MAM
Fabcoins hit the fast lane as loyalty points book electric SUVs
MUMBAI: Loyalty points are no longer just window dressing at the checkout. In a move that pushes rewards out of the shopping bag and into the fast lane, Fabindia has teamed up with Mahindra Electric Origin SUVs to let Fabfamily members book premium electric SUVs using loyalty currency alone.
Under the partnership, customers can secure bookings for Mahindra’s Electric Origin models, the BE 6 and the XEV 9e, by redeeming just 1,000 Fabcoins. Those points translate into a booking value of Rs 21,000, turning everyday purchases into a gateway to electric mobility rather than another percentage off the bill.
The collaboration brings together two Indian brands that have long positioned sustainability at the heart of their businesses. This time, the focus is not on limited period discounts but on stretching the idea of loyalty into real world utility, where points can unlock high value experiences and products.
For Fabfamily members, the offer also introduces flexibility. Customers can lock in an eSUV booking with as few as 400 Fabcoins and complete the balance over time. Once the 1,000 Fabcoin threshold is reached, the booking is automatically processed, removing the pressure of a one shot redemption.
Fabfamily itself has been steadily evolving into a broader lifestyle ecosystem. Members earn up to 10 percent back in Fabcoins on Fabindia purchases, with additional multipliers through brand partnerships that offer redemptions of up to 30 times value. The programme also allows Fabcoins to be donated to organisations such as WWF India and the Centre for Science and Environment, adding a cause led layer to spending habits.
Beyond points, the programme includes concierge services under FabONE and a gentler tier migration system that limits downgrades, making status retention less punitive than traditional loyalty structures.
The Mahindra Electric Origin SUV reward goes live on 19 December 2025. More than a festive hook, the tie up signals a shift in how loyalty programmes are being reimagined, moving from transactional perks to high impact rewards that blend lifestyle, sustainability and mobility into a single proposition.
Digital
Content India 2026 opens with a copro pitch, a spice evangelist and a £10,000 prize for Indian storytelling
Dish TV and C21Media’s three-day summit puts seven ambitious projects before an international jury, and two walk away with serious development money
MUMBAI: India’s content industry gathered in Mumbai this March for Content India 2026, a three-day summit organised by Dish TV in partnership with C21Media, and it wasted no time making a statement. The event opened with a Copro Pitch that put seven scripted and unscripted television concepts before an international panel of judges, and by the end of it, two projects had walked away with £10,000 each in marketing prize money from C21Media to support development and international promotion.
The jury, comprising Frank Spotnitz, Fiona Campbell, Rashmi Bajpai, Bal Samra and Rachel Glaister, evaluated a shortlist that ranged from a dark Mumbai comedy-drama about mental health (Dirty Minds, created by Sundar Aaron) to a Delhi coming-of-age mystery (Djinn Patrol, by Neha Sharma and Kilian Irwin), a techno-thriller about a teenage gaming prodigy (Kanpur X Satori, by Suchita Bhatia), an investigative crime drama blending mythology and modern thriller (The Age of Kali, by Shivani Bhatija), a documentary on India’s spice heritage (The Masala Quest, hosted by Sarina Kamini), a documentary on competitive gaming (Respawn: India’s Esports Revolution, by George Mangala Thomas and Sangram Mawari), and a reality-horror competition merging gaming and immersive fear (Scary Goose, by Samar Iqbal).
The session was hosted by Mayank Shekhar.
The two winners were Djinn Patrol, backed by Miura Kite, formerly of Participant Media and known for Chinatown and Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey, with Jaya Entertainment, producers of Real Kashmir Football Club, also attached; and The Masala Quest, created and hosted by Sarina Kamini, an Indian-Australian cook, author and self-described “spice evangelist.”
The summit also unveiled the Content India Trends Report, whose findings made for bracing reading. Daoud Jackson, senior analyst at OMDIA, set the tone: “By 2030, online video in India will nearly double the revenue of traditional TV, becoming the main driver of growth.” He noted that in 2025, India produced a quarter of all YouTube videos globally, overtaking the United States, while Indians collectively spend 117 years daily on YouTube and 72 years on Instagram. Traditional subscription TV is declining as free TV and connected TV gain ground, forcing broadcasters to innovate. “AI-generated content is just 2 per cent of engagement,” Jackson added, “highlighting the dominance of high-quality human content. The key for Indian media companies is scaling while monetising effectively from day one.”
Hannah Walsh, principal analyst at Ampere Analysis, added hard numbers to the picture. India produced over 24,000 titles in January 2026 alone, with 19,000 available internationally. The country now accounts for 12 per cent of Asia-Pacific content spend, up from 8 per cent in 2021, outpacing both Japan and China. Key exporters include JioStar, Zee Entertainment, Sony India, Amazon and Netflix, delivering over 7,500 Indian-produced titles abroad each year. The top importing markets are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, the United States and the Philippines. Scripted content dominates globally at 88 per cent, with crime dramas and children’s and family titles performing particularly strongly.
Manoj Dobhal, chief executive and executive director of Dish TV India, framed the summit’s ambition squarely. “Stories don’t need translation. They need a platform, discovery, and reach, local or global,” he said. “India produces more movies than any country, our streaming platforms compete globally, and our tech and creators win international awards. Yet fragmentation slows growth. Producers, platforms, and tech move in different lanes. We need shared spaces, collaboration, and an ecosystem where ideas, technology, and people meet. That is why we built Content India.”
The data, the pitches and the prize money all pointed to the same conclusion: India is not waiting for the world to discover its stories. It is building the infrastructure to sell them.
