iWorld
Telugu OTT Aha fosters female entrepreneurs with ‘Women In Focus’ initiative
KOLKATA: Taking a leaf out of their upcoming women-centric original web series 11th Hour, Telugu OTT platform Aha has partnered with We Hub – India’s first state-led incubator for women entrepreneurs backed by the government in Telangana – to kickstart aha X We Hub: Women In Focus initiative that aims to promote and foster women entrepreneurship by setting up a revolving fund.
This fund will give aspiring young women entrepreneurs a chance to have their ideas heard and an opportunity to build their very own successful and sustainable businesses. The first recipient of the inaugural financial aid through this initiative is Sortizy, a holistic one stop solution for kitchen management founded by Surbhi Guha and Sagthi Prakash.
Launching the initiative with their latest original, both the organisations will extend the collaboration for upcoming aha originals as well.
Through 11th Hour, starring prominent actress Tamannaah Bhatia in her digital debut, Aha will be showcasing the story of a dynamic CEO, Aratrika Reddy. The show will follow Aratrika’s journey as she fights tooth and nail to save her company from an impending financial ruin overnight.
The show, inspired by Upendra Namburi’s book 8 Hours, is already making waves on social media platforms with its trailer. It is produced and written by Pradeep Uppalapati under Introupe Films banner and is directed by Praveen Sattaru. The cast includes actors such as Arun Adith, Vamsi Krishna, Roshni Prakash, Priya Banerjee, Abhijeeth Poondla, Shatru, Madhusudhan Rao, Jayaprakash, Pavithra Lokesh, Srikanth Iyengar, and Anirudh Balaji.
Aha promoter Meghana Rao Jupally said, “Out with the old and in with new is what this partnership between aha and We Hub signifies. Through the aha X We Hub: Women In Focus initiative, we will be able change the light in which society sees women entrepreneurs and give these young women the platform to succeed in their own merit. With the same thought in mind, at aha we want to continue to tell stories that inspire young women and our future slate will be a testimony to that.”
We Hub CEO Deepthi Ravula said, “The social conditioning of our society has always led many to believe that women cannot be good at business. However, that is far from the reality. Even today where we have various women at top positions of global conglomerates, many young aspiring women entrepreneurs are facing a tough time in getting funding for their idea. To overcome such obstacles, We Hub, India’s first state led incubator for women was conceptualised by the government of Telangana in 2018. To provide a conducive ecosystem we partner with like-minded and leading industry players such as aha to provide financial aids to the brilliant women entrepreneurs. We are excited to have formed this association with Aha and look forward to building a new start-up ecosystem for women entrepreneurs.”
iWorld
Micro-Dramas Surge in India, Redefining Mobile Content Habits
Meta-Ormax study maps rapid rise of short-form storytelling among 18–44 audiences.
MUMBAI: Micro-dramas aren’t just short, they’re the snack that ate Indian entertainment, and now everyone’s bingeing between the sofa cushions. Meta, in partnership with Ormax Media, has released ‘Micro Dramas: The India Story’, a comprehensive study unveiled at the inaugural Meta Marketing Summit: Micro-Drama Edition. The report maps how the vertical, bite-sized format is reshaping content consumption for mobile-first audiences aged 18–44 across 14 states.
Conducted between November 2025 and January 2026 through 50 in-depth interviews and 2,000 personal surveys, the research reveals that 65 per cent of viewers discovered micro-dramas within the last year proof of explosive adoption. Nearly 89 per cent encounter the format through social feeds and recommendations, making algorithm-driven discovery the primary engine rather than active search.
Key viewing patterns show a median of 3.5 hours per week (about 30 minutes daily) spread across 7–8 short sessions. Consumption peaks between 8 pm and midnight, with additional spikes during commutes and work breaks classic “in-between moments” that the format fills perfectly. Around 57 per cent of viewing happens in ambient mode (while doing something else), and 90 per cent is solo, enabling more intimate, personal storytelling.
Romance, family drama and comedy lead genre preferences. Audiences show growing openness to AI-generated content, 47 per cent find it unique and creative, while only 6 per cent say they would avoid it entirely. Regional languages are surging after Hindi and English, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada dominate consumption.
Meta, director, media & entertainment (India) Shweta Bajpai said, “Micro-drama isn’t a passing trend, it’s rewriting the rules of Indian entertainment. In under a year, an entirely new category of platforms has emerged, built audience habits from scratch, and created a business vertical that is scaling fast.”
Ormax Media founder-CEO Shailesh Kapoor added, “Micro-dramas are beginning to show the early signs of becoming a distinct content category in India’s digital entertainment landscape. When a format aligns closely with how audiences naturally engage with their devices, it has the potential to scale very quickly.”
The study proposes ecosystem-wide responsibility, universal signposting of commercial intent, shared accountability among advertisers, platforms, creators, schools and parents, built-in safeguards, and formal media literacy in schools.
In a feed that never sleeps and a day that never stops, micro-dramas have slipped into the cracks of every spare minute turning 30-second stories into the new national pastime, one vertical swipe at a time.
