MAM
Times of India introduces TOI Health+
Mumbai: In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant shift in the public’s approach to health and well-being, moving from a curative to a preventive mindset. To address this evolving landscape, The Times of India is proud to announce the launch of TOI Health+, a new initiative designed to provide reliable, relevant, and customised health and wellness information to Indian audiences.
Addressing the information gap With the increased interest in health information, many people struggle to find trustworthy sources amidst the sea of unverified data. TOI Health+ aims to fill this gap by offering a comprehensive, credible platform that caters to the unique health needs of Indians. Available in both print and digital formats every Wednesday, TOI Health+ features the latest in health, nutrition, wellness, and prevention with a special focus on health tech.
Unique Features of TOI Health+
1. Customized Content: Sections on nutrition, prevention, wellness, body, and health technology. Interactive columns like “Ask Your Doctor.”
2. Latest Solutions: Up-to-date, credible health and health tech information every week.
3. Comprehensive Coverage: Articles on nutrition, diet, fitness, and lifestyle diseases.
4. Health Trackers: Quizzes, trackers, and self-assessment tests to help readers monitor their health.
5. Engaged Community: Building an active community of health enthusiasts on social media and through offline events like the TOI Health+ Summit.
6. Consumer Engagement: Access to renowned doctors, health experts, and researchers through webinars, videos, and podcasts.
Curating the Content TOI Health+ leverages The Times of India’s extensive expertise and trusted sources to curate the most credible, well-researched health content. With a long history of initiatives such as “Times Organ Donation Drive,” “Beat Heart Failure,” and “Let’s Fight Diabetes,” TOI has built a strong legacy of championing health causes in India. Every day, more than a dozen health reporters from TOI across the country reach out to leading doctors, hospitals, researchers, and dieticians to obtain the very best and latest in healthcare. TOI Health+ taps into this expertise to bring you the best in health and wellness information, offering a weekly distillation of the most credible and actionable health information, all in one place.
BCCL (Bennett, Coleman & Company Ltd) director Kaustuv Chatterjee said, “TOI Health+ is our commitment to providing the Indian audience with trustworthy and relevant health and wellness information. In an era where misinformation is rampant, we aim to be the definitive source for credible and well-researched content which contributes to their well-being. Our goal is to empower individuals to take proactive steps towards better health.”
BCCL president & chief brand officer Partha P. Sinha stated, “TOI Health+ is an incredible opportunity for brands to connect with highly engaged health and wellness enthusiasts. This product will also provide a platform for established players, emerging nutraceutical and health tech brands to showcase their work and innovations, helping them reach a broader audience. We are excited about the potential this initiative holds for our readers and advertisers
Digital
Content India 2026 opens with a copro pitch, a spice evangelist and a £10,000 prize for Indian storytelling
Dish TV and C21Media’s three-day summit puts seven ambitious projects before an international jury, and two walk away with serious development money
MUMBAI: India’s content industry gathered in Mumbai this March for Content India 2026, a three-day summit organised by Dish TV in partnership with C21Media, and it wasted no time making a statement. The event opened with a Copro Pitch that put seven scripted and unscripted television concepts before an international panel of judges, and by the end of it, two projects had walked away with £10,000 each in marketing prize money from C21Media to support development and international promotion.
The jury, comprising Frank Spotnitz, Fiona Campbell, Rashmi Bajpai, Bal Samra and Rachel Glaister, evaluated a shortlist that ranged from a dark Mumbai comedy-drama about mental health (Dirty Minds, created by Sundar Aaron) to a Delhi coming-of-age mystery (Djinn Patrol, by Neha Sharma and Kilian Irwin), a techno-thriller about a teenage gaming prodigy (Kanpur X Satori, by Suchita Bhatia), an investigative crime drama blending mythology and modern thriller (The Age of Kali, by Shivani Bhatija), a documentary on India’s spice heritage (The Masala Quest, hosted by Sarina Kamini), a documentary on competitive gaming (Respawn: India’s Esports Revolution, by George Mangala Thomas and Sangram Mawari), and a reality-horror competition merging gaming and immersive fear (Scary Goose, by Samar Iqbal).
The session was hosted by Mayank Shekhar.
The two winners were Djinn Patrol, backed by Miura Kite, formerly of Participant Media and known for Chinatown and Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey, with Jaya Entertainment, producers of Real Kashmir Football Club, also attached; and The Masala Quest, created and hosted by Sarina Kamini, an Indian-Australian cook, author and self-described “spice evangelist.”
The summit also unveiled the Content India Trends Report, whose findings made for bracing reading. Daoud Jackson, senior analyst at OMDIA, set the tone: “By 2030, online video in India will nearly double the revenue of traditional TV, becoming the main driver of growth.” He noted that in 2025, India produced a quarter of all YouTube videos globally, overtaking the United States, while Indians collectively spend 117 years daily on YouTube and 72 years on Instagram. Traditional subscription TV is declining as free TV and connected TV gain ground, forcing broadcasters to innovate. “AI-generated content is just 2 per cent of engagement,” Jackson added, “highlighting the dominance of high-quality human content. The key for Indian media companies is scaling while monetising effectively from day one.”
Hannah Walsh, principal analyst at Ampere Analysis, added hard numbers to the picture. India produced over 24,000 titles in January 2026 alone, with 19,000 available internationally. The country now accounts for 12 per cent of Asia-Pacific content spend, up from 8 per cent in 2021, outpacing both Japan and China. Key exporters include JioStar, Zee Entertainment, Sony India, Amazon and Netflix, delivering over 7,500 Indian-produced titles abroad each year. The top importing markets are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, the United States and the Philippines. Scripted content dominates globally at 88 per cent, with crime dramas and children’s and family titles performing particularly strongly.
Manoj Dobhal, chief executive and executive director of Dish TV India, framed the summit’s ambition squarely. “Stories don’t need translation. They need a platform, discovery, and reach, local or global,” he said. “India produces more movies than any country, our streaming platforms compete globally, and our tech and creators win international awards. Yet fragmentation slows growth. Producers, platforms, and tech move in different lanes. We need shared spaces, collaboration, and an ecosystem where ideas, technology, and people meet. That is why we built Content India.”
The data, the pitches and the prize money all pointed to the same conclusion: India is not waiting for the world to discover its stories. It is building the infrastructure to sell them.
