iWorld
Indiantelevison.com-Akamai webinar explores what makes UGC platforms tick
MUMBAI: When Chad Hurley. Steve Chen and Jawed Karim created YouTube in 2005, little did they know their brainchild would spawn the phenomenon of user-generated video content. Today, more than 300 hours of video are uploaded by users on Youtube every minute resulting in billions of views per year. Ditto with social media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook, Twitter and hundreds of new entrants such as TikTok, Firework, Roposo etc.
What is the technical architecture that goes into making a successful UGC video service? What is their business model? How have they fared during the pandemic and what kind of challenges are they continuing to face? What are the practices business executives and tech professionals have put in place to optimise and provide a best in class service?
These and many other such questions will be answered by a stellar panel of executives who will be coming together for a virtual round table “The rise and rise of user-generated content and the tech that enabled the rise” organised by indiantelevision.com in partnership with CDN and security provider Akamai Technologies.
Under The Content Hub Tech Series umbrella, it will feature industry’s top practitioners such as Firework head of content & strategic partnerships Sudarshan Kadam, Roposo co-founder and VP product management Glance Avinash Saxena, Samoso Lab founder and ex-CEO Abilash Inumella, Bolo Indya cofounder and CEO Varun Saxena, Akamai Technologies director of products – APJ Media Rishi Varma, Zee5 business head expansion projects and head of products Rajneel Kumar. The virtual roundtable which is taking place on zoom and streamlined lined on indiantelevision.com social outlets will be moderated by Indiantelevision.com founder, CEO and editor in chief Anil Wanvari.
Users can log onto indiantelevision.com’s Facebook page (@ITVNewz) today at noon to watch the interesting chat live as Wanvari gets the senior professionals to get as candid as they can get about this burgeoning vertical.
Indiantelevision.com has over the past year initiated and pioneered a series of virtual round tables in partnership with leading video tech suppliers and video content industry practitioners to help in spreading an understanding of tech and business challenges and solutions around them.
Today’s session is a continuation of that initiative.
Session: Indiantelevision.com’s The ContentHub Tech Series Virtual Rountable powered by Akamai Technologies. “The rise and rise of user-generated content and the tech that enabled the rise.”
Date and Time:12 June 12 noon IST
Registration link: https://lnkd.in/gtzp_DD
Simulcast live on Zoom and Facebook
iWorld
Samay Raina returns with Still Alive, confronts 2025 controversy in bold comeback special
Comeback set tackles controversy, blending humour with raw storytelling
MUMBAI: Samay Raina is set to release his new stand-up comedy special, Still Alive, on YouTube on April 7, 2026, marking a high-profile return following a turbulent year.
The trailer for the special dropped on April 5, offering a glimpse into what Raina describes as a raw and unfiltered set that leans as much on honesty as it does on humour.
Positioned as a comeback of sorts, Still Alive draws heavily from the controversy surrounding his show India’s Got Latent in early 2025. The episode led to legal trouble, multiple FIRs, and a lengthy six-hour interrogation by the Maharashtra Cyber Cell, placing the comedian at the centre of intense public scrutiny.
Rather than sidestep the episode, Raina leans into it. The special reflects on the fallout and his personal journey through it, blending observational comedy with moments of emotional candour. Early audience feedback from live performances suggests the tone is less about rapid-fire punchlines and more about storytelling with bite.
The special was filmed during his global Still Alive & Unfiltered tour, which ran from August 2025 to early 2026. The tour saw Raina perform across major international venues, including the Madison Square Garden Theatre in New York, a milestone that places him among the youngest Indian comedians to take that stage.
The title itself signals resilience. “Still Alive” is a nod to navigating both legal and public backlash while choosing to remain unapologetically authentic, a theme that appears to anchor the set.
With the special set to premiere online, all eyes are now on how audiences respond to a performance that promises equal parts reflection and wit. For Raina, the message is clear. He is not just back, he is ready to be heard on his own terms.
