Mukesh Ambani's Viacom 18 finally gets rights of JioHotstar website after month-long 'Delhi-to-Dubai drama'

The domain Jiohotstar.com has reportedly been officially transferred to Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of Reliance Industries. According to the latest Whois records, the domain is now registered under Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd., owned by Mukesh Ambani. The records indicate that the domain was registered on September 20, 2024, with validity until September 20, 2026, and the last update was made on December 2, 2024.
The WHOis records for jiohotstar.com now list Manish Painuly as the registrant, 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, finalizing Reliance's ownership. This marks the resolution of an extended period of shifting ownership and the involvement of several stakeholders.

The ownership of jiohotstar.com has been a point of conte ntion due to its connection with two of India’s largest 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.
Also read: How JioHotstar domain went from Delhi techie to Dubai siblings
The engineer then had claimed there was no malicious intent behind the registration but was unable to retain the domain due to rising legal and commercial pressures. The involvement of the Dubai siblings further complicated matters, creating a lengthy dispute over control of the domain.

As mentioned above, WHOis records for jiohotstar.com now list Manish Painuly of Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd. as the registrant, administrative, and technical contact. As per his LinkedIn profile, Manish Painuly is a Senior Director - Digital Transformation | Business Intelligence | Web/Enterprise Apps at Viacom18 Media Private Limited. He has been with the company for over 16 years.
“Enthusiastic, performance-driven self-starter, and team player. Experience in building and managing product's online presence, including VOOT and other 40 + odd brands. Product planning, development, management, and strategy are the strengths. Demonstrated capabilities in managing stakeholder relationships and leading cross-functional teams aligned with business growth. Specialties: project management, vendor management, information security, IT cost management, and service or solution creation,” reads his LinkedIn bio.