pc: businesstoday

As the merger process between JioCinema and Hotstar is progressing, a shocking problem has emerged in the form of the domain name JioHotstar.com. An anonymous app developer had already purchased the domain. The 28-year-old Delhi-based entrepreneur is now demanding more than ₹1 crore (about £93,345) for the domain, with the aim of using the money to fund an executive MBA at the University of Cambridge.

The developer shared his story, explaining how he acquired the domain before Reliance acted, predicting the merger. A middle-class dreamer app developer from Delhi, who wishes to remain anonymous, described himself as a normal middle-class person.

His father is in a government job and mother is a housewife. He created a startup, but faced financial constraints in taking it forward. Despite the challenges, he is optimistic about raising funds for his MBA dream.

Interestingly, this entrepreneur has already spent some time at Cambridge University. After being selected for the short-term program at the prestigious institute, he completed it online during the pandemic. But he hopes to return for a well-rounded Executive MBA course – the expenses of which he will finance by selling the JioHotstar.com domain.

possibility of merger
So how did this developer manage to purchase the first domain from one of India's largest conglomerates? He says it was a mixture of foresight and luck. In September 2023, there were rumors of a merger between JioCinema and Hotstar. Trusting his intuition, he registered the domain for less than ₹5,000, betting on the possibility that it would become valuable upon merger.

Initially, the developer tried to contact Reliance directly. After sending emails to several senior officials and not getting any response, he wrote a letter on the JioHotstar.com site asking for ₹1 crore for his MBA. Although Reliance eventually contacted them, they reportedly only offered them a refund for their registration costs and warned of possible legal action.

Despite this, he remains optimistic, hoping that Reliance will consider his request. They argue that the amount they are demanding is negligible compared to the company's vast resources.

Security concerns and legal help
The developer admitted to feeling stressed by the situation, having faced multiple attempts to hack his account and reset the domain's password. While some legal experts from the Supreme Court and Cambridge have offered to help him for free, he is reluctant to face Reliance in court. He said, “I do not want to enter into a legal battle against Ambani. I know my limits.”