Digital
World Social Media Day: Recognising the impact of connectivity
Mumbai: Social Media Day is an annual event celebrated on 30 June that recognises the impact of social media on global communication and its ability to connect people, communities, and businesses around the world. The day was first established in 2010 by the digital media platform Mashable, and since then, it has grown into a global celebration with events, activities, and discussions held online and offline. Social Media Day provides an opportunity for individuals and organisations to reflect on the role of social media in today’s society and explore new ways to leverage its power for positive change.
Below are quotes from industry experts and social media influencers about their thought on Social Media Day.
Reelstar co-founder Navdeep Sharma
Social media platforms have been flourishing in India, with over 600 million smartphone users. Previously, social media apps were predominantly utilised by the younger generation; however, the landscape is shifting, and individuals of all age groups are now embracing them for a multitude of purposes such as business, social interaction, politics, and more. On a global scale, the active user base of social media exceeds 4.7 billion people, emphasising the growing appeal of these platforms, which have become an integral part of many individuals’ daily routines and habits.
Social media platforms have revolutionised connecting, sharing, and engaging with others. However, ownership and monetisation of creative content, privacy concerns, and the spread of misinformation are some of the challenges that persist. Decentralised social media platforms built on blockchain offer a solution. They empower users with greater control over their data, resistance to censorship, and participation in platform decision-making. With ReelStar, we aim to empower creators to distribute and monetise their content, democratising the media and entertainment industry. By embracing these platforms, we can shape a future where users have more authentic experiences, control over their privacy, and an enhanced mode of content creation and distribution.
Barely Opinionated founder Rohit Agarwala
Social media directly or indirectly is influencing the way you think and your ideology. This is why consuming the right content without getting lost in the depth of chaos is a priority as we continue to immerse ourselves into SM.
BHIVE head of marketing Anurag Sharma
The algorithms may change, but authentic connection and engaging storytelling are timeless aspects of social media marketing.
Thoughtworks India lead social media marketing Shivani Balsa
Mastering the community aspect of social media and harnessing current trends to amplify a brand’s relevance would be key. In this ever-changing landscape, social commerce would be a game changer, and of course, AI, it would be interesting to see how the platforms will make use of it to have the consumers spend more time on the platform.
Social Media Influencer Kunal Bysani
Storytelling has taken a new form today, which is the new age of Social Media. Business and influencing go hand in hand and flourishes through Social Media now.
Social Beat associate vice president Druhi Sethi
AI, Web3, and community are all playing a major role in the evolution of social media, and they will continue to do so in the years to come. These trends will create a more personalized, secure, and engaging experience for users, and they will also have a profound impact on the way businesses interact with their customers.
BHIVE Workspace founding member Ravindra M.K
Social media has changed the way we communicate, consume information, and interact with the world around us. The future of social media is decentralized, community-driven, and powered by AI. This new era of social media will be even more powerful and will be more democratic, transparent, and rewarding for users. We are focusing on building and nurturing communities, sharing ideas, and making a difference in the world. Hence, as part of World Social Media Day, we are organizing this meetup for community members to learn, network & have fun.
Digital
Content India 2026 opens with a copro pitch, a spice evangelist and a £10,000 prize for Indian storytelling
Dish TV and C21Media’s three-day summit puts seven ambitious projects before an international jury, and two walk away with serious development money
MUMBAI: India’s content industry gathered in Mumbai this March for Content India 2026, a three-day summit organised by Dish TV in partnership with C21Media, and it wasted no time making a statement. The event opened with a Copro Pitch that put seven scripted and unscripted television concepts before an international panel of judges, and by the end of it, two projects had walked away with £10,000 each in marketing prize money from C21Media to support development and international promotion.
The jury, comprising Frank Spotnitz, Fiona Campbell, Rashmi Bajpai, Bal Samra and Rachel Glaister, evaluated a shortlist that ranged from a dark Mumbai comedy-drama about mental health (Dirty Minds, created by Sundar Aaron) to a Delhi coming-of-age mystery (Djinn Patrol, by Neha Sharma and Kilian Irwin), a techno-thriller about a teenage gaming prodigy (Kanpur X Satori, by Suchita Bhatia), an investigative crime drama blending mythology and modern thriller (The Age of Kali, by Shivani Bhatija), a documentary on India’s spice heritage (The Masala Quest, hosted by Sarina Kamini), a documentary on competitive gaming (Respawn: India’s Esports Revolution, by George Mangala Thomas and Sangram Mawari), and a reality-horror competition merging gaming and immersive fear (Scary Goose, by Samar Iqbal).
The session was hosted by Mayank Shekhar.
The two winners were Djinn Patrol, backed by Miura Kite, formerly of Participant Media and known for Chinatown and Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey, with Jaya Entertainment, producers of Real Kashmir Football Club, also attached; and The Masala Quest, created and hosted by Sarina Kamini, an Indian-Australian cook, author and self-described “spice evangelist.”
The summit also unveiled the Content India Trends Report, whose findings made for bracing reading. Daoud Jackson, senior analyst at OMDIA, set the tone: “By 2030, online video in India will nearly double the revenue of traditional TV, becoming the main driver of growth.” He noted that in 2025, India produced a quarter of all YouTube videos globally, overtaking the United States, while Indians collectively spend 117 years daily on YouTube and 72 years on Instagram. Traditional subscription TV is declining as free TV and connected TV gain ground, forcing broadcasters to innovate. “AI-generated content is just 2 per cent of engagement,” Jackson added, “highlighting the dominance of high-quality human content. The key for Indian media companies is scaling while monetising effectively from day one.”
Hannah Walsh, principal analyst at Ampere Analysis, added hard numbers to the picture. India produced over 24,000 titles in January 2026 alone, with 19,000 available internationally. The country now accounts for 12 per cent of Asia-Pacific content spend, up from 8 per cent in 2021, outpacing both Japan and China. Key exporters include JioStar, Zee Entertainment, Sony India, Amazon and Netflix, delivering over 7,500 Indian-produced titles abroad each year. The top importing markets are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, the United States and the Philippines. Scripted content dominates globally at 88 per cent, with crime dramas and children’s and family titles performing particularly strongly.
Manoj Dobhal, chief executive and executive director of Dish TV India, framed the summit’s ambition squarely. “Stories don’t need translation. They need a platform, discovery, and reach, local or global,” he said. “India produces more movies than any country, our streaming platforms compete globally, and our tech and creators win international awards. Yet fragmentation slows growth. Producers, platforms, and tech move in different lanes. We need shared spaces, collaboration, and an ecosystem where ideas, technology, and people meet. That is why we built Content India.”
The data, the pitches and the prize money all pointed to the same conclusion: India is not waiting for the world to discover its stories. It is building the infrastructure to sell them.
