Sidharth Shakdher, formerly the Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Disney+ Hotstar, has made a significant career move by joining Ola Mobility. At Ola's parent company, ANI Technologies, he assumes the role of Global Chief Business Officer (CBO). In this capacity, Shakdher will oversee various functions, including revenue generation, growth strategies, marketing, and the launch of new initiatives within Ola's mobility division.
Additionally, Shakdher will play a pivotal role in managing Ola's diversification into new business verticals, including the rapidly evolving e-commerce sector.
With a rich and diverse career spanning 25 years, Shakdher brings a wealth of experience to his new role. He has held key positions in renowned companies such as Samsung, Canon, HP, and Xerox, among others.
Before joining Ola, Shakdher was an integral part of the founding leadership team at Disney+ Hotstar. Over his seven-year tenure, he led the streaming platform's marketing efforts, spearheaded international growth strategies, and played a pivotal role in developing its direct-to-consumer (D2C) business.
Prior to his role at Disney+ Hotstar, Shakdher served as the Head of Marketing and Growth at Amazon, where he was responsible for managing the e-commerce giant's third-party marketplace operations in the United States.
Shakdher's transition to Ola comes amidst significant developments at Disney+ Hotstar. The streaming platform has faced challenges as it experienced a substantial loss of subscribers, primarily due to intense competition from JioCinema. The loss of digital media rights for the IPL and premium content libraries of HBO and NBCUniversal led to a decline of 20 million subscribers within a few months in the previous year.
These challenges have prompted discussions of a potential merger between Reliance Industries and Walt Disney Co.'s media and entertainment operations in India. However, recent events, including the termination of a merger deal between Sony and Zee Entertainment Enterprises, have created uncertainties in the media industry.
Sidharth Shakdher's transition to Ola Mobility may mark the beginning of a new chapter for him, but it also leaves Disney+ Hotstar at a pivotal juncture as it navigates through its ongoing challenges and potential industry transformations.
