Ferzad Palia steps down as the Head of JioCinema after serving for a long period. Sources point that Palia, an important figure at Viacom18 will stay on in the interest of some transition period to manage the handover as this platform deals with some serious merger activities.
Palia will mark two decades as the bedrock for Viacom18 and has overseen numerous digital and media consumer-centric companies. With JioCinema, he led both the business SVOD as well as the ad-support model. He guided the way to near 20 million paid subscribers in just six months after it launched its premium service in April 2024. He has seen the ad-support business grow too with more than 250 million monthly active users.
Palia had been playing a very pivotal role in launching Voot Select, the premium OTT play from Viacom18, which later merged with JioCinema. He had also been leading the youth, music, and English entertainment for the organization and launching some new formats in English General Entertainment.
Ferzad Palia steps down after an extensive experience
His wide experience encompasses senior executive vice president and business head at JioCinema and earlier leadership positions at CNBC-TV18 and J. Walter Thompson. The precious experience from such places speaks volumes of his contribution to India’s media and entertainment landscape.
The development marks a tipping point for JioCinema, where the platform faces the challenge of sustaining its rapid growth midst strategic transitions. “He will be with the team during this critical period to ensure continuity and stability,” sources said.
Under the leadership of Palia, JioCinema has emerged as an undisputed leader in the Indian streaming market. Its strong subscriber growth and the humongous user base through ads prove that it can remain the leader in the OTT space.
His leaving the organization makes it challenging for the JioCinema to maintain an upward trajectory and make significant alterations in its organizational structure. It will now kick off a new chapter, but his contribution helped to set a robust foundation for success.
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