Jiohotstar.com appears to have been officially transferred to Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of Reliance Industries. The latest Whois record shows that the domain is registered in the name of Mukesh Ambani-owned Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd. The website shows that the domain was registered on September 20, 2024 and is valid until September 20, 2026, with the last update recorded on December 2, 2024.
The WHOis record for jiohotstar.com now lists Manish Painuli as the registrar, administrative and technical contact for the domain, representing Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd. This confirms Viacom18’s full control over the domain following the recent transfer, making ownership final to Reliance. This reflects an extended period of transferring ownership and a resolution involving multiple stakeholders.
Dispute over Jiohotstar.com ownership from Delhi to Dubai
The ownership of jiohotstar.com has been a subject of controversy due to its association with two of India’s biggest brands, Reliance Jio and Disney+ Hotstar. It was originally owned by a Delhi-based engineer, who later transferred the domain to two Dubai-based siblings.
The engineer had then claimed that there was no malicious intent behind the registration, but he was unable to retain the domain due to increasing legal and business pressures. The involvement of the Dubai-based siblings further complicated the matter, leading to a lengthy dispute over control of the domain.
Who is Manish Penuli ?
As mentioned above, the WHOis record for jiohotstar.com now lists Manish Penuli of Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd. as the registrar, administrative and technical contact. According to his LinkedIn profile, Manish Penuli is a Senior Director – Digital Transformation | Business Intelligence | at Viacom18 Media Private Limited. Web/Enterprise Apps. He has been with the company for over 16 years.
Enthusiastic, performance-motivated self-starter, and team player. Experience building and managing online presence of a product including VOOT and other 40+ odd brands. Product planning, development, management, and strategy are strengths. Proven capabilities in managing stakeholder relationships and leading cross-functional teams aligned with business development. Specialties: Project management, vendor management, information security, IT cost management, and service or solution building,” his LinkedIn bio reads.
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