In a move that has sparked sharp questions over political consistency, the Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday signed an MoU with JioHotstar, a Reliance-owned OTT platform, even as DMK leaders continue to attack the Union government as being “run for Ambani and Adani.”
The agreement, formalised in the presence of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, commits JioHotstar to investing ₹4,000 crore in Tamil Nadu over the next five years as part of a larger ₹12,000-crore expansion across South India. The state government presented the partnership as a boost to the “creative economy,” but critics immediately noted the contrast between DMK’s rhetoric and its actions.
Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, who inaugurated the ‘JioHotstar South Unbound’ event, publicly celebrated the investment, stating that the initiative would create thousands of jobs and new opportunities for young creators. He also unveiled the platform’s slate of 25 new South-focused titles.
According to the MoU, JioHotstar will launch regional-first formats, introduce new-age storytellers, and establish writer labs, mentorship programmes and skill-building workshops across Tamil Nadu, effectively embedding Reliance’s creative ecosystem into the state.
The optics, however, are striking. The same party that routinely accuses the Centre of favouring big corporations especially Reliance and the Adani Group has now partnered with one of those very conglomerates for a high-profile, government-backed entertainment initiative.
Udhayanidhi emphasised that the collaboration would generate 1,000 direct and 15,000 indirect jobs and claimed it aligned with the Dravidian Model’s developmental goals. Yet the political contradiction remains front and centre.
DMK ministers routinely attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi for being “pro-Ambani and pro-Adani,” but the state government has now entered into a ₹4,000-crore agreement with a Reliance subsidiary to expand its influence in the Tamil film and OTT ecosystem.
Observers note that while the investment may indeed benefit local creators, the partnership raises legitimate questions about whether the Dravidian Model’s anti-corporate rhetoric is meant for public platforms while the government simultaneously welcomes the same conglomerates behind the scenes.
Information Minister M.P. Saminathan, Rajya Sabha MP Kamal Haasan, and several film industry figures attended the event.
Source: The New Indian Express
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