iWorld
Airtel 4G network now covers 15863 towns and villages across Assam
MUMBAI: Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), India’s leading telecommunications services provider, today said that its 4G network now covers over 15863 towns and villages in Assam, empowering customers with best-in-class high speed mobile broadband services.
Airtel, which is the #1 operator in Assam with over 8.4 million customers, recently announced a massive network expansion drive to further scale up its high speed data services across the region.
In addition, as part of its acquisition of Telenor’s India operations, Airtel has added 6 MHz of spectrum in 1800 MHz band to its portfolio in Assam. This will further boost 4G network capacity in the state, complement the rollout of new sites and fiber and enhance customer experience in the form of even better indoor and outdoor coverage.
Raveendra Desai, CEO, Assam and North East, Bharti Airtel said, “To bring more and more customers onto the digital highway, we are committed to further expanding our 4G services across Assam. The availability of budget friendly smartphones is driving a massive uptake of 4G data and Airtel aims to be the 4G network of choice of customers in Assam with its superior data experience. Airtel’s affordable plans and packs offer access to exciting digital services like music, movies, LIVE TV on mobile and we invite customers to experience our 4G network.”
All Airtel 4G customers enjoy free access to Airtel TV that offers over 10,000 movies and TV shows plus 375 LIVE TV channels on the go. Airtel has also been consistently rated as the fastest network in India by global speed measurement leader – Ookla.
Airtel offers the widest bouquet of mobile services (4G/3G/2G) in Assam backed by a wide distribution channel of over 39 thousand retail outlets that serves customers even in deep rural pockets. Airtel’s network now covers 30,000 towns and villages representing approximately 94% of the state’s population.
iWorld
Micro-Dramas Surge in India, Redefining Mobile Content Habits
Meta-Ormax study maps rapid rise of short-form storytelling among 18–44 audiences.
MUMBAI: Micro-dramas aren’t just short, they’re the snack that ate Indian entertainment, and now everyone’s bingeing between the sofa cushions. Meta, in partnership with Ormax Media, has released ‘Micro Dramas: The India Story’, a comprehensive study unveiled at the inaugural Meta Marketing Summit: Micro-Drama Edition. The report maps how the vertical, bite-sized format is reshaping content consumption for mobile-first audiences aged 18–44 across 14 states.
Conducted between November 2025 and January 2026 through 50 in-depth interviews and 2,000 personal surveys, the research reveals that 65 per cent of viewers discovered micro-dramas within the last year proof of explosive adoption. Nearly 89 per cent encounter the format through social feeds and recommendations, making algorithm-driven discovery the primary engine rather than active search.
Key viewing patterns show a median of 3.5 hours per week (about 30 minutes daily) spread across 7–8 short sessions. Consumption peaks between 8 pm and midnight, with additional spikes during commutes and work breaks classic “in-between moments” that the format fills perfectly. Around 57 per cent of viewing happens in ambient mode (while doing something else), and 90 per cent is solo, enabling more intimate, personal storytelling.
Romance, family drama and comedy lead genre preferences. Audiences show growing openness to AI-generated content, 47 per cent find it unique and creative, while only 6 per cent say they would avoid it entirely. Regional languages are surging after Hindi and English, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada dominate consumption.
Meta, director, media & entertainment (India) Shweta Bajpai said, “Micro-drama isn’t a passing trend, it’s rewriting the rules of Indian entertainment. In under a year, an entirely new category of platforms has emerged, built audience habits from scratch, and created a business vertical that is scaling fast.”
Ormax Media founder-CEO Shailesh Kapoor added, “Micro-dramas are beginning to show the early signs of becoming a distinct content category in India’s digital entertainment landscape. When a format aligns closely with how audiences naturally engage with their devices, it has the potential to scale very quickly.”
The study proposes ecosystem-wide responsibility, universal signposting of commercial intent, shared accountability among advertisers, platforms, creators, schools and parents, built-in safeguards, and formal media literacy in schools.
In a feed that never sleeps and a day that never stops, micro-dramas have slipped into the cracks of every spare minute turning 30-second stories into the new national pastime, one vertical swipe at a time.
