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How two young siblings from Dubai turned a website domain deal into a philanthropic mission

When a techie’s gamble on the JioHotstar domain became a funding opportunity for his education, two remarkable kids from Dubai made it their mission to help.

By Paul George

info@thearabianstories.com

Friday, November 22, 2024

DUBAI : Reliance Industries have made quite a name in India, especially in the OTT space with JioCinema and with an anticipated purchase of Disney+ Hotstar in the books, their plans take a sharp turn after they receive a hefty price to attain the domain name.

A Delhi-based app developer who anticipated this merger made a witty move by purchasing the potential domain name that would end up becoming the official website post-purchase. A purchase he thought would be a gamble ended up being quite a serious affair.

The techie, who remained unknown, left a message for Jio’s parent company, Reliance Industries, saying they were willing to sell the domain to them. After receiving this pricey request reports suggest that Reliance has threatened the person with legal action. 

With Reliance Industries (RIL) now confirming the merger, he saw an opportunity to profit and fund his education by selling the domain. Reaching out to RIL, he requested a little over one crore for the domain transfer, intending to use the funds to support his executive MBA at Cambridge University in the UK.

The techie reached out to the legal fraternity online to help him in this case, believing he had not caused any damage or violated any trademarks or copyrights. That’s when a surprising twist enters this developing story. The developer, calling himself “a dreamer,” hoped the sale would fund his executive MBA ambitions—but fate had other plans.

After Reliance Industries declined his offer, refusing any negotiations over the domain. Undeterred, the developer eventually sold the domain to two young Dubai residents—13-year-old Jainam Jain and 10-year-old Jivika Jain—who took it on as a meaningful project. The siblings updated the site on Saturday, announcing their purchase and expressing their support for the young developer’s ambitions.

While speaking to them regarding their desire to help out the developer, they said “When we were in India, people showed their love and support by giving us small gifts, blessings, and sometimes even appreciation money. When we came back to Dubai and saw what we had collected, we thought, “What should we do with this money?”

Around this time, we heard about a young software developer from Delhi who needed funds for his education. We thought, “Why not help him with what we have?” So, we decided to buy this domain to support him and share our story. Our contribution might be small, but it’s our way of helping him reach his dreams. We hope to inspire others to help those around them, just as we’ve had the chance to do.

Our experience with this young developer reminded us that even small acts of kindness can make a big difference in someone’s life.”

In a letter uploaded to the site, Jainam and Jivika shared the inspiration behind their decision. Recounting their recent “Seva journey” holiday to India, where they engaged in teaching local children and gathering donations, they said the funds raised enabled them to acquire the domain. 

Speaking exclusively on their mission, they revealed how they are doing things differently compared to their peers.

“People often say we’re breaking age norms, but we believe age is just a number. What matters is the passion you put into what you do. Today’s generation is full of dreamers and doers. We want to show young people that they can make a difference, no matter their age,” they said.

Giving insights about their journey so far, Jainam and Jivika shared how it all began for them. “Our current journey started with a simple idea: to make a real difference in the lives of children across India. Even though we’re just 12 and 10 years old, we believe that age shouldn’t stop anyone from making a change. Over 50 days, we organised 120 events in schools, colleges, and NGOs, and connected with more than 50,000 kids,” they said.

They also reflected back on the influence Dubai has had on their mission, stating that “Dubai, with its visionary leaders and lively community, has had a big impact on our journey. Growing up in the UAE, we’re lucky to live in a place that encourages us to dream and gives us a space to make those dreams happen. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum once said, “Most people talk; we do things. They plan; we achieve.” With this spirit, we’re inspired to expand our efforts across the Gulf, to connect with more young people and spread the message of unity and social responsibility.”

The developer’s entrepreneurial hopes found an unexpected route, as his story now connects the ambition of a “dreamer” in Delhi to the generosity of young philanthropists in Dubai.

“We see dreams and we try to complete those dreams. So, we wanted to help this techie to complete his dream. The satisfaction of completing a dream is totally different,” they said as they continue on their mission to make a change.

With the story still progressing behind the scenes, not much can be predicted about what will transpire for the domain, but it seems like it is in the right hands as Jainam and Jivika chart out what they intend to do now that they have the spotlight on them to make a difference.

“For everyone reading this, we’d like to leave a few thoughts: Take small challenges—they can lead to something big. Give back to society; it’s the rent we pay for our place in the world. Be the change you want to see; don’t wait, start now. To all the parents out there who are following our journey, we want to encourage a new way of thinking. Also, please give your kids some nice books to read and ask them to read them. If they read, they will excel.”

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