MAM
Virat Kohli & Ola team up against Delhi air pollution
MUMBAI: With Delhi-NCR battling smog and heavy air pollution levels over the past week, Ola has kicked off the fourth leg of its year-long campaign, #FarakPadtaHai. The campaign was launched on 5 June, World Environment Day, to raise awareness about congestion and pollution issues and encourage the adoption of shared mobility.
Taking Ola’s innings ahead, Indian cricket team captain, Virat Kohli has joined the fight. Bringing attention towards deteriorating air quality in Delhi-NCR, Kohli urged his fans and followers to adopt shared mobility solutions like metro trains, buses, and Ola Share, through his social media platforms.
Virat’s tweet – https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/930856114186477568
Virat’s Facebook – https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1566369543450143&id=326546224099154
Virat’s Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/p/BbhleplgTaj/
Fighting the issue of vehicular pollution and congestion through its #FarakPadtaHai campaign, Ola pledged its support to Kohli by promising free rides for all first time Ola Share users, once every week of the year; appealing citizens to retweet Virat’s tweet, bringing more attention to the benefits of ridesharing.
Ola COO Vishal Kaul said, “The pollution in Delhi is concerning. It is important that each one of us, in our own meaningful way, fight this battle as our own. We are thrilled to have a youth icon like Virat Kohli join the #FarakPadtaHai campaign in India’s fight against air pollution, especially in the capital city. We urge all citizens to spread the message of switching to shared mobility, by travelling by bus, metro or take an Ola Share. It is indeed a small step but will lead to a big change! Ola is committed to helping every citizen take that first step by unlocking free rides for all new Share users once every week for the rest of the year.”
By creating flat fares zones across Delhi-NCR on Ola Share, Ola is encouraging the adoption of shared rides and greener mobility as small steps towards making a big difference. Share pass has tremendously helped in reducing the barriers to trial for Ola Share which can be availed at Rs 35 across Delhi NCR. Additionally, a 10-ride pass is available at just Rs 10, enabling pocket-friendly commute around NCR with shared rides at flat fares.
In addition to encouraging adoption of shared commute, Ola is also distributing spider plant saplings at various metro stations to commuters. Spider plant offers many health benefits and is commonly used to remove harmful chemicals from the air, proving helpful in the current high pollution conditions.
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.
