iWorld
Hotstar rules as SonyLiv and Netflix witness doubling of installs
MUMBAI: Guess which video streaming app is seeing rapid growth in installs in India? Well, according to Jana, the largest provider of free internet in emerging markets, the two video streamers are Netflix and SonyLiv. This was revealed by it in its Mobile Majority report, which takes a close look at the latest payment trends in emerging markets. The research was conducted in India from 1 January 2018 through 31 March 31 2018, during which data around streaming app installs and usage was anonymously observed from users of Jana’s mCent browser.
According to the report, Netflix and SonyLiv accounted for 0.5 per cent and five per cent of the installs on 1 January 2018. By 31 March, their share of installs had gone up to 1.4 per cent and 13 per cent respectively. Amazon saw the install of its Prime Video service go up from four per cent to 5 per cent in the same period, even as the Viacom18 owned Voot watched as its share was shaved 13 per cent to 10.7 per cent.
YuppTV which accounted for 0.6 per cent of the installs in January saw the number get whittled down to 0.5 per cent. Of course, the monster, which was ruling the app install marketshare sweepstakes was Hotstar which notched up a colossal 69.4 per cent. But this down almost 10 per cent as compared to the 76 per cent at the beginning of the year.
However, these numbers probably will only skyrocket in Jana’s next report – especially for Hotstar which saw heightened install activity during the Vivo Indian Premier League. The finals saw the Star India-owned service serve more than 10.3 million concurrent streams, which was for it and its cloud services partner Akamai a new world record.
eNews
Piyush Thakur steps down as Inshorts’ chief revenue officer
Former vice president and cro says exit marks a new chapter after close to a decade of building revenue and partnerships at Inshorts Group.
NOIDA: Piyush Thakur has stepped away from Inshorts Group after nearly 10 years with the company, marking the end of a long tenure that culminated in his role as chief revenue officer.
In a farewell note, Thakur said he was “turning a new page” after almost a decade at Inshorts, calling it one of the hardest professional decisions he has made. He added that his exit was not driven by uncertainty about the future, but by reflection on a long association with the company.
Thakur joined Inshorts in October 2016 as vice president and spent around seven years in the role before being elevated to chief revenue officer in April 2024, a position he held until April 2026.
He said his tenure was defined by “thousands of mornings, late nights, product debates and breakthrough moments”, as the company evolved into a large-scale digital news platform used by millions.
In his note, Thakur emphasised that Inshorts’ growth was a collective effort across teams, adding that engineers, designers, sales teams and customer support staff all contributed to building the platform. He said the company’s success was not the result of individuals but of “everyone who stayed, passed through, and left their mark”.
Before Inshorts, Thakur worked across several digital media and business development roles. At ESPN, he served as senior regional manager from October 2015 to October 2016, focusing on growth initiatives, strategic opportunities and video distribution.
At Times Internet, he worked for nearly three years, including as head of business development from April 2015 to September 2015 and chief manager from January 2013 to March 2015. His responsibilities included monetisation of mobile platforms, managing media and developer partnerships, and driving revenue across digital properties such as The Times of India and The Economic Times.
Earlier, he worked at Brandmovers as head of business development from June 2012 to June 2013, handling digital, mobile and social media marketing solutions, client development and strategic consulting. During this period, he also worked on advertising revenue, brand strategy and CRM-based solutions.
At Inshorts, Thakur’s role focused on revenue strategy, mobile and media partnerships, and growth initiatives across platforms. His profile highlights experience in mobile product management, digital business models, partner ecosystems and revenue expansion in high-growth environments.
