JioStar Commits ₹33,000 Crore for Content in FY26, Aims to Transform Indian Media Landscape

India’s largest media entity, JioStar, a joint venture between Reliance Industries’ Viacom18 and The Walt Disney Company’s India unit, has announced a major investment plan for the upcoming financial year. Uday Shankar, the company’s vice-chairperson, disclosed at the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) that ₹33,000 crore would be allocated for content in FY26, reflecting the company’s sustained commitment to the Indian consumer and storytelling ecosystem.

Continued Investment in Localised Content

JioStar had earlier invested ₹30,000 crore in content in FY25 and ₹25,000 crore in FY24, before the formation of the joint venture. “In three years (referring to 2024, 2025 and 2026) alone, we have spent more than $10 billion,” said Uday Shankar, who is also the co-founder of Bodhi Tree Systems.

He elaborated that these investments are entirely aimed at catering to the Indian audience, focusing on their preferences and needs. “The company’s investments are for the Indian audiences and the recovery of the investments is also from India,” he said. Shankar also highlighted the importance of enhancing India’s storytelling ecosystem rather than depending on global content.

Call for Monetisation Innovation and Expansion Beyond Metros

Criticising existing monetisation strategies, Shankar stated, “The current business models of advertisement and subscription in the market are outdated and there has been no major innovation for many years in the media and entertainment industry in this segment.” He called for a new approach that could enable Indian media companies to achieve valuations comparable to global players like Netflix and Tencent.

During the same event, Vivek Couto, managing and executive director of Media Partners Asia, noted that while the Indian media industry stands at a valuation of $30 billion, the US and China are significantly ahead at $200 billion and $75 billion respectively.

Shankar further spoke about the untapped advertising potential in smaller towns. “In advertising, India has really only seen the first phase of brand building. The challenge is that we’ve largely stuck to the same pool of advertisers for years. To move forward, we need to tap into the decentralised economic activity happening in Tier-II, III, and IV cities. If we can help these emerging businesses scale, build new brands, and bring them into the advertising ecosystem, it would create enormous value. If that happens, I genuinely believe the market could double in the next five years,” he stated.

Read More: JioStar Adds 1.5 Mn TV Households in First 10 Days of IPL 2025; Eyes 3-5 Mn by Season-End

Conclusion

JioStar’s ambitious content investment plan signals a transformative phase for India’s media and entertainment sector. With a sharp focus on local content and calls for monetisation innovation, the company aims to propel the industry’s growth and valuation to new heights.

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