Two Years at JioHotstar (prev. JioCinema)

It’s been two years since I joined Viacom18 Media Private Limited in April 2023, and what a ride it’s been! I got connected to this opportunity through some mutual friends and met Jitendra Agrawal. Right from the start, things were intense, we were gearing up to host the IPL for the first time on a brand-new platform. My curiosity was at an all-time high, and I was excited to see how things worked behind the scenes.

The IPL War Room: Baptism by Fire

Within my first week, I met some amazing people who really helped me understand what it means to be in the “IPL war room.” The atmosphere was electric, with everyone working together to solve problems as they came up. I quickly got into the habit of digging deep into any issue, figuring out the root cause, and making sure we mitigated ASAP and fixed for the long term alongside.

From Frontend to Embracing the Backend:

Earlier, I was mostly a frontend focussed developer. Although, I always tried to understand the full picture, how things worked from the business side to the technical side. That helped me deliver better results and sometimes even shape the final product. But at JioCinema, I got my first real taste of backend engineering hands on. I learned a lot about scaling systems, making them run faster, and keeping costs in check. Rebuilding services from scratch and moving big production systems without any downtime was a huge learning experience for me. It’s made me a better engineer and a better leader.

Breaking Records and Facing New Challenges:

The second IPL season in 2024 was even bigger. With some experience under my belt, our team managed to scale things up even more and add new features at the same time. Then came the big merger Viacom18 Media Private Limited joining with Star India Private Limited (Star Tv), and JioCinema coming together with Disney+ Hotstar to become JioHotstar. Watching how a merger like this happens, from leadership decisions to app updates, was fascinating. I learned a lot being a part of the journey.

Looking Back, Looking Forward:

These two years have been full of learning, challenges, and growth. There were times I could have done better, and times I surprised myself. But overall, I’m really glad I made the decision to join here. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved as a team.

Looking ahead, I’m excited about what’s next. There’s still so much to build and improve, and I’m looking forward to working with even more talented people as we shape the future of entertainment in India.

Thanks to everyone who’s been a part of this journey so far. Here’s to many more milestones and memories!