Former Star India CEO Uday Shankar teams up with James Murdoch for new venture

James Murdoch, son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch has teamed up with Uday Shankar, the former chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Star India and president of Walt Disney Asia Pacific, with a news that they were forming a new venture.

The venture, they said, would focus on technology and media opportunities in emerging markets. But industry sources said that the focus would be on digital media with India being the big driver.

Murdoch is the CEO of Lupa Systems, a private holding company launched after the acquisition of 21st Century Fox to Walt Disney in 2019. The venture between Shankar and Murdoch will be part of Lupa Systems.

In October last, stepped down from Walt Disney to pursue his own interests indicating that at that time that he would look at digital media closely given his involvement in growing Hotstar, the over-the-top platform of Star.

Murdoch, on the other hand, has been investing in firms in India over the last two years through Lupa Systems, betting on startups such as Dailyhunt and Harappa Education.