iWorld
Roposo founder launches CloseAPP to aid Covid relief
KOLKATA: Roposo founder Mayank Bhangadia has announced the launch of CloseAPP – a hyperlocal social app to help people across the country as they combat the devastating second wave of Covid-19. The new app will help people to connect with each other virtually and get medical help in real-time. The launch comes at a time when people are increasingly turning to social media to meet their medical emergencies.
CloseAPP users can seek help by posting their requirements on the app and learn about the availability of Plasma, Oxygen, ICU Beds, Vaccines, and Ventilators around their location. Bhangadia created this app with former colleague Harsha Chhabra, who led product development at Roposo and also founded GoParento. The team was supported by many Covid volunteers in the initiative.
“During my Covid crisis, I realised that current social networks aren’t as efficient in connecting help seekers with volunteers within one’s neighbourhood, nearby societies, or geo-location. Some posts get viral, but many times the useful resources get exhausted by the time they reach the masses. So, we felt there was a need to create an open, decentralised platform to help people connect hyper-locally with one another and get immediate help,” explained the Roposo founder, who is also building an active community of volunteers and alongside building a robust Technology Team.
India set another grim record on Wednesday, after losing as many as 4,529 lives during the last 24 hours. Over 2.67 lakh news cases were recorded across the country, according to the government.
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.
