iWorld
Facebook’s India-focused news feed feature launched
GURGAON: Social media giant Facebook a short while ago announced a new feature for providing India-focused news feeds. This decision was announced at Facebook’s yet-to-be-officially-launched office here.
Among the features of the new architecture will be:
1. Client side ranking
2. Fetching stories throughout the day
3. Surfacing stories from your phone (you haven’t seen)
4. Inserting new loaded stories into people’s feeds while they scroll
These features will be rolled out today to a limited number of users at first. It’s (mobile) Android-only — for now. “Facebook has tested these features globally but the user engagement is the highest in India as it addresses specific Indian needs such as low connectivity,” Facebook VP product management Adam Mosseri said.
Among its many firsts, Facebook Messenger’s Data Saver option recently started rolling out to Android phones in India. A new setting has been spotted on the app in the latest Google Pixel smartphone and an older Samsung device running Android 5.1. The setting was not available on an iOS version of the app.
Facebook has started rolling out the feature to regular app users as well. Users have the option of toggling on/off the data saver mode in the settings. Facebook Messenger will also show much data it has saved per session. One can also reset this data count, depending on your needs.
Also, Facebook recently introduced new features to allow one to order food, request an appointment with a local spa, get a quote and even book movie tickets with your friends’ recommendations as you travel to a new place.
iWorld
JioHotstar to launch micro dramas during IPL
Streaming giant plans free, ad-supported bite-sized stories during IPL to engage mobile-first audiences
JioHotstar is gearing up to launch a wave of micro dramas, eyeing India’s fast-growing appetite for bite-sized storytelling and new revenue opportunities. According to sources close to the matter, the streaming platform is expected to go live with the content during the Indian Premier League, which runs from 28 March to 31 May.
The move comes as the micro-drama market in India surges, with Redseer Strategy Consultants projecting the overall interactive media segment could reach $3.1–3.4 billion by FY2030, with micro dramas leading the growth. The format has already proven commercially viable abroad — China’s micro-drama sector generated $360 million in 2023, up 267 per cent year-on-year.
Micro dramas are designed for rapid consumption on mobile devices. Episodes typically run 60–90 seconds, shot in vertical 9:16 format, and rely on fast-paced plots and cliffhangers to keep viewers glued. Stories tend to revolve around high-stakes drama, from romance and revenge to corporate intrigue, blending social-media immediacy with professional production values.
Sources said the IPL provides the perfect launchpad, with millions tuning in to the platform for live cricket, creating a ready audience for short-form narrative experiments. The content will initially be free and accessible to all.
JioHotstar, which already boasts over 300 million subscribers, plans to roll out more than 100 micro dramas across multiple genres and languages, including Hindi and South Indian languages. The move is expected to strengthen its regional content strategy and appeal to mobile-first viewers, particularly in metro and Tier-1 cities where the format is currently most popular.
“The timing is perfect,” said a source close to the project, requesting anonymity. “With micro dramas on the rise, this is a chance for JioHotstar to experiment with new formats and engage audiences in a way traditional series cannot.”
The platform is not the first in India to test the format. ALTBalaji, StoryTV and Zee Bullet have all dabbled in short episodic storytelling. But JioHotstar’s scale — and its ability to pair content with one of the country’s biggest sporting events — could make it a defining moment for micro dramas in India.
With mobile consumption and vernacular content on the rise, the gamble seems clear: capture attention fast, keep it longer, and turn bite-sized narratives into a robust revenue engine.
Note: The cover image used is AI-generated.
