Amid speculations of winding up in India, The Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger has said the media giant would like to stay, but was considering its options here.

“First of all, in India, our linear business (its cable TV business) actually does quite well. Yes, it’s making money. But we know that other parts of that business are challenging for us and for others,” Iger told analysts after declaring the company’s quarterly results.

“And we are looking, But we’re considering our options there. We have an opportunity to strengthen our hand. It is now maybe the most populous country in the world or maybe just still second to China and about to pass them. We would like to stay in that market. But we are also looking to see whether we can strengthen our hand obviously, improve the bottom line,’’ he said.

While Hotstar saw a loss of 28 lakh subscribers in the last quarter, Disney+ globally added 70 lakh subscribers.

Reports say Reliance Industries Ltd is close to striking a multibillion-dollar cash and stock deal to acquire Walt Disney’s Indian operations.

Disney had been exploring options in India since July that included an outright sale or a joint venture. There have been rumours that it could be sold either to Mukesh Ambani or Gautam Adani.

According to a recent Bloomberg report, Disney may sell a controlling stake in the Disney Star business, valued at $10 billion.

Reliance, however, has valued the business at $7-8 billion.

Disney was looking at the acquisition of its entire business or a combination of its assets comprising sports rights and regional streaming service Disney+ Hotstar.

The US major will now reportedly hold on to a minority stake in the domestic company after the potential transaction.

Bloomberg said no final decision has been taken on the deal or the valuation, and Disney could still decide to hold on to the assets for a longer period. For Reliance, any potential deal will boost Viacom18 which is a joint venture with Paramount Global.

One of the main focus areas for Viacom18 has been in sports where it has built a strong portfolio.