iWorld
Eloelo app collaborates with Munawar Faruqui to launch new ‘Status’ feature
Mumbai: Homegrown live social media platform Eloelo app has introduced a new ‘Status’ feature on its platform in collaboration with Bigg Boss 17 winner Munawar Faruqui. The status feature helps user on the app to express their mood, feelings and state of mind through celebrated quotes and shayari with their name and photo. Munawar, known for his shayari, has been a hit with users on Eloelo app. The app has also reached over 50Mn users on its platform, reaching top rank on Google Playstore in the entertainment category.
The collaboration comes after a banter on social media between Munawar and Eloelo app, with the brand revealing it as a way of announcing the new feature through a personality like Munawar. The announcement buzz was created with the Bigg Boss winner expressing his disapproval on Eloelo using his fame and shayari to gain traction. It was soon followed by the Eloelo Founder and CEO Saurabh Pandey issuing a formal apology on the same & inviting Munawar to come live.
Eloelo will be organising a live session for its users with Munawar himself on 15 February at 7 PM.
Eloelo App CEO & co-founder Saurabh Pandey said, “Eloelo stands as a brand dedicated to providing individuals with a virtual space for belongingness & expression, hence, we are thrilled to collaborate with Munawar to launch or new ‘Status’ feature. As the winner of Bigg Boss, Munawar embodies the spirit of authentic self-expression, aligning seamlessly with our brand values. We believe his strong persona and commitment to individuality makes him the perfect choice for the launch of this exciting new feature.”
The new Status feature will include a variety of shayaris and quotes which will feature content across genres like love, breakup and motivation and more. The app will also allow ‘status share’ options for its users to further share quotes and shayaris on other platforms along with free personalizations like adding name, photo, etc. The app is currently hosting a contest for users to share these quotes and shayaris as their status.Additionally, Top 10 winners of the contest will interact with Munawar in a live video session on 15 February at 7 PM.
iWorld
Netflix cuts jobs in product division amid restructuring
Layoffs hit creative studio unit as leadership and strategy shifts unfold.
MUMBAI: The streaming wars may be fought on screen, but the latest plot twist is unfolding behind the scenes. Netflix has reportedly begun laying off several dozen employees from its product division as part of an internal reorganisation, according to a report by Variety. The cuts are believed to have primarily affected the company’s creative studio unit, which works on marketing assets such as in app trailers, promotional visuals and live experience content for the streaming platform.
The company has not disclosed the exact number of employees impacted.
According to the report, the layoffs were not tied to employee performance. Instead, the restructuring eliminated certain roles while other employees were reassigned to different teams within the organisation.
The roles affected are understood to include designers, producers and creative specialists responsible for marketing and brand experience initiatives.
The job cuts come as Netflix adjusts its leadership structure and reshapes its product and creative teams. Last month, Elizabeth Stone was promoted from chief technology officer to chief product and technology officer, giving her oversight of product, engineering and data operations across the company.
Earlier, in December 2025, Netflix also appointed Martin Rose as head of creative for global brand and partnerships, a move seen as part of a broader restructuring of the company’s brand and product functions.
Despite the layoffs, Netflix remains one of the largest employers in the streaming sector. The company is estimated to employ around 16,000 people globally, with roughly 70 percent of its workforce based in the United States and Canada. In 2023, the company reported approximately 13,000 employees, indicating that its headcount had grown significantly before the latest restructuring.
The workforce changes arrive at a time when Netflix is navigating a shifting financial and strategic landscape in the global entertainment industry.
The streaming giant recently secured $2.8 billion in additional cash after receiving a breakup fee from Paramount Skydance following its withdrawal from a deal involving Warner Bros. Discovery.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Netflix co chief executive Ted Sarandos explained that the company had evaluated multiple scenarios during the negotiations but chose not to match the competing offer once it learned that a higher bid had been submitted.
Netflix had capped its offer at $27.75 per share and ultimately stepped back rather than pursue Paramount’s $111 billion acquisition deal, which included a personal guarantee.
Sarandos also cautioned that the financing structure behind the Paramount Skydance transaction could have ripple effects across the entertainment industry.
According to him, the debt heavy deal could trigger significant cost cutting, with David Ellison, chief executive of Paramount Skydance, expected to eliminate about $16 billion in costs and potentially cut thousands of jobs as part of the integration process.
For Netflix, the current restructuring appears to be part of a broader attempt to streamline operations while continuing to invest in product, technology and global content even as the streaming industry enters a new phase of consolidation and financial discipline.
