eNews
Airtel’s Sunil Mittal welcomes Reliance-Viacom-Disney Hotstar merger
MUMBAI: The merger between Reliance Jio, Viacom18, and Disney Star India has stunned many in the media and entertainment industry, considering its scale and size, creating a media monolith in its wake.
But one person who is taking it in its stride is Bharti Enterprises chairman Sunil Mittal. In a conversation with CNBC TV18’s Shereen Bhan early this morning he said: “We are a telecommunications company. We are not in the business of content. We welcome the merger.”
What this means is that speculation that Bharti Airtel might hare off and make some acquisitions in the content creation space can well be dustbinned following Reliance’s skilful move of partnering with two global content giants.
Mittal added that Bharti Airtel has been carrying every OTT and broadcaster – Netflix, Star, Hotstar, Prime Video, Jio, MX Player, Aha – for some time now. “We will continue doing so in a non-discriminatory manner,” he revealed.
He, however, ended his statement with a note of caution. “We hope that even they will do so in a non-discriminatory manner,” he said.
Are two Bobs (Iger and Bakish), Nita Ambani and Uday Shankar listening?
eNews
Swiggy sees record orders during India vs New Zealand T20 final
Chicken biryani tops match-day menu as fans order 7,500 times per minute at peak.
MUMBAI: India’s T20 final didn’t just break stumps, it broke Swiggy’s delivery records, proving cricket fans celebrate victories with plates, not just flags. Swiggy, India’s leading on-demand convenience platform, reported a sharp spike in food orders during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final between India and New Zealand. On 8 March 2026, overall orders rose 23.2 per cent year-on-year compared with the same date in 2025, driven by fans turning living rooms into mini stadiums complete with match-day feasts.
Key highlights from the evening:
- Orders during peak match hours (7–10 pm) were 2.1 times higher than pre-match levels.
- The highest order rate hit 7,500 orders per minute at 19:45.
- Chicken biryani reigned supreme as the most-ordered dish, followed by masala dosa, chicken fried rice, garlic breadsticks and paneer butter masala.
While metros such as Bengaluru, Mumbai and Hyderabad led volumes, the cricketing fever spread nationwide. Among emerging cities, Thiruvananthapuram, Surat and Rajkot recorded the strongest order growth. Smaller markets including Shillong, Agartala and Port Blair also showed significant appetite, underlining the expanding footprint of quick-commerce food delivery across India.
The surge reflects a growing trend of pairing major sporting events with doorstep delivery, turning big matches into shared, convenient celebrations. In a night where every boundary mattered, Swiggy proved the real MVP might just be the delivery partner who kept the snacks and the vibes flowing without missing a single wicket.
