In a surprising turn of events, siblings Jainam and Jivika, young philanthropists based in Dubai, have made a generous offer regarding the domain JioHotstar.com, now under their ownership. After careful consideration, they have chosen to gift the domain to Reliance at no cost, as stated on their website.
The domain’s journey took an intriguing turn when Jainam and Jivika purchased it from a Delhi-based developer, who initially registered it to fund his Cambridge University MBA. After Reliance declined his INR 1 crore offer, the developer listed it elsewhere. Jainam and Jivika acquired the domain to support the developer’s educational goals, but now find themselves at the center of unexpected media attention.
Amidst speculation surrounding the domain’s connection to a potential Jio-Hotstar merger, Jainam and Jivika clarified their position. “Recently, we received many emails from people wanting to buy the domain,” they shared.
Following up on these inquiries revealed a mix of genuine and fake offers, with some promising substantial sums. Despite this, Jainam and Jivika reaffirmed their unwavering stance: “To check if these offers were real, we reached out to some of them. We found that while some offers were fake, a few were serious and offered a lot of money.” They underscored that the domain was gifted to Reliance, never intended for sale.
Jainam and Jivika expressed surprise at the unexpected attention and speculation surrounding their ownership of the JioHotstar domain. “Over the last few weeks, there has been a lot of talk and even some videos about why we own the domain and if it connects to a possible business deal between Jio and Hotstar,” they noted. Clarifying their intentions, they emphasized that their sole motivation was to support the developer and share their own experiences of seva (service) with their audience. The domain, they stressed, was merely a means to do good, not a strategic piece in a corporate negotiation.
Following thoughtful consideration, Jainam and Jivika have chosen to gift the domain to Reliance at no cost. “We are happy to give JioHotstar.com to them for free, with all the proper paperwork,” they stated. Emphasizing their autonomy in this decision, they noted, “This is entirely our choice. No one from Reliance or any legal group has contacted us or pressured us in any way.” The siblings made it clear that their decision was made independently, free from influence by friends, family, or industry connections.
To streamline the domain transfer, Jainam and Jivika openly invited Reliance to contact them directly via email. Shifting their focus to their broader philanthropic vision, the siblings highlighted their platform, SevakArmy.com, “Our goal is simple but powerful: we want 100,000 people to volunteer just 20 hours a year. This would add up to 2 million hours of service in the first year – like having 1,000 people working full-time for a year to help NGOs.” Through SevakArmy, they aim to mobilize a global volunteer force, amplifying support for NGOs and fostering meaningful change.
