iWorld
Raheel Khursheed joins Twitter India
MUMBAI: Although Twitter India started its operations two years ago, it has always kept a low profile in the country. Subtly it keeps adding people to its organisation that is currently headed by Rishi Jaitley who is the director of the social media here. The recent appointment is former Times Now and CNN-IBN senior correspondent Raheel Khursheed as head of news, politics and government.
According to a MediaNama report he will provide front-line technical support to journalists, politicians and governmental agencies. Twitter sources confirmed that he had joined the company but could not reveal any more details.
Both Jaitley and Khursheed have mentioned his appointment on their Twitter pages. Prior to this Khursheed was with change.org where he was heading the communication strategy around campaigns in India and building its brand.
The article also states that his role would be to work on expanding Twitter’s relation with journalists, government officials and politicians to increase their usage of the popular social media website.
Twitter India has also hired Arvinder Gujral to head its mobile business development for India and south East Asia, Aneesh Madani to handle sports partnerships and Pratiksha Rao as associate partnerships manager.
iWorld
Frodoh, Chaupal introduce non-intrusive first-screen ads for OTT platforms
New ad-tech layer unlocks revenue without interrupting OTT viewing
MUMBAI: Frodoh has partnered with regional OTT platform Chaupal to roll out what it calls an industry-first “first-screen” monetisation framework, aimed at helping subscription-led streaming services generate additional revenue without interrupting content viewing.
The new model focuses on connected TV home screens, introducing ad formats that sit within the discovery layer rather than the content itself. In simple terms, viewers may notice subtle brand placements while browsing, but once they hit play, the experience remains ad-free.
The technology is designed to tap into high-attention areas such as session depth, viewing intent and discovery behaviour, turning previously unused interface space into monetisable real estate. For OTT platforms, this opens up a fresh revenue stream without diluting the premium experience that subscribers expect.
Chaupal chief executive officer Sandeep Bansal said the move balances growth with user trust. “By partnering with Frodoh, we are introducing a sophisticated ‘first-screen’ monetisation layer that integrates seamlessly into our UI, ensuring discovery remains native and non-intrusive while keeping content consumption ad-free.”
From Frodoh’s side, the pitch is clear: expand the ad pie without cluttering the screen. Frodoh founder and chief executive officer Russhabh R Thakkar said the framework creates a new category of advertising by unlocking high-visibility home screen inventory that was previously untapped.
Industry watchers see this as part of a broader shift in OTT monetisation strategies, especially as subscription platforms look to diversify revenue without risking churn. With connected TV usage rising steadily, the home screen is quickly becoming the next battleground for attention.
If the model scales, this partnership could signal a subtle but significant shift in how OTT platforms monetise, proving that sometimes, the most valuable ad space is the one you see before the show even begins.
