iWorld
India: 40 per cent smartphone users stream live videos; leads in new subs
MUMBAI: There is a rise of 5G networks and consumers subscribing to the network. By 2022, there will be a growth in mobile broadband to 6.1 billion unique subscribers. Forecasting the trends in telecom sector across the world, Ericsson Mobility Report has pointed out that approximately half a billion users will be connected to 5G networks by 2022.
North America (NA) will dominate the industry with nearly 25 per cent of 5G subscriptions in 2022. Asia Pacific will fall next with about 10 per cent of the share.
The Middle East and Africa will shift from predominantly GSM/EDGE only to approximately 80 percent of users being connected to WCDMA/HSPA and LTE. The report further points out that the mobile subscriber base is estimated to scale 6.8 billion with over 95 per cent people being connected to 4G or 5G networks.
Ericsson chief strategy officer and technology officer Ulf Ewaldsson opined that almost 90 per cent of smartphone subscriptions are on 3G and 4G networks today, and standardised 5G networks are expected to be available in 2020. He further added that 5G would help automation, IoT and big data.
The world added 84 million new mobile subscriptions during the third quarter of 2016 with India leading regarding net additions with 15 million, with China closely following with 14 million new mobile subscribers.
The report points out that the mobile video traffic will grow 50 per cent every year through 2022, accounting for about 75 per cent of all the mobile data traffic. Social media traffic will be the second type of traffic that will dominate the mobile traffic growing 39 per cent each year.
As for as live streaming is concerned, two in every five smartphone users are interested in live streaming apps in India and other high-growth countries like Brazil, Indonesia and Oman. The reports suggest that the figure dropping to one in every five smartphone users in the United States of America.
Along with 5G and Mobile Broadband, IoT will also see significant growth, with approximately 29 billion devices connected to the internet, out of which 18 billion of the devices relating to IoT.
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.
