positions itself as a no-login, large-screen-first service, bundling live TV, news, sports, movies, music, podcasts and on-demand programming into a single interface tailored for connected TVs.
As streaming fragments and screens multiply, Veto is betting on aggregation and simplicity. More content, fewer clicks, broader reach—the pitch is clear, and the living room is the battleground.
