MAM
Content India 2026 concludes with over 700 global attendees in Mumbai
Three-day summit spotlights trends shaping India’s fast-evolving content landscape
MUMBAI: Content India 2026 wrapped up on a high note, drawing over 700 participants from India and overseas for a three-day deep dive into the country’s rapidly expanding content ecosystem. Organised by Dish TV in partnership with C21Media, the event blended big-picture thinking with ground-level insights, making it as much about ideas as it was about action.
From boardroom strategy to writers’ room craft, the summit brought together leading executives, creators and filmmakers to unpack where content is headed next. Conversations moved fluidly across themes such as global format adaptations for Indian audiences, the growing role of venture capital and private equity, and the challenge of engaging audiences that are increasingly scattered across platforms.
If there was a common thread, it was change and plenty of it. Sessions explored the rise of digital-first storytelling, the surge in micro-drama and vertical formats, and the steady march of AI into content production. Industry voices also weighed in on commissioning strategies, co-production opportunities, and the shifting rules of monetisation.
The speaker line-up reflected the breadth of the industry, featuring names such as Shilangi Mukherji, Anuj Gandhi, Deepak Dhar, Fiona Campbell, Sahira Nair, Rajaraman Sundaram, Sai Abishek, Vishnu Mohta, Tarun Sawhney, Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, Tanya Bami, Richie Mehta, Sameer Nair, Arjun Nohwar, Niharika Pande and Aruna Daryanani, among others.
Two standout segments added an extra spark. The Content India Copro Pitch saw creators present fresh scripted and unscripted ideas to an international jury, opening doors to new collaborations. Meanwhile, a writers room masterclass led by writer-producer Frank Spotnitz offered an insider’s look at the discipline and teamwork behind compelling television.
Dish TV India CEO and executive director Manoj Dobhal, summed up the mood: the past three days, he noted, reflected both ambition and alignment across the ecosystem. With creators, platforms and investors working in tandem, Indian storytelling appears set for a wider global stage.
Blending creativity with commerce, Content India 2026 served as a meeting ground for the entire value chain. More importantly, it hinted at what lies ahead, stories that travel further, partnerships that run deeper, and an industry that is learning to think both local and global in the same breath.
MAM
Sleepwell unveils nationwide sleep study on World Sleep Day
79 per cent use screens before bed, 36 per cent of 18–25-year-olds sleep ≤5 hours.
MUMBAI: Sleepwell just dropped the pillow truth bomb because when India’s sleeping less and scrolling more, even the mattress wants to stage an intervention. On World Sleep Day 2026, Sleepwell released its nationwide Sleep Study, painting a stark picture of India’s escalating sleep crisis. The findings show that 79% of Indians use screens right before bed, fuelling restless nights and drowsy days. Alarmingly, 36% of young adults aged 18–25 sleep five hours or less making them the country’s most sleep-deprived group.
The study also busts the myth of “catch-up sleep”, 65% of respondents actually sleep even later on weekends, pointing to increasingly irregular patterns that spill fatigue into the working week. Mattress discomfort emerged as a frequently overlooked culprit behind late-night wake-ups and constant leak-anxiety checks.
To drive the message home, Sleepwell’s CMO Puneet Gulati appeared on Zee Business, stressing that quality sleep isn’t a luxury, it’s foundational health. He highlighted how the right mattress can transform restless nights into restorative ones.
The brand doubled down with clever late-night activations, partnering with a quick-commerce platform to serve contextual ads between 11 pm and 3 am, gently nudging bleary-eyed scrollers to consider mattress discomfort as the reason they’re still awake and pointing them to the nearest Sleepwell store. Digital influencers and creators also shared relatable stories of how poor sleep fuels impulsive late-night behaviour.
In a nation that celebrates hustle but quietly pays for it in lost rest, Sleepwell isn’t just selling mattresses, it’s selling the radical idea that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is close your eyes and actually sleep well.
