iWorld
OTT’s first digital talent hunt for kids launched on Voot
MUMBAI: HDFC Life, a private life insurance company, has announced the return of HDFC Life Young Stars Season 2 in partnership with Voot, a Video-on-Demand platform from Viacom18.
Conceptualised by Maxus for HDFC Life, this unique digital talent show for kids includes performances by children, between the ages of 6 and 14, in the popular categories of Dancing, Singing, Acting and Musical Instruments. The engaging show HDFC Life YoungStars Season 2, showcasing kids and their inspiring talent, is now streaming exclusively on Voot .
Along with mesmerizing audiences with their stellar performances, the young prodigies will also be mentored and judged by celebrity experts from the respective fields. The celebrity judges this season include:
– Salman Yusuff Khan, a popular dancer turned actor of ABCD fame, will be making his judging debut and mentoring the young dancers
– Jay Bhanushali, an award winning television actor and renowned host, will be mentoring the child actors
– Harshdeep Kaur, the Bollywood singing sensation, will be mentoring young singers, while
– Leslie Lewis of Colonial Cousins fame will be mentoring the budding musicians.
YoungStars Season 2 aligns to HDFC Life’s digital first focus and Voot’s vision of curating innovative content experiences. Parents uploaded their child’s video clips on the Young Stars microsite, which were then shortlisted. The selected children will get mentored by the celebrity judges, who will nurture their talent in the field of their choice. The finale will include a faceoff between the finalists and the winners, who will be adjudged ‘HDFC Life Young Stars’ and will get the opportunity to perform with the celebrity mentors.
Commenting on YoungStars Season 2, Pankaj Gupta, EVP-Strategic Alliances, Bancassurance & Marketing, HDFC Life said, “Every child has a special talent that blooms through recognition and constant encouragement. Keeping this in mind, we launched HDFC Life YoungStars, an innovative digital platform that gives parents the opportunity to nurture their child’s talent, through expert guidance. The platform allows us, as a brand, to give parents the ability to secure more than just their child’s financial future.”
Pooja Verma, Head – Content, Sports and Entertainment Partnerships at Maxus, said, “Maxus is incredibly proud to have established HDFC Life YoungStars as a valuable asset for HDFC Life to bring alive the brand’s proposition of ‘Sar utha ke jiyo!’. The show extensively engaged with parents and kids, in line with the deeply rooted brand philosophy.”
She further added, “We are excited to reprise the success of HDFC Life YoungStars at an even bigger scale this year, together with the perfect partner that we found in Voot. The encouraging response so far has once again, affirmed our expertise and belief in the power of using content for brands to tell their stories in newer and compelling ways.”
Monika Shergill, Head of Content, Viacom 18 Digital Ventures said “We at Voot are always looking at bringing content innovation to our viewers. With HDFC Life YoungStars 2, we have brought alive an immersive platform for kids to showcase their talent. With this show, we are confident of providing entertainment & engagement for all our viewers – both parents and kids.”
She further added “We are happy to partner with HDFC Life and Maxus to promote new and unique talent amongst kids. Both HDFC Life and Voot have a shared vision of empowering kids and with this initiative we intend to tap into their early potential and give them a platform to show case the same to the world.”
iWorld
Instagram to curb reach of repost-heavy accounts in new update
Original content to get priority as reposts lose visibility on Explore and feeds.
MUMBAI: Copy, paste, repeat? Instagram is ready to hit unfollow on that strategy. The platform is tightening its grip on repost-heavy accounts, signalling a clear shift towards rewarding originality over aggregation. As part of the update, Instagram will stop recommending content from accounts that primarily repost others’ work across key discovery surfaces, including feeds and the Explore tab. The change expands existing restrictions that were earlier limited to Reels, now covering photos and carousel posts as well. While reposted content will still be visible to an account’s existing followers, its chances of reaching new audiences through recommendations are set to shrink significantly.
At the heart of the move is a push to clean up clutter. Instagram is targeting aggregator accounts that recycle content without adding meaningful value, aiming to reduce duplication and elevate the visibility of original creators.
The platform has also clarified what qualifies as “original”. Content created directly by users whether photos, videos or substantially edited material will continue to be prioritised. Even when using existing formats or templates, posts that bring in fresh humour, commentary or creative edits will still make the cut.
What will not pass muster are low-effort tweaks. Adding watermarks, making minor speed changes or reposting screenshots even with credit will not be considered original and will not be eligible for broader distribution.
Importantly, the update will not affect what users see from accounts they already follow. But for creators relying heavily on reposts, visibility beyond their existing audience could take a noticeable hit.
In a platform driven by discovery, that shift matters. Instagram’s message is simple, if you want to be seen, start creating not just curating.
