iWorld
PepsiCo India to release NFT collection for Pepsi Black with Timea Balo
Mumbai: Soft drink giant Pepsi has announced the launch of its first-ever non-fungible tokens (NFTs) collection for Indian consumers. The NFT collection is an ode to the younger generation, which believes in self-expression and is deeply entrenched in technology.
PepsiCo India Design Team has inked an exclusive partnership with illustrator Timea Balo to curate the NFT collection for Pepsi Black, which is anchored on the brand’s pillars of innovation, self-expression, and evolution. Pepsi will release a set of 20 NFTs minted on the Polygon blockchain.
The NFT art collectibles are centred on the alterations to the classic Pepsi® Black™ ‘Zero’ visual, inspired by the brand’s passion points to portray poignant nuances such as sustainability, rhythm, movement, creativity, art, the progressing world of social media, and gamification. With three variations of each theme and four variations inspired by music, the “Pepsi Black Zero Sugar” collection will be listed on Open Sea, the world’s first and largest web3 marketplace for NFTs and crypto collectibles.
The NFTs will be given away to the winners of the “#PepsiBlackeffect” challenge conducted on the Indian homegrown social media platform, Moj. Consumers can enter the contest using the quirky Pepsi® Black lens and flaunt their max swag personas to get a chance to win Pepsi® Black’s maiden NFTs.
Speaking on the NFT collection, PepsiCo India category lead Saumya Rathor said, “Pepsi has always been at the forefront of cultural evolutions, globally as well as in India. Our endeavour is to transform our product as well as our narratives to align with the evolving youth. Our foray into the world of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for Indian consumers is a testimony to the same belief. The “Pepsi Black Zero Sugar” NFT collection will personify and bring alive the world of Pepsi Black by leveraging passion points that resonate the most with youngsters today, such as fashion, gaming, music, social media, dance, creativity, and environment. To present an accessible opportunity to our consumers, these NFTs will be given through an engaging “#PepsiBlackeffect” challenge on India’s homegrown social media platform, Moj.”
Commenting on the NFTs, PepsiCo India design director Tanu Sinha said, “Pepsi has strongly associated popular culture and passion points such as music, dance, art, and the environment with its legacy of disruptive narratives over the years. Pepsi’s design strategy has also, over the years, witnessed a significant shift with the acceleration of a digital-forward and social-media-savvy world. We have evolved our design sensibilities to connect with the younger generation to further Pepsi’s mission to create a culture that propagates innovation. The launch of Pepsi’s first-ever “Pepsi Black Zero Sugar” NFT collection is another step in this direction. With Pepsi Black’s “Zero” sugar philosophy at its core, these collectible art NFTs have been designed keeping in mind the passion points those youngsters can connect and relate to.”
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.
