MUMBAI: Act Fibernet has struck a streaming sweet spot. The wired internet major has teamed up with Amazon Prime to offer its users a fresh set of broadband plans bundled with Prime Lite — a compact yet power-packed version of Amazon’s popular subscription service.
Designed for digital-first consumers who want speed and spectacle in equal measure, the new ACT plans include high-speed fibre connectivity along with Prime Lite benefits: HD access to Prime Video’s catalogue of originals, films, and TV shows on one device, unlimited Same-Day/Next-Day deliveries, early bird access to marquee sales like Prime Day, and exclusive shopping deals.
Act’s subscribers, both new and existing, can access the bundle by signing up for six-month (or longer) plans. Once onboard, Prime Lite perks remain active for as long as the eligible Act subscription is live.
Act VP, head of brands, content and partnerships, Naveen Nahar, said, “At Act Fibernet, our brand promise is simple — Feel the Advantage. It’s about going beyond the fast internet to deliver real, everyday value to our customers. With the launch of Amazon Prime Lite on our platform, we’re giving our users the best of entertainment, shopping, and convenience — all in one seamless experience. Whether its world class shows, free express deliveries, or early access to deals, this partnership ensures our customers don’t just stay connected, they stay ahead.”
“At Prime Video, we remain committed to offering easy and convenient access to our much-loved Originals, movies, series, and more to customers across India,” said Prime Video India director & head, SVOD Business, Shilangi Mukherji said, “This strategic collaboration with Act Fibernet not only simplifies access to Prime Video’s extensive content selection but also delivers other shopping & shipping benefits of Prime Lite, like unlimited free ‘Same-day/Next-Day’ delivery across millions of products, early access to exclusive deals, and much more.”
With this move, Act is no longer just a broadband provider — it’s a bundled convenience powerhouse. For subscribers, it’s all the streaming, scrolling, and shopping — at the speed of light.
Below is a list of cities and their corresponding starting rates for Prime Lite with ACT Plans:
MUMBAI: In a city where you can order sushi, a mattress, and a mop all in under 10 minutes, water was the only holdout. Not anymore. Clear Premium Water has taken a giant digital leap, launching across India’s top e-commerce and quick commerce platforms including Amazon, Swiggy Instamart, Blinkit, Zepto, Big Basket, and Flipkart Minutes.
The Ahmedabad-based bottled water brand, one of the fastest-growing in the country, now brings premium hydration to users with just a few taps. The tie-ups are designed to plug into the evolving consumer demand for immediacy—particularly in urban markets where quick commerce is shaping buying behaviour, one algorithmic impulse at a time.
“This is an age where convenience is king, and our priority is to be available wherever our customers are”, said Clear Premium Water founder & CEO Nayan Shah. “Our launch across all major e-commerce and quick commerce platforms showcases our focus on adapting to shifting lifestyles and ensuring that quality hydration is always within easy reach. It is a key piece of our omni-channel strategy and also reflects our broader ambition to become India’s most trusted and widely available bottled water brand”.
Clear’s full product portfolio is now available online, catering to everything from casual sipping to party hosting. The brand offers a range of pack sizes—single-serve bottles for travel, multi-litre options for office coolers, and family packs ideal for events or stocking the home fridge.
The push comes as digital-first shopping behaviour takes deeper root among Indian consumers. The brand’s integration with platforms like Flipkart Minutes and Blinkit aligns with rising expectations of delivery speed and availability. With hydration now a part of the digital cart, Clear is betting big on accessibility and immediacy to win brand loyalty.
Beyond the convenience, the brand positions itself as a lifestyle essential—trusted, clean, and ready to hydrate wherever you are. Whether you’re prepping for a road trip, hydrating post-yoga, or just panic-ordering supplies before the guests arrive, Clear wants to be the bottle in your bag and your browser.
MUMBAI: In a bold opening move to reinvent chess for the digital age, Nodwin Gaming has announced a three-way strategic alliance with Chess.com and ChessBase India. This unlikely but high-powered trio of esports, grassroots chess, and global tech is aiming to supercharge India’s presence in the fast-evolving world of chess esports.
The partnership promises a future-ready ecosystem built on three strengths: Nodwin’s slick production and broadcast chops, ChessBase India’s deep community roots, and Chess.com’s global tech muscle. Together, they’ll co-create original IPs, host high-stakes tournaments, produce creator-driven content, and unlock new avenues for brand partnerships — all while turning chess into a legitimate esport.
Speaking on the announcement, Nodwin Gaming co-founder and managing director Akshat Rathee said, “Chess is undergoing a cultural renaissance, from park benches and schoolrooms to sold-out esports arenas and creator streams. Chess has now become the fourth most-watched sport in the country after cricket, kabaddi, and Bgmi tournaments. With this partnership, we’re not just supporting a heritage game, we’re aiding in its natural course of progression. By combining each organization’s unique strengths, we’re building a future-ready ecosystem that can take Indian chess from heritage to hype. It’s time the brilliance of our grandmasters meets the energy of our digital generation.”
India is fast emerging as a chess superpower — both on and off the board. Chess.com saw over 7.6 billion games played globally in 2024, with India alone clocking 9 million+ monthly active users. Viewership on the platform exploded by 640 per cent year-on-year, capped by 24 million views during Gukesh Dommaraju’s World Championship win, streamed jointly by Nodwin, ChessBase India, and Chess.com.
Speaking on the alliance, ChessBase India CEO Sagar Shah said, “This partnership is not just a business alliance — it’s a vision to grow the chess community in India from the grassroots to the grand stage. For the last decade, we’ve focused on building a robust chess culture in the country, and now, with Nodwin and Chess.com by our side, we hope to bring forth more opportunities to all those involved in the chess ecosystem.”
Chess.com India country director Avadh Shah said, “Chess has been one of the most dominant and fastest growing sports in the last 3 years across India and the world. In terms of both participation and viewership, chess is experiencing record-breaking numbers—the highest we’ve ever seen. Given the excitement around the sport, it is only fitting that the leading companies within the ecosystem collaborate to further its development and invite partners to join this journey as well.”
Mobile is the dominant screen, with over 80.9 per cent of Indian chess viewership happening on smartphones. Cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Chennai rank among the world’s top chess-consuming metros, fuelled by millennial and Gen Z audiences.
The game’s next big test? Chess at the Esports World Cup 2025 with a cool $1.5 million prize pool. India’s very own S8UL Esports will field grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Aravindh Chithambaram, marking the first time an Indian esports org will compete in international chess at this level.
As chess makes its way from quiet corners to centre stage, this partnership is playing for the long game — building a pipeline of tournaments, influencer content, grassroots engagement, and global ambition.
MUMBAI: India’s media landscape is turning the page, and the headline is clear: Connected TV (CTV) is booming, and one in four Indians is now digital-only. That’s the key takeaway from Kantar’s Media Compass 2025, which maps the country’s evolving media consumption habits across linear TV, print, and digital.
With a whopping 87,000-strong sample and quarterly tracking, Kantar’s new offering aims to replace outdated guesswork with data-driven firepower. And the early signs are disruptive: 35 million Indians have jumped on the CTV bandwagon, and 23 per cent of the population now accesses the internet without watching a second of linear TV.
While linear TV still claims 58 per cent monthly reach, the shifts are seismic. CTV, once a metro darling, is now reaching deep into rural India. And digital-only audiences are mushrooming among young, male, and lower-income demographics—dispelling old myths and throwing up new marketing equations.
Media preferences split starkly by age: 55 per cent of Indians aged 15–34 favour OTT and social platforms, while 44 per cent of those above 45 remain loyal to the TV set. Notably, 75 per cent of digital-only and linear TV viewers reside in rural areas, demolishing the notion of urban dominance.
CTV remains a premium medium, with its incremental growth concentrated in NCCS A households, while digital is democratising access in lower-income groups.
Kantar director – specialist businesses, insights division (south Asia) Puneet Avasthi said: “In today’s fragmented and fast-evolving media landscape, brands are under pressure to make every media rupee count. Yet, most decisions are still being made using outdated or incomplete data, leading to suboptimal media planning and missed connections with consumers. Media Compass 2025 aims to correct this and equip advertisers with timely, in-depth insights across platforms- enabling smarter media planning, stronger audience engagement and sharper targeting for maximum impact.”
The message to marketers? India’s media map is redrawn. The compass has shifted. Time to follow the data.
MUMBAI: Flipkart has rolled out a refreshed version of its flagship loyalty initiative, Flipkart Plus, promising to turn every shopping click into real savings. With a newly launched digital campaign featuring a pair of skateboarding grandparents, the platform is putting flair and functionality front and centre, blending culture, commerce, and cashback.
The upgraded Flipkart Plus programme offers a 5 per cent discount across all Flipkart products via its SuperCoin rewards system. In contrast to conventional subscription models, Flipkart Plus remains free of charge, instead rewarding customers based on their shopping frequency. Consumers earn 1 SuperCoin per eligible order, equivalent to Rs 1, which they can redeem across Flipkart’s massive selection—from electronics to groceries.
Flipkart VP – loyalty Rahat Patel said, “Flipkart Plus aims at delivering unmatched value to its customers every single day. Our most engaged customers, part of the Plus program, earn Supercoins on every order. These can then be redeemed across our entire selection of products – from daily essentials and fashion to electronics and beyond. Deepening this value promise, during Flipkart’s major shopping events, Plus members unlock additional bank offers during the ‘Early Access’ window, making every shopping celebration more rewarding. For some shoppers, we also have a little surprise value-unlock through ‘Plus Treats’ too. We remain committed to unlocking smarter shopping by enabling real and daily value on every single shopping transaction”.
Flipkart Plus also includes early access to major sale events, exclusive bank offers, and ‘Plus Treats’—surprise rewards like coupons and gift cards valued at Rs 50 or more. To qualify, customers need to complete just 10 transactions in 12 months for silver membership and 20 for gold, unlocking higher earnings and savings benefits.
The campaign’s centrepiece is a digital film that spotlights a swagger-filled Dadaji and Dadiji grooving to hip-hop beats on a semi-urban terrace. In a moment of classic banter, a neighbour asks if the duo’s pension comes in dollars, to which Dadiji cheekily responds, “Flipkart Plus se aati hai! Supercoins milte hain har order pe!”
Conceptualised by Boat House Media in collaboration with FCB Kinnect, the campaign is available in multiple Indian languages including Hindi and Kannada, reinforcing Flipkart’s push to tap into pan-Indian sentiment.
With 900+ stores and a growing online consumer base, Flipkart continues its mission to make loyalty programs feel less transactional and more transformational—no fine print, just fine discounts.
MUMBAI: From mandi mayhem to farm-fresh flair, Zepto’s shaking up the supply chain. Zepto co-founder and CEO Aadit Palicha has revealed how the quick commerce player is rewriting the rules of India’s fragmented fresh produce market, one collection centre at a time. In a detailed post, he shared how the startup has quietly scaled its fresh category by 4x in just 12 months, leaping from 6.4 lakh to 22.1 lakh units sold per day.
What’s behind this massive growth spurt? A shift away from the traditional mandi-led chaos to a tech-powered, decentralised model built on trust with farmers and rapid movement of goods. Zepto now sources directly from thousands of farmers across 70-plus Collection Centres hyperlocal hubs where fruits and vegetables are graded, packed, and dispatched within 12 hours of harvest.
A key weapon in Zepto’s fresh arsenal is the Bloom app, the startup’s proprietary sourcing platform that turns real-time mandi price tracking, vendor scoring, and dynamic procurement into a science. The result? Better price visibility for farmers, automated planning for Zepto, and a win-win loop that cuts out intermediaries and reduces waste.
This model isn’t just about speed, it’s also about dignity and predictability. “For the first time, Indian farmers are becoming part of a demand-driven, digital-first ecosystem,” Palicha noted. Through Bloom, they gain access to live market benchmarks, input support, and assured offtake features unheard of in India’s informal agri-supply chains.
Even last-mile delivery hasn’t been spared a makeover. Zepto has invested in smart handling systems that preserve freshness while slashing delivery timelines. Combined with direct relationships with farmers, this allows the company to keep quality high and prices sharp, something traditional retail has long struggled with.
In a sector long marred by price volatility and perishability, Zepto’s fresh strategy is a rare blend of logistics, localisation, and digital insight. The real disruptor here isn’t just tech, it’s trust.
MUMBAI: DocuBay, the leading platform for premium documentaries and part of IN10 Media Network, has released the much-awaited trailer of its next original, Gateway of Europe – The Migrant Crisis. Gripping audiences with its unflinching portrayal of one of the most urgent humanitarian challenges of our time, the official trailer was unveiled on June 15, offering a haunting preview of the journey ahead. The full documentary premieres on June 20, powerfully aligning with World Refugee Day.
This intense trailer plunges viewers into the raw, emotional, and geopolitical epicentre of the crisis—set on the island of Lampedusa, the frontline of Europe’s migrant emergency. Through stark visuals and searing personal stories, it reveals the harrowing human struggles unfolding at this critical gateway, demanding attention, empathy, and urgent reflection.
Directed with urgency and compassion, Gateway of Europe brings viewers face-to- face with the brutal realities faced by migrants, the resilience of local communities, and the impossible choices made by officials navigating a crisis that defies borders.
As the world continues to grapple with the consequences of displacement, conflict, and migration, the documentary shines a light on lives caught in the crosshairs— offering not just perspective, but a powerful call for empathy and awareness.
Aditya Pittie, Managing Director, IN10 Media Network, said At DocuBay, we believe in the power of storytelling to inspire change, build empathy, and spark meaningful conversations. Gateway of Europe – The Migrant Crisis brings a deeply human perspective to a global issue shedding light on the intertwined realities of migration, human rights, and policy. This documentary is a call to awareness and action, giving a platform to voices that are too often overlooked’’
Max Serio, Filmmaker & Director of Gateway of Europe – The Migrant Crisis, said:“ “My intent was to portray the human faces behind the migration crisis—people driven by hope, fear, and the pursuit of a better future. This film is an invitation to look beyond politics and borders, and truly understand their journey.” .
Samar Khan, Chief Content Officer, DocuBay, said: “At DocuBay, we are committed to curating stories with purpose—ones that resonate across borders, spark reflection, and foster cross-cultural understanding. Gateway of Europe – The Migrant Crisis encourages viewers to look deeper, beyond statistics and headlines, and confront the emotional and personal truths behind global migration. Documentaries like this can transform complex societal issues into powerful, intimate human experiences’’.
The trailer is out now, while the full feature premieres June 20 exclusively on DocuBay. Delivering a powerful glimpse of the film’s tone and emotional depth, the trailer showcases striking visuals and revealing insights that highlight the urgency of the crisis, drawing viewers into its profound gravity and emotional impact.
Watch the trailer:
About DocuBay
DocuBay,based in Mumbai, is a global subscription-based VOD platform dedicated to streaming premium international documentaries. Focusing on factual entertainment, the service provides a diverse range of content from around the world. Available in over 170 countries, DocuBay can be accessed on platforms like the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, and Samsung TVs, with more platforms coming soon.
IN10 Media Network is the parent company of a wide array of businesses within the media and entertainment sector. With deep roots in the creative community and a longstanding commitment to high-quality content, its portfolio includes brands such as EPIC, ShowBox, Filamchi Bhojpuri, Gubbare, Ishara, Nazara, EPIC ON, DocuBay, MovieVerse Studios, Juggernaut Productions, and Let’s Get LOUDER. These companies span every facet of the content lifecycle across various platforms.
Led by entrepreneur Aditya Pittie, IN10 Media Network is dedicated to building world- class brands. For more information, visit www.in10media.com.
About Picasso Film
Founded in 2008 and based in Prague, Picasso Film is an independent, full-service global production studio known for its creative excellence. Specialising in documentary series across genres like history, current affairs, crime, science, and wildlife, Picasso Film has created over 50 compelling unscripted series. Their work is broadcast worldwide by leading platforms and networks like National Geographic, Netflix, Discovery Channel, Curiosity Stream, and RTL, among others.
MUMBAI: No dragons were harmed in the making of this story mostly because they now live in your ears. Fantasy, once the VFX-glutton of cinema and OTT, has found a sleeker, sound-based avatar and it’s booming on Pocket FM. Gone are the days when building a kingdom required a 300 million dollars budget and a green screen army. Today, all it takes is a mic, imagination, and the immersive magic of audio.
Once restricted by the cost of spectacle, fantasy is now unbound. Voice acting, rich sound design and tight storytelling are transporting listeners to enchanted forests, post-apocalyptic wastelands, and mythological battlegrounds all without leaving their headphones. Pocket FM is leading the charge, transforming India’s epic sensibilities and global fantasy hunger into a streaming revolution.
From interdimensional thrillers like Number Zero to modern mytho-sagas like Shoorveer, the app’s Hindi catalogue reads like a binge-list for fantasy junkies. Titles like Super Yoddha, Shivam, and Mahabali Mayank are giving traditional storytelling a tech-savvy twist. And in a major nostalgic coup, Pocket FM is reviving Shaktimaan India’s first superhero as an audio series for a whole new generation.
But this isn’t just desi drama. Pocket FM’s English-language fantasy series are climbing charts across the US, UK and Latin America. Shows like My Vampire System, Jack’s Retribution, and God’s Eye are proving that the genre travels and how. Several of these series have surpassed 100 million plays, with some galloping past the 500 million mark.
It’s a testament to fantasy’s enduring grip and audio’s new-age power. While video shackles creators with budgets, crews and camera gear, audio lets them run wild. One whisper can summon a war, one footstep can launch a saga. Creators can now build entire universes from dorm rooms or dining tables.
As Rom-coms chase virality and thrillers flood OTT, fantasy is quietly flourishing in your pocket literally. And audio is doing what CGI never could: make it personal. With earbuds in and the real world tuned out, fantasy becomes not just a genre, but a feeling.
The future of fantasy doesn’t just look good. It sounds epic.
MUMBAI: JioHotstar has plugged in with the trailer for Special Ops Season 2, signalling the electrifying return of Kay Kay Menon as the redoubtable R&AW officer Himmat Singh. This time, the stakes are not just high, they’re sky-high, as the series pivots to a perilous cyber front.
Created and directed by Neeraj Pandey, who also serves as a writer for the series, alongside Deepak Kingrani and Benazir Ali Fida, the show’s cinematography was handled by Sudheer Palsane, Arvind Singh, and Praveen Kathikuloth.
Under the keen eye of director Shivam Nair, the new season plunges audiences into a volatile geopolitical skirmish. Wars, it seems, are no longer confined to muddy battlegrounds but are now waged in the digital ether, with the enemy lurking in plain sight. Himmat and his crack squad face a silent, insidious war – one of coordinated cyber breaches that threaten to dismantle national stability without a whisper of warning or a single visible scar. It’s a battle for the very soul of the nation, folks.
A sterling ensemble cast, including Prakash Raj, Vinay Pathak, Karan Tacker, Saiyami Kher, Muzammil Ibrahim, Gautami Kapoor, Parmeet Sethi, and Kali Prasad Mukherjee, lend their considerable talents, adding layers of intensity to this high-octane narrative.
The Grand Hyatt Mumbai played host to the grand unveiling, where the full cast mingled with the press. JioStar CMO & head-SVOD Sushant Sreeram, offered a fascinating insight into the streaming giant’s greenlighting philosophy. Addressing the perennial question of audience attachment to characters, Mr Sreeram mused that on-screen personas transcend mere viewing figures, becoming integral to a process. He elaborated, rather pointedly, that audiences seek inspiration, hope, or solace in these journeys, finding reflections of ‘either what we are or what we want to be.’
While JioHotstar boasts a ‘repertoire’ of ‘best characters’, their true vibrancy, he noted, stems from the collective genius of ‘writing it, to directing it, to the people who actually portray the characters,’ not forgetting the ‘fantastic teams at JioStar’ who bring them to the screen. In essence, he argued, these on-screen figures are but echoes of ‘our close relationships’, promising both familiarity and ‘surprise and, you know, delight’ this season.
JioHotstar, not one to miss a beat, shared the trailer on Instagram with a pithy caption: “This time, everyone is a Target! Cyber-Terrorism vs. Himmat Singh and his squad. #HotstarSpecials #SpecialOps2, streaming from July 11, only on #JioHotstar”.
With a fresh antagonist in Tahir Raj Bhasin, and a global scale matched by razor-sharp performances, Special Ops Season 2 is set for a thrilling 11 July drop. Brace yourselves, because this time, the battlefield is everywhere!
MUMBAI: In a world where dads are often the punchline, this Father’s Day campaign turned the punchline into a poem. Terribly Tiny Tales (TTT) teamed up with GM Modular to reclaim the swagger-laced phrase ‘Tu jaanta nahi mera baap kaun hai’ and give it a softer, heartfelt twist.
The result? A campaign that swapped bravado for warmth and lit up social media feeds with relatable dad moments.
The series of Instagram films captured how fathers show up in quiet, enduring ways—fixing fans, adjusting lights, and smoothing the little wrinkles of daily life. TTT calls them ‘Pookie Dads’—the silent fixers, the unsung heroes who ask for no applause but pass every unspoken Dad Test.
“This campaign is a love letter to the quiet, thoughtful, slightly awkward but completely lovable father figures”, said TTT founder & CEO Anuj Gosalia. “That’s what we wanted to celebrate with GM Modular—with humour, honesty, and heart”.
Each reel combined nostalgia with clever product placements, paying tribute to the dependability of both dads and GM’s home solutions. GM Modular’s founder Jayanth Jain added, “Just like a father’s approval, our products pass the ultimate Dad Test—ensuring a seamless blend of safety, reliability, and thoughtful design”.
From the iconic phrase to iconic gestures, the campaign turned fatherhood into a montage of micro-heroism—captured one silent fan switch and soft smile at a time. Viewers can catch the three-part film series on TTT’s Instagram.
