iWorld
Airtel Business and Sparkle sign Blue-Raman capacity agreement
Mumbai: Bharti Airtel’s B2B arm Airtel Business has signed an agreement with Sparkle, the first international service provider in Italy and a top global operator, for additional capacity on a diversified low latency route between Asia and Europe.
Under the agreement, Airtel will take capacity from Sparkle on the Blue-Raman Submarine Cable Systems, which will connect India to Italy. With this additional capacity, Airtel will further diversify its global network across multiple international submarine cable systems to serve the growing demand for data services in India and neighbouring countries.
The two companies will also work together on the development of new business opportunities and projects in the Indian sub-continent, leveraging their respective cable infrastructures.
Airtel Business CEO – global business, Vani Venkatesh said, “We are happy to partner with Sparkle as we further consolidate our leadership in global connectivity. This partnership will further diversify our network with large integrated capacities to meet the ever-growing connectivity needs and data demand of our customers.”
Sparkle CEO Enrico Bagnasco added, “We are very pleased with this agreement, based on the new solution provided by Blue & Raman, that supports the digital growth of the region and strengthens our historical partnership with Bharti Airtel.”
Airtel Business is a provider of ICT services, with submarine cables, satellite networks, and global networks spanning over 400,000 Rkms across 50 countries and five continents. The company has over 1,200 global carrier partnerships, allowing it to connect customers worldwide, including in remote areas. In India, Airtel Business provides a range of solutions, including secure connectivity, cloud and data center services, cyber security, IoT, and cloud-based communications to enterprises, governments, carriers, and small and medium businesses.
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.
