India’s biggest business house, Reliance Industries Limited’s media arm Jio Studios has acquired a majority stake in Oscar-winning production house Sikhya Entertainment for ₹150 crore, as part of a broader strategy to deepen its premium content portfolio and scale Indian storytelling for global audiences.
Reliance Strategic Business Ventures Limited (RSBVL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries, acquired a 50.1% equity stake in Sikhya Entertainment through a mix of primary and secondary transactions, the companies said in a statement.
The deal gives Jio Studios, the film and content division of Reliance, majority ownership in one of India’s most internationally recognized independent production houses, known for award-winning and festival-acclaimed films and documentaries.
Founded by Guneet Monga Kapoor and Achin Jain, Sikhya Entertainment is the only Indian production banner to have won two Academy Awards, for documentary shorts Period. End of Sentence. and The Elephant Whisperers, alongside multiple National Film Awards. Its film slate includes titles such as The Lunchbox, Masaan, Pagglait, Kathal and Kill, spanning Hindi and regional cinema.
Reliance said the acquisition is aimed at combining Jio Studios’ financing, distribution and platform scale with Sikhya’s creator-led and globally resonant storytelling approach, with a focus on co-producing films and series for Indian and international markets.
Jyoti Deshpande, President of Jio Studios, said the partnership aligns with the company’s strategy of backing culturally rooted stories with global appeal.
“Sikhya Entertainment has consistently delivered stories that are deeply Indian yet resonate globally. This association reflects our long-term belief in partnering with creators who combine creative excellence with cultural authenticity,” she said, adding that Jio Studios aims to use its scale and distribution strength to take Indian stories to wider global audiences.
Over the past few years, Jio Studios has expanded aggressively across theatrical films and streaming content, backing commercial franchises and critically acclaimed titles as competition intensifies among Indian studios and streaming platforms for differentiated intellectual property and marquee creators.
India’s media and entertainment sector has been consolidating, with large conglomerates and platform-backed studios increasing investments in production houses and creator partnerships to secure exclusive pipelines of original content. Industry analysts say global recognition — including Oscar wins and international festival success — has increased the strategic value of boutique Indian studios with cross-border appeal.
Sikhya’s founders said the partnership would allow the company to scale its storytelling ambitions while continuing to support emerging filmmakers and new voices.
“Partnering with Jio Studios allows us to take these stories to audiences around the world, while empowering us to champion emerging talent from across the country,” Guneet Monga Kapoor and Achin Jain said in a joint statement.
Jio Studios said it will continue to focus on building long-term intellectual property and creator ecosystems as it expands its content slate across languages and formats, positioning the Sikhya deal as part of a wider push to strengthen its global-facing content pipeline.
