iWorld
Gupshup adds Messenger API for Instagram to help businesses engage better
Mumbai: Messaging services company Gupshup on Friday announced the addition of the Messenger API for Instagram to its platform. This will now allow Gupshup businesses to benefit through a richer two-way conversation with their followers on Instagram at scale.
Gupshup has a longstanding collaboration with the Facebook family of messaging platforms; having collaborated with Messenger in 2017, and as one of the earliest to adopt WhatsApp for business service in 2018. According to Instagram research1, 90 per cent of people on Instagram follow a business and 50 per cent are more interested in a brand when they see ads for it over Instagram.
“We are delighted that Gupshup is launching the Messenger API support for Instagram. The Messenger API for Instagram is now available for all developers who make it possible for brands to improve and enhance messaging experiences with customers,” said Messenger’s vice president, platform partnerships, Konstantinos Papamiltiadis. “By integrating the Messenger API for Instagram, businesses and developers can effectively scale messaging workflows to better own the customer experience and build more authentic relationships.”
“Gupshup is committed to helping businesses engage their customers better through conversations across multiple channels” explained Gupshup’s co-founder and CEO Beerud Sheth. “We are now making available our rich set of tools, powered by conversational AI, to help businesses make their Instagram conversations rich, contextual and personalized. Using these tools, businesses and celebrities and influencers with business accounts on Instagram will now be able to build stronger customer relationships, improve customer satisfaction, develop new business models and drive greater revenues.”
Gupshup, with the Messenger API for Instagram for conversational messaging, is now available to its businesses who may access the same at www.gupshup.io
iWorld
JioHotstar to launch micro dramas during IPL
Streaming giant plans free, ad-supported bite-sized stories during IPL to engage mobile-first audiences
JioHotstar is gearing up to launch a wave of micro dramas, eyeing India’s fast-growing appetite for bite-sized storytelling and new revenue opportunities. According to sources close to the matter, the streaming platform is expected to go live with the content during the Indian Premier League, which runs from 28 March to 31 May.
The move comes as the micro-drama market in India surges, with Redseer Strategy Consultants projecting the overall interactive media segment could reach $3.1–3.4 billion by FY2030, with micro dramas leading the growth. The format has already proven commercially viable abroad — China’s micro-drama sector generated $360 million in 2023, up 267 per cent year-on-year.
Micro dramas are designed for rapid consumption on mobile devices. Episodes typically run 60–90 seconds, shot in vertical 9:16 format, and rely on fast-paced plots and cliffhangers to keep viewers glued. Stories tend to revolve around high-stakes drama, from romance and revenge to corporate intrigue, blending social-media immediacy with professional production values.
Sources said the IPL provides the perfect launchpad, with millions tuning in to the platform for live cricket, creating a ready audience for short-form narrative experiments. The content will initially be free and accessible to all.
JioHotstar, which already boasts over 300 million subscribers, plans to roll out more than 100 micro dramas across multiple genres and languages, including Hindi and South Indian languages. The move is expected to strengthen its regional content strategy and appeal to mobile-first viewers, particularly in metro and Tier-1 cities where the format is currently most popular.
“The timing is perfect,” said a source close to the project, requesting anonymity. “With micro dramas on the rise, this is a chance for JioHotstar to experiment with new formats and engage audiences in a way traditional series cannot.”
The platform is not the first in India to test the format. ALTBalaji, StoryTV and Zee Bullet have all dabbled in short episodic storytelling. But JioHotstar’s scale — and its ability to pair content with one of the country’s biggest sporting events — could make it a defining moment for micro dramas in India.
With mobile consumption and vernacular content on the rise, the gamble seems clear: capture attention fast, keep it longer, and turn bite-sized narratives into a robust revenue engine.
Note: The cover image used is AI-generated.
