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Tag: WAVES 2025

  • Dish TV hits play button on creator-led OTT with Watcho Fliqs

    Dish TV hits play button on creator-led OTT with Watcho Fliqs

    MUMBAI: Dish TV India, the country’s first direct-to-home (DTH) trailblazer, is now gunning for a front-row seat in India’s creator economy. After kickstarting the conversation with Content India 2025 Summit earlier this year, the company has now pulled back the curtain on Watcho Fliqs —a content segment within its Watcho app that could give every professional creator their own OTT stage.

    Unveiled at Waves  2025, Fliqs promises to be more than just another tile on the crowded streaming screen. It’s Dish TV’s answer to a shifting digital appetite—where creators want control, consumers want choice, and no one wants to pay Rs 499 a month to find out they’ve seen it all.

    “With Fliqs, we are taking a big and bold leap towards redefining what an OTT service can be. This isn’t just another content launch—it’s a statement of intent,” said  Dish TV India CEO & executive director Manoj Dobhal.  “Fliqs represents a new generation of curated, exclusive digital storytelling that aligns with the evolving consumer demand for distinct, high-value content. While the industry has seen a proliferation of platforms, very few offer something truly differentiated. Fliqs fills that gap by bringing untold stories, original productions, and exclusive titles into a highly personalized, affordable ecosystem. 

    “It supports India’s growing community of independent storytellers by providing a premium platform to showcase their work, reach wider audiences, and unlock monetization opportunities—strengthening Dish TV’s commitment to digital-first creative entrepreneurship.”

    Fliqs serves up award-winning originals, regional marvels, cult international titles, and short-format snacks—all in a tightly curated, multi-lingual menu. With rates starting from as low as Rs 9 per title and a buffet of free content to boot, the platform is wooing value hunters and taste seekers alike.

    But it’s not just the catalogue doing the heavy lifting. A sleek UI, AI-powered recommendation engine, and multi-screen features offer users a hyper-personalised ride through a universe of fresh entertainment.

    Watcho CTO & business head V.K. Gupta added: “Fliqs  is our solution to evolving consumer demands for uniqueness, exclusivity, and control over their entertainment. It’s not just an add-on, but a transformational layer within Watcho, offering a smarter, more relevant experience. With Fliqs,  Watcho strengthens its position in the OTT market, marking the start of a larger content evolution.” 

    Going forward, Watcho’s Fliqs  will continue to scale up with exclusive dubbed English content, regional blockbusters, and classic gems you won’t find on rival platforms. The real twist? It puts India’s storytellers in the director’s seat—creatively and commercially.

    As the digital content ecosystem matures, Dish TV seems determined to rewrite the playbook—from content carrier to creator catalyst.

  • Indian govt presents Waves 2025 to 100 ambassadors and high commissioners

    Indian govt presents Waves 2025 to 100 ambassadors and high commissioners

    MUMBAI: In a glitzy push to make India the hotbed of global media action, the government rolled out the red carpet for its ambitious World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (Waves) 2025  today at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in New Delhi in the presence of 100 ambassadors and high commissioners. MIB officials made a  hard sales pitch  to prod them and make them realise that the Indian government is extremely serious about Waves 2025 and they in turn should carry this message back to their national governments and ensure robust participation from their respective countries. 

    Waves 2025—set to make a splash in Mumbai from 1 to 4  May 2025—promises to be a star-studded affair that will see the worlds of tech, media and entertainment collide in spectacular fashion.

    Union minister for external affairs S. Jaishankar didn’t mince words about the summit’s significance: “Economic and political rebalancing is moving towards cultural balancing. We are not truly global if we are not truly local. Waves 2025 captures the spirit of this endeavour.”  

    He urged the ambassadors and high commissioners to familiarise their governments regarding the opportunities of global collaborations courtesy the Waves 2025 initiative.

    Meanwhile, information & broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw turned up the heat, declaring that “the intersection of creativity, media and technology is transforming the media landscape of the world and reaching a new level of convergence.” He teased that “some of the biggest names” in the industry would be gracing the Mumbai bash.

    Not to be outdone, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis jumped into the fray, drumming up Mumbai’s credentials as the “financial and entertainment capital of India” that serves as the “perfect backdrop” for the summit.

    “Waves 2025 is a movement,” Fadnavis proclaimed, while welcoming the establishment of the Indian Institute of Creative Technology which the government has committed to set up in Mumbai with Rs 391 crore being allocated for it. He expressed hope that “media will continue to be a force for good,” in a world where technology and creativity are increasingly getting into bed together.

    Minister of state for information & broadcasting, L. Murugan effusively stepped up to say that Waves  2025 will open  the door  “to joint ventures, co-productions, and business expansion, enabling global media companies to engage with India’s creative sector.  We remain steadfast in creating a conducive environment for the M&E industry, supporting ease of doing business, content localisation, and infrastructure development.”

    Information & broadcasting secretary Sanjay Jaju revealed that the four-day extravaganza will feature multiple tracks designed to make waves across the industry:
    * A global media dialogue featuring ministers and policymakers
    * Thought leaders Track with knowledge-sharing sessions
    * Waves exhibition showcasing storytelling innovations
    * Bharat pavilion highlighting India’s media heritage
    * Waves  Bazaar to facilitate business networking
    * WaveXcelerator to back media startups with mentorship and moolah
    * Waves Culturals featuring performances that blend Indian and international talent

    Also present was  Maharashtra government chief secretary Sujata Sauni who exchanged a memorandum of understanding relating to Waves 2025 with Jaju. 

    The organisers are also playing up Waves 2025’s integration with the orange economy, positioning the summit as a catalyst for economic growth and job creation through creative industries.

    With Mumbai ready to throw open its doors to thought leaders grappling with issues from AI to streaming revolutions, intellectual property rights, misinformation, and media sustainability, Waves 2025 is gearing up to be the first summit of its kind to tackle these hot-button issues by promoting cultural diversity, innovation, and equitable access to media platforms.

    As the countdown begins, all eyes are now on whether this media matrimony can truly deliver on its lofty promise of becoming “the biggest unifying factor between country to country, people to people and culture to culture in the digital age.”

  • MIB’s Neerja Sekhar visits SuperGaming, champions India’s gaming sector

    MIB’s Neerja Sekhar visits SuperGaming, champions India’s gaming sector

    Mumbai: SuperGaming, India’s prominent game development studio, recently hosted the ministry of information & broadcasting, IAS, special secretary, Neerja Sekhar, at its Pune office. During her visit, Sekhar explored SuperGaming’s latest Indo-futuristic battle royale game, ‘Indus’, which has captured the Indian gaming community since its release in October. Her discussions with the SuperGaming team delved into the creative and technical processes of game development, offering valuable insight into this fast-growing industry.

    The ministry of information & broadcasting continues to emphasise gaming as a valuable career path within India’s burgeoning animation, visual effects, gaming, and comics (AVGC) sector. The SuperGaming team shared their vision for ‘Indus’ as a cultural export, underscoring the importance of gaming in skill-building and career growth for India’s youth.

    India’s esports scene has seen considerable momentum, especially since esports was recognised as a multi-sport event by the government. In line with this growth, the ministry recently announced the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES), set for February 2025 in New Delhi. This event will debut the WAVES Esports Championships (WESC) 2025, the nation’s first gender-inclusive esports tournament.

    prime minister Narendra Modi recently called for Indian game developers to step onto the global stage, a vision embodied by ‘Indus Battle Royale’ as it resonates with players worldwide. SuperGaming is committed to fostering this vision through initiatives like the ‘Clutch India Movement,’ a year-long esports program starting with the Indus International Tournament, which features the largest prize pool for a battle royale game in India at Rs 2.5 crore.

    Sekhar’s visit to SuperGaming reflects the government’s dedication to nurturing the AVGC sector, positioning it as a vital component of India’s digital economy and cultural landscape.