iWorld
Semi-urban connect helps FilterCopy attain top slot on Facebook
MUMBAI: It’s time to pour a nice cup of filter coffee because it’s no small feat to beat a giant like Buzzfeed. According to a report by Vidooly, FilterCopy page ranked top on Facebook with more than 71 million (71,128,760) views in new age entertainment category with 27.4 million (2,743,641) lifetime followers.
It has taken over the place of BuzzFeed which reserved the second position with 68.7 million (68,765,209) video viewership. The Glitch co-founder and content chief of the creative Varun Duggirala feels that what may have given FilterCopy an edge was its all-encompassing narrative that cuts across urban and semi-urban people while BuzzFeed is purely urban.
FilterCopy’s relatable entertainment and humour content is what makes it touch emotions, says iProspect India strategist – content marketing Shipra Tandon. She adds: “FilterCopy is creating connecting and customised content that is tuned to the current generation. Brands are connecting with the audiences in the same language and tonality in which they talk which makes people relate the content to their situations and the way they are.”
Duggirala adds, “When we scroll down our feeds only two things make us stop and watch- something our mindset relates to and something that sparks our curiosity. In both cases, the right dash of universal humour or tight-knit narrative is what makes all the difference to grab Indian eyeballs, because we innately relate to anything that sparks an emotional response from us.”
For December, Pocket Aces, which runs the tending content site FilterCopy, will be launching 20 new pieces a day. Over the month there will be six short videos, 300 articles and 20 memes. Two videos have been released as is a new format called FilterCopy Practicals. Plans are underway to launch exciting formats and target the creation of over 500 short videos and over 3000 articles. The team creates everything from scratch. They conceptualise, script, produce, release, and market the whole content.
But the big question is that, is the revenue pouring in? Duggirala feels gaining substantial viewership will enable signing up in-show advertisers as well as building inventory for when Facebook launches a monetisation model.
Pocket Aces co-founder Aditi Shrivastava attributes the success to content that people not only love but also share by tagging others. Innovative content and the audience’s favourite FilterCopy faces like Dhruv Sehgal, Veer Rajwant Singh, Aisha Ahmed, Mithila Palkar, AkashDeep Arora, Kriti Vij, Apoorva Arora and many more, catch more eyeballs on social media.
Currently, Pocket Aces is very much active on its own website, YouTube channel and Facebook. It does not have any plans to launch an OTT platform in the near future. It reaches 40 million unique viewers a week through its channels on social media. Content is also syndicated via Ola Play, Sony Liv, Dainik Bhaskar, Youku Toudo (China) and airlines like Jet Airways, SpiceJet and Etihad.
Started in 2013, FilterCopy is mixed-media offering from Pocket Aces for shareable written and video content includes articles, relatable videos, funny memes and much more. Pocket Aces is a tech-driven digital media entertainment company of India, focused on creating and distributing highly engaging original content for millennial audiences via its channels Dice Media (premium digital web series), FilterCopy (shareable written and video content), and Gobble (all things food).
In the past two years, the company has worked with over 40 advertisers including PepsiCo, Flipkart, Landmark Group, T Series, Marico, Kingfisher, Oyo Rooms, Swiggy, etc. Pocket Aces has a wide range of investors that include Sequoia Capital, Aarin Capital, Axilor Ventures, and North Base Media.
The audience can be assured of new content in the last week but the company is giving a whole week off for its employees to usher in the new year.
Gaming
Formula 1 and Mumbai Falcons launch India’s first official F1 sim racing championship
Nationwide competition creates pathway from virtual racing to pro motorsport
MUMBAI: Formula 1 has teamed up with Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited to launch India’s first officially sanctioned F1 sim racing competition, marking a new step in the country’s growing motorsport ecosystem.
The championship, titled F1 Sim Racing India Open 2026, will offer a structured national platform for sim racers, with participants competing on the official F1 25 across multiple stages. The competition will begin with online qualifiers, followed by city-based simulator rounds, before culminating in a national final in Mumbai this November.
Open to players across PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox, registrations for the event will begin on 30 April via the Mumbai Falcons app. The format mirrors real-world racing, featuring official circuits, team liveries and competitive structures aligned with the global series.
Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan said the initiative arrives at a time when interest in the sport is surging in India, adding that a structured sim racing platform could help identify and nurture the next generation of talent.
Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited managing director Ameet Gadhoke noted that the championship aligns with the team’s long-term goal of building a strong motorsport pipeline in the country and placing Indian talent on the global stage.
The launch also reflects broader momentum in esports, especially after its recognition under India’s Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025. By bridging gaming and real-world racing, the initiative aims to offer aspiring drivers a credible entry point into professional motorsport.
With interest in Formula 1 steadily rising and conversations around its return to India gaining pace, the new championship could become a proving ground for future racing stars.
