CHEQUE THAT

Two cheques with a cumulative value of $2.4 billion have firmly established James Murdoch and Uday Shankar on the Indian M&E landscape. Routed through Bodhi Tree Systems, the duo, who oversaw the growth of Star India before the global sale to Disney in 2018, now have a play in Indian television broadcasting and digital through a $1.78-billion equity infusion into Viacom18, a venture where Reliance Industries will be the largest shareholder. The other deal is worth $600 million in Allen Career Institute, a test prep business. It is only fair to say there will be more to follow.