In an unexpected turn of events, a Delhi-based app developer who purchased the JioHotstar domain and sought money from Reliance Industries has sold it to two siblings in Dubai, according to a report by India Today.
The app developer, who referred to himself as “a dreamer,” initially contacted Reliance Industries, proposing to sell the JioHotstar domain for just over one crore. His intention was to fund an executive MBA program at Cambridge University in the UK. However, Reliance Industries declined to engage in any negotiations, as reported by the news agency PTI. The domain has now been transferred to 13-year-old Jainam Jain and 10-year-old Jivika Jain from Dubai.
The siblings updated the website on Saturday to inform visitors that they acquired it to “support a young software developer from Delhi.” In a letter posted on the site, they shared details of their holiday in India, which they referred to as their “Seva journey.” During this trip, they taught children and collected donations, which they used to purchase the domain.
They stated, “Through sharing our journey here, we aim to inspire others and keep the domain open for future sale to anyone who wants to continue this positive mission.”
As of now, Reliance Industries has not issued a statement regarding the new ownership of JioHotstar.com. The Delhi-based developer had acquired this specific domain after hearing rumors in 2023 about a potential merger between Jio Cinema and Hotstar. With the merger finally taking place this year, he saw a prime opportunity to sell the domain to RIL while funding his further studies.