Mukesh Ambani, India’s wealthiest individual and chairman of Reliance Industries, has seen his fortune bolstered further as the company’s entertainment arm, JioStar, delivered a stellar financial performance.
The division reported a robust revenue of $1.3 billion, with profitability surging from an 8.1% margin to an impressive 10.6%. This financial upswing underscores JioStar’s growing dominance in India’s competitive streaming market.
A key driver of this success was the flagship streaming platform JioHotstar, which saw its monthly active user base swell to 460 million. The platform’s surge in viewership was largely fueled by the Indian Premier League (IPL), a wildly popular cricket tournament that captivated a staggering 1.19 billion viewers. Cricket remains a cultural juggernaut in India, and JioHotstar’s ability to capitalize on this passion has solidified its position as a market leader.
On the content front, Indian viewers showed a clear preference for gripping, locally resonant stories. The Indian thriller Criminal Justice emerged as the most-watched series, drawing 27.7 million viewers with its intense narrative. Close behind was the crime drama Ek Badnaam Aashram, which attracted 27.1 million viewers, reflecting India’s enduring love for detective stories and legal procedurals. Rounding out the top three was Prime Video’s rural comedy Panchayat, a testament to the appeal of authentic, homegrown storytelling.
While local content reigned supreme, global hits also found a foothold. Netflix’s Squid Game secured a strong fifth place, captivating 16.5 million Indian viewers and proving its cross-cultural staying power.
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JioStar’s record-breaking performance not only highlights the growing appetite for digital entertainment in India but also cements Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries as a powerhouse in the global media landscape. As JioHotstar continues to blend local flavor with international hits, Ambani’s empire shows no signs of slowing down.
