iWorld
Balaji to PayU VoD subscription
MUMBAI: PayU India has partnered with ALTBalaji, the digital platform of Balaji Telefilms Limited for opening an additional method of payment for the OTT platform’s subscription services. Payment options provided through PayU Biz are Credit Card, Debit Card, Net Banking, Itz Cash, Yes Pay, Ypay, PayU Money wallet and UPI. The global OTT entertainment platform – ALTBalaji will offer 250 hours of original content and subscribers in India and abroad will have the option to pay through PayU.
ALT Digital Media CEO Nachiket Pantvaidya said, “Our vision of providing a seamless experience to our subscribers is fulfilled by the ease with which PayU enables payments in India and abroad. By enabling UPI based payments we hope to pioneer digitally payments for entertainment a reality on our platform and reiterate our commitment towards Digital India. We hope to leverage the wide variety of payment options that PayU brings to ALTBalaji.”
PayU India head SMB business Pradeep Shekhawat said, “The association will move us forward in our endeavor to double our digital transactions by year end, which currently stands at around INR 6,000 crore per month. Using our secured payment gateway, consumers pay through Credit Card, Debit Card, Net Banking, Itz Cash, Yes Pay, Ypay, PayU Money wallet, UPI & USD and enjoy ALTBalaji’s subscribership.”
PayU has presence in 16 high growth markets in Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa with an active user base of 30 million and processing 150 million transactions in 2016 worth a combined $4.2 billion.
Created to provide an alternative to mainstream Indian entertainment & TV content, ALTBalaji will bring fresh and interesting stories to audiences in varied genres. The platform will offer original content of 250 hours in the first year of its launch.
ALTBalaji app launched on 16 April 2017 with five new shows and will release new shows every fortnight for its viewers to binge watch. The content is created by some of the best talent of the Indian entertainment industry, including critically acclaimed directors and actors. The long illustrious list of artists comprises of Nagesh Kukunoor, Juhi Chawla, Nimrat Kaur, Rajkumar Rao, Hansal Mehta, Sakshi Tanwar, Ram Kapoor, Atul Kulkarni, Sameer Soni, Yudhishtar Urs, Dipannita Sharma Atwal, and more.
Gaming
Roblox appoints Sunil Rao as India managing director to drive growth
Former AWS leader to lead creator ecosystem, partnerships and local strategy
MUMBAI: Roblox has appointed Sunil Rao as managing director for India, as the company looks to deepen its footprint in one of its fastest-growing markets.
Rao, who will join in May, will serve as the senior-most representative for Roblox in India, leading local strategy, partnerships and day-to-day operations. His mandate includes strengthening the platform’s presence, supporting the creator ecosystem and aligning India’s market needs with global priorities.
A key focus area will be nurturing India’s growing community of developers and creators, enabling local studios to leverage Roblox’s tools for scaling and monetisation. Globally, the platform’s creator community earned over $1.5 billion in 2025, underlining the economic potential of user-generated content ecosystems.
“Roblox is at the forefront of enabling a new generation of creators and games. India’s scale, creativity, and entrepreneurial energy present a massive opportunity,” said Rao. “I’m excited to build a vibrant and inclusive ecosystem that empowers developers and creators across the country. Ensuring child safety and aligning closely with India’s regulatory framework will be among my top priorities.”
Welcoming the appointment, Roblox vice president international Zhen Fang said India represents a high-potential market for the company. “Sunil brings deep expertise in building operations across diverse markets, and his passion for community-centric platforms makes him the ideal leader to drive our next chapter of growth in the country.”
Rao brings over two decades of experience across technology platforms, venture capital and developer ecosystems. He was previously part of the leadership team at Amazon Web Services, where he led strategy and corporate business development across Asia-Pacific and Japan. He also served as a partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, working closely with startups and founders.
Earlier in his career, Rao played a key role in building developer ecosystems at Symbian, Nokia and Google, contributing to the growth of major mobile and internet platforms.
With India’s large youth population and rapidly evolving digital landscape, Roblox’s latest leadership move signals a sharper focus on long-term growth, local relevance and creator-led innovation in the market.
