Deepak Chhabria to lead Star Plus and Star Utsav

Deepak Chhabria is a seasoned professional in TV programming with an experience of over 20 years

by e4m Staff
Published: Nov 15, 2024 11:16 AM | 2 min read

Deepak Chhabria has been tapped to lead Star Plus and Star Utsav under the newly announced JV (Joint Venture) between Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), Viacom18 Media, and The Walt Disney Company.

With his most recent posting being GM and Head of Programming for Star Plus under the previous aegis of The Walt Disney Company, Chhabria boasts a pedigree in TV programming of over 20 years, having worked in organizations ranging from BBC World Service Trust, where he served as an Executive Producer for their show Jasoos Vijay as well as other intellectual properties, to serving as fiction head for Viacom 18.

Having also worked as a Senior Vice President at Star TV Network, Chhabria created some of the top, highly rated shows and characters on Star Plus , Hotstar, Star Bharat and Colors.

The merger, approved by the NCLT Mumbai, the Competition Commission of India, and other global regulatory authorities, united Viacom18's and JioCinema's media assets with Star India, creating a media conglomerate valued at approximately Rs 70,352 crore (US$8.5 billion). RIL has further invested Rs 11,500 crore (US$1.4 billion) in the JV to bolster its growth.

RIL, as the majority shareholder with a 56% stake, leads the JV. Disney holds 36.84%, while Viacom18 contributes 46.82%. This strategic alliance brings together some of India's most beloved entertainment brands, including Star, Colors, JioCinema, and Hotstar, under a single entity. The newly formed media powerhouse will operate over 100 TV channels, produce over 30,000 hours of content annually, and cater to a combined digital subscriber base exceeding 50 million.