ITV

Tag: stage

  • Squadstack AI helps Stage cut calls by 55 per cent and costs by 70 per cent

    Squadstack AI helps Stage cut calls by 55 per cent and costs by 70 per cent

    MUMBAI:  Who needs hold music when your helpline has brains of its own? In a record-breaking makeover of customer support, Squadstack.ai’s Humanoid AI Agent Stack has helped regional OTT platform Stage cut through the chaos deflecting 55 per cent of calls, boosting CSAT to 86 per cent, and slashing support costs by 70 per cent in just six weeks.

    For Stage, which streams hyperlocal hits in Haryanvi, Rajasthani, and Bhojpuri, the timing was crucial. Soaring call volumes over payments and refunds had overwhelmed its human agents. Enter Squadstack.ai’s AI agents trained on over 600 million conversations who not only handle refund requests with empathy but also recommend shows mid-conversation, blending service with engagement like a pro.

    The results speak louder than the dial tone. With an average handling time of 46 seconds and instant responses to nearly 90 per cent of leads, Stage’s users are finally getting the support they deserve, in their own dialects. “We couldn’t scale with human agents alone, but with AI, customers feel heard in the language they’re most comfortable with,” said Stage co-founder Harsh Tripathi.

    Beyond speed, Squadstack.ai ensures compliance too, meeting ISO 27001 and SOC 2 standards while adhering to strict DND norms. As Squadstack.ai co-founder & CEO Apurv Agrawal put it, “This partnership validates our vision of scalable, secure, and empathetic engagement.” With Stage setting the stage for AI-powered support, India’s digital platforms may soon be dialing into a future where machines don’t just talk, they truly listen.

  • Stage gets Clear on PFT’s AI-powered content management solution

    Stage gets Clear on PFT’s AI-powered content management solution

    MUMBAI:  Prime Focus Technologies (PFT), the muscle behind indigenous tech Clear and a global maven in AI-led media solutions, has inked a long-term pact with Stage —the homegrown OTT star championing regional India. The goal? To supercharge Stage’s content operations and serve up smart entertainment with a tech twist.

    With this tie-up, Stage will plug into PFT’s Clear media asset management (Mam) and Clear AI suite. Expect an overhaul of workflows, from AI-assisted post-production to intelligent tagging, slick compliance, natural language search, and turbo-charged team collaboration. In short: more brains, less brawn.

    “As our content library continues to grow, adopting a forward-looking Mam platform became crucial,” said  Stage co-founder Shashank Vaishnav. “With Clear and its integrated AI features, we gain the scalability and intelligence to enhance operational efficiency, improve metadata quality, and ensure quick access to the right content. We’re looking forward to the innovation and impact this partnership will bring.”

    PFT SVP & head of APAC Anupam Sharma added: “We’re thrilled to collaborate with Stage on this transformative journey/This agreement underscores the increasing demand for intelligent Mam systems that go beyond asset management—unlocking insights, accelerating workflows, and driving monetization through AI.”

    This alliance marks another feather in PFT’s APAC cap and underscores its growing grip on the media-tech landscape across borders.

    (Featured in the picture above Stage co-founder Shashank Vaishnav)

  • Stage secures $12.5m funding to take regional content centre stage

    Stage secures $12.5m funding to take regional content centre stage

    MUMBAI: Stage, the streaming platform championing India’s regional languages and cultures, has secured $12.5m in Series B funding led by Goodwater Capital and Blume Ventures, with Physis Capital and angel investors also piling in.

    The platform, which focuses on underserved linguistic communities, has become something of a dark horse in India’s crowded streaming market. Stage now boasts Rs 180 crore in annual recurring revenue, 4.4m paying households and over 20m app installations—impressive figures for a service that began by exclusively targeting Haryanvi speakers.

    Stage’s numbers tell a compelling story: a 289 per cent surge in revenue and 286 per cent jump in subscribers over the past year. Popular originals such as Videshi Bahu (Haryanvi), Kaand 2010 (Haryanvi) and Bhawani (Rajasthani) have helped drive growth, alongside the National Award-winning Dada Lakhmi featuring Bollywood veteran Yashpal Sharma.

    stage investors

    “What if stories could make people fall in love with their roots? That’s the question we asked five years ago,” reflected Stage chief executive and co-founder Vinay Singhal, on X (foremerly Twitter). “To everyone who’s ever hidden their dialect to sound ‘professional’… Walk taller today. Your culture, your dialect is not a liability. It is a matter of pride. And we’ll keep fighting to prove it. And this funding isn’t just about capital—it’s a resounding validation of India’s regional culture.”

    The platform’s success challenges the conventional wisdom that regional content remains a niche play. Harsh Mani Tripathi, chief product officer and co-founder, puts it bluntly: “Every subscriber who joins Stage isn’t just a user—they’re custodians of their culture.”

    Ritesh Malik, a Stage board member, waxed lyrical about the company’s mission: “By amplifying underrepresented voices and making regional dialects aspirational, Stage is not just shaping content—it’s shaping culture.

    With Bhojpuri content now live, Stage’s roadmap for 2025-26 involves breaking into new cultural territories while deepening its footprint in existing markets. “This isn’t just a growth story. It’s a movement. As we always say: ‘Company Nahin, Hum Kranti Hain!’,” declares Singhal.

    Reflecting on the journey, Karthik Reddy of Blume noted with satisfaction: “To see it bloom to Rs 15 crore a month when sceptics said no one would pay or watch this as primary content is very satisfying.” 
    The once-free Haryanvi app has certainly found its voice—and paying audience.

  • BSNL dials up entertainment with BiTV launch across India

    BSNL dials up entertainment with BiTV launch across India

    MUMBAI- BSNL isn’t just about dial tones and broadband anymore, it’s now in the business of binge-watching! The state-run telecom giant has teamed up with OTTplay to roll out BiTV, a next-gen internet TV service offering 450+ live channels, including premium content, alongside exclusive shows from Bhaktiflix, Kanccha Lannka, Stage, Shortfundly, Om TV, Playflix, Fancode, Hubhopper, Distro, and Runn TV.

    After a successful pilot in Pudicherry, BSNL – India’s public sector telco which has been making waves by snaring wireless (32.68 million) and wired line broadband (4.24 million)  subscribers to touch 36.92 million broadbad subscribers – has taken the plunge into pan-India streaming, betting big on its expansive telecom network to deliver seamless, high-quality entertainment straight to users’ smartphones.  The PSU also has close to 90 million wired and wireless telephony subscribers. 

    But in a market flooded with OTT services, can BSNL’s BiTV truly dial up a new era in digital entertainment, or will it be just another signal lost in the noise?

    For mobile users of BSNL, getting on BiTV is the simplest thing:
    * Visit fms.bsnl.in/iptvreg
    * Choose their state, input registered mobile number and get OTP authentication
    * Get the OTTplay app through SMS link or download directly from the App Store/Google Play Store
    * Login with the registered number and stream away!

    BSNL FTTH users aren’t  being left behind either. BiTV can be accessed through BSNL Wi-Fi hotspots and FTTH home connections so that users do not have data woes while high-speed streaming is ensured. Non-BSNL users can join the party as well by paying through UPI to access the high-speed Wi-Fi network of BSNL.

    BSNL, says  in reality, it  is trying to build through digital transformation, whereas private telecom giants and OTT disruptors create more competition. 

    BSNL, chairman & managing director Robert J Ravi at the BiTV launch called it a “game-changing moment, making the company not just a provider of telecom services but enabler of a digital lifestyle. The simplicity of our interface ensures that even the least tech-savvy users can navigate BiTV with ease. This is the first of many efforts to make premium entertainment accessible to our customers, even in areas with limited digital reach,” said Ravi.

    The enthusiasm was echoed by OTTPLAY CEO  & co-founder AvinashMudaliar who goes thus: “It was a lightning-fast execution of the partnership from discussion on 21 December 2024 to a full-scale national rollout on 30 January 2025. That is practically warp-speed launch in the world of public-sector projects!”

    BSNL aims to stream into the future without breaking the bank, BSNL’s secret weapon? Affordability.

    While others charge premium for their premium content, BSNL is gifting BiTV free of charge to its customers. It can be streamed in high definition with low data usage through intranet and the navigation is simple and user-friendly.

    And the best part? There’s more to come. Mudaliar hinted at an exciting IPL-related announcement in the pipeline, which might turn BiTV into a go-to platform for sports lovers.

    Competition is tough with JioCinema, Disney+ Hotstar, and Netflix, and  BSNL has its work cut out. But it isn’t just relying on content—it’s leveraging its nationwide network, low-cost model, and accessibility-first approach to break into India’s OTT space.

    The big question is:  can BSNL sustain the momentum, or will this be another case of a promising public-sector project losing steam? 

    For now, the company is holding its ground, streaming strong, and promising more surprises ahead. BSNL is no longer just connecting calls; it is now connecting entertainment too. 

    Wait and watch; the next quarter’s user adoption numbers will show whether BiTV is a blockbuster hit or background noise in India’s OTT revolution!

  • Regional OTT Stage‘s board clears preference share issue

    Regional OTT Stage‘s board clears preference share issue

    MUMBAI: It’s been staging a saleable story by riding on the regional language OTT fascination wave. Harayanvi and Rajasthani dialect streamer Stage recently got the go ahead from its board to issue 31,179 series B preference shares of face value Rs 10 and at an issue price of Rs 27,137 each. 

    This part of a funding raise of Rs 84.6 crore or $10 million  in a round led by new investor Goodwater Capital along with  existing backer Blume Ventures. The former’s contribution is Rs 41.95 crore, while the latter will be pumping in Rs 26.01 crore.  Blume Ventures will end up with a 13.03 per cent stake making it the largest external investor while Goodwater Capital will have 6.24 per cent. 

    27 other investors are throwing their money into the investment pot. Among them figure: IA Growth Opportunities Fund I, TSM Ventures, LV Angel Fund and Brew Opportunities Fund.

    The funds will be used to scale up its content slate, as well as to introduce Bhojpuri, Awadhi and Maithali languages streams, according to its founders Shashank Vaishnav, Praveen and Vinay Singhal.  

    The trio claims that the platform, which was founded in 2019 has three  million subscribers, with 1.2 million of them in Haryana alone.  New subs to the tune of 250,000 are being added  every month.

    When the round gets completed it would have raised $19 million in its current avatar.  Of this, $4.83 million was raised in 2023 from Blume Ventures, NB Ventures and Dholakia Ventures. It had secured $2.5 million in a pre-series A round in January 2022 and $1.5 million from Venture Catalysts in November 2020.  Additionally, javelin champion Neeraj Chopra has also invested in the venture and regularly appears in promos for it. 

    Stage OTT app

    Stage began as a side project (competing with BuzzFeed)  at WittyFeed,– a successful  initiative that was shuttered in 2018, after Meta blocked its  page on Facebook and Rs 7 crore per month in revenue simply vanished.  The trio requested their employees to become their angel investors and help them come up with a reincarnation of the service.

    More than 50 per cent of the work force agreed and even put in their savings as investments. Brainstorming with them allowed them to come up with the idea to create an OTT offering regional language content. Stage was born under Stage Technologies Pvt Ltd. And it is in this company that investors have been pouring their money.

    Content in terms of originals at Stage is produced  in house in the local language and dialect using local artistes at a cost of Rs 18-20 lakh per six to eight episodic series. Ditto is the cost for a two to three hour long film is what the trio had revealed on Shark Tank season 2 on SonyLiv and Sony Entertainment Television.

    Around a year ago, the company brought in Harsh Mani Tripathi as a cofounder to further improve on the product. Earlier this week, its founders announced that it was being made available as an add-on to Zee-owned streamer Zee5 in the US.

    These days Stage is available at Re 1 for a seven day trial after being downloaded. The trio believe that once  they sample the series and movies available on the streamer they would not mind paying Rs 199 for a three month subscription.

    But the Singhal brothers and  Shashank Vaishnav will have to spruce up their act on one front:  Stage app’s download page on the Google Play store is flooded with complaints about subscribers getting their bank accounts deducted for Rs 199 even if they chose to cancel after the trial period.. So heavy is the stream of disgruntled subscribers, that Stage has put out a short teaser featuring Neeraj Chopra telling subscribers not to worry as only Rs 1 would be cut, and if more is, then those wanting to unsubscribe will get a refund into their bank accounts.

    (Picture: Courtesy Shark Tank, Sony)

  • Tata Play Binge adds hyperlocal content app STAGE

    Tata Play Binge adds hyperlocal content app STAGE

    Mumbai: Making diverse content easily accessible, Tata Play Binge has added India’s first dialect-based OTT app, STAGE to its vast array of offerings. STAGE, is a Haryanvi and Rajasthani content-focused OTT app that will expose Tata Play Binge viewers to a plethora of entertainment formats like web series, movies, short films, standup comedy, poetry, folk art and much more.

    Dedicated to safeguarding and amplifying India’s diverse and rich cultural heritage inherent in regional dialects, the hyperlocal entertainment platform STAGE, celebrates artists and embraces diverse regional dialects. It is home to top web series and movies from Haryana and Rajasthan like Dada Lakhmi, Mewat, Akhada, College Kaand, Group D, Safe House, Chaudhar, Opri Paraai, 12vi Aala Pyaar, Doojvar, Bhaichara, Prem Nagar, Mayajaal, Punarjanam, Dahleez, Mere Yaar ki Shaadi, Sarpanch, Muklawo, Aata Saata, Mautana, Bindori, Pariksha, Karj Ro Ghunghat, Maayro, Ghunghat, Vakeel Sahiba, Beend Banugo Ghodi Chadhungo, and many more.

    Commenting on the new partnership, Tata Play’s chief commercial and content officer, Pallavi Puri, said, “Tata Play Binge allows access to content in 13+ languages across 25+ apps. With STAGE, we are adding more entertainment choices for our audiences in Haryana and Rajasthan. With each new partner addition, our goal is to make Tata Play Binge a go-to choice for genre based content discovery instead of browsing by various apps, thereby making the viewing experience worthwhile for our subscribers.”

    Talking about this partnership, STAGE co-founder and CEO Vinay Singhal said “Dialects in India are as diverse as they are vibrant, changing every 8 kilometers. Until now, individuals have primarily had access to Hindi content, missing out on the essence of cultural values embedded within regional languages. At STAGE, our mission is to create content that resonates with the aspirations of Bharat, allowing individuals to embrace and celebrate their unique culture and dialect.
    Our partnership with TATA PLAY BINGE marks an exciting opportunity to extend this mission to a wider audience. The tagline ‘Kyonki Boli Mein Apnapan Hai’ encapsulates our belief that there’s a sense of familiarity and belonging in one’s own dialect. This collaboration empowers us to introduce our library of over 300+ original films and series, spanning various genres, to a broader set of viewers, enabling them to connect deeply with the richness of Haryanvi and Rajasthani dialects.”

    STAGE will join other popular OTT platforms on Tata Play Binge like Disney+ Hotstar, Apple TV+, ZEE5, Fuse+, Hallmark, MX Player, Lionsgate Play, Aha, VROTT, Sun NXT, ReelDrama, Chaupal, Namma Flix, Planet Marathi, manoramaMAX, iStream, Tarang Plus, Hungama Play, FanCode, ShemarooMe, Curiosity Stream, EPIC ON, Travelxp, DocuBay, ShortsTV, Playflix, KliKK along with Gaming. Content from all these platforms is available to the viewers of Tata Play Binge through a single subscription and a single user interface. Additionally, Netflix can be availed as a combo pack with DTH channels for all Tata Play DTH subscribers whereas Amazon Prime Video content can be accessed as an ad-on by all Tata Play Binge subscribers, who also have the DTH connection. Viewers can enjoy all 25 plus apps on large-screen connected devices through Tata Play Binge+ Android Set Top Box, Tata Play edition of the Amazon FireTV Stick and www.TataplayBinge.com.

  • OTTplay Premium announces collaboration with Stage

    OTTplay Premium announces collaboration with Stage

    Mumbai: OTTplay Premium, India’s premier AI-powered streaming, recommendation, and content discovery platform, is excited to announce a strategic partnership with Stage, the pioneering dialect-based streaming platform. This collaboration marks a significant step forward in delivering diverse and authentic regional content to Indian audiences.

    Stage, the world’s first dialect-based streaming platform, boasts an impressive library of over 250 original films and series spanning various genres. With a focus on Haryanvi and Rajasthani dialects, Stage brings forth a unique entertainment experience that resonates deeply with the rich cultural diversity of India.

    The partnership between OTTplay Premium and Stage is set to enhance the streaming landscape in India by combining cutting-edge technology and localized content. OTTplay Premium, known for its AI-driven recommendations and content discovery capabilities, will seamlessly integrate Stage’s dialect-based content into its platform, making it easily accessible to a wider audience.

    OTTplay CEO & co-founder Avinash Mudaliar commented on the partnership, saying, “We are thrilled to join forces with Stage in our shared mission to bring diverse, regional content to the forefront of India’s streaming industry. This collaboration not only enriches the content offerings on OTTplay Premium but also celebrates the linguistic and cultural diversity of our country. Our AI algorithms will ensure that users discover Stage’s compelling content, creating a personalized and engaging experience for our viewers.”

    Stage co-founder & CEO Vinay Singhal expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “Dialects in India changes after every 8 kms or so. Up until now people only had Hindi content at their disposal where the cultural values and milieu are missing. Stage makes content for aspiring Bharat and enables them to take pride in their culture and dialect.  Partnership with OTTPlay will allow Stage to take its content and mission to a wider set of audiences. “Kyonki Boli Mein Apnapan Hai”

    OTTplay Premium and Stage share a common vision of democratizing content access while championing the rich tapestry of regional languages and cultures in India. This partnership aligns perfectly with their shared commitment to offering a diverse and enriching streaming experience for viewers across the country.

    As India’s digital entertainment landscape continues to evolve, OTTplay Premium and Stage are excited to be at the forefront of this transformation. Together, they are poised to revolutionize the way Indian audiences engage with regional content, fostering cultural pride and diversity through the power of streaming.