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Ferzad Palia takes charge of upGrad’s new D2C play to build mass skilling into a daily habit
MUMBAI: Skilling just got serious, and perhaps even a little snackable. Edtech major upGrad has roped in Ferzad Palia to lead its freshly minted direct-to-consumer (D2C) vertical as the company bets big on always-on learning to serve India’s digital-first, byte-sized learning generation.
With a legacy in university-led programs, industry certifications and study abroad pathways, upGrad is now gearing up to make skilling a habit — not just a career intervention. The move signals the company’s next phase of growth: a high-octane, AI-fuelled ecosystem of micro-learning, personalisation, and scalable access.
“It strengthens our mission to own the entire learning journey and turns skilling into a household habit, not just a job-switch trigger. Ferzad’s deep expertise in building high-scale, high-engagement content-driven platforms will help us unlock a wider segment – combined with tech that appeals to their fast-learning patterns”, said Upgrad co-founder & chairperson Ronnie Screwvala.
In his new role, Palia will lead upGrad’s efforts to serve a new wave of learners seeking flexibility, speed and relevance. He brings more than 25 years of experience across consumer tech, media and advertising, most recently as senior EVP at JioStar (formerly Viacom18), where he played a pivotal role in scaling JioCinema. Before that, he spearheaded multiple divisions at Viacom18 including international distribution, youth media and the D2C business.
Palia, who began his career at J Walter Thompson managing Unilever’s personal care portfolio, also had a stint at CNBC-TV18.
“The opportunity to transform India’s upskilling and learning landscape at scale, is an exciting mandate. upGrad’s solid foundation and commitment to outcome-led learning provides the perfect springboard”, he said.
With the new D2C push, upGrad is looking to turn binge-watching into binge-learning— minus the guilt, and with outcomes attached.
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Paramount set to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in $81 billion deal
Shareholders back merger, combined entity could reshape streaming and studios.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… consolidation, Hollywood’s latest blockbuster might be happening off-screen. Shareholders of Warner Bros. Discovery have voted in favour of selling the company to Paramount in a deal valued at $81 billion rising to nearly $111 billion including debt setting the stage for one of the biggest shake-ups in modern media. The proposed merger, still subject to regulatory approvals, would bring together a vast portfolio spanning HBO Max, CNN, and franchises such as Harry Potter under the same umbrella as Paramount’s own heavyweights, including Top Gun and CBS.
At the heart of the deal is streaming scale. Executives have indicated plans to combine HBO Max and Paramount+ into a single platform, potentially creating a stronger challenger to giants like Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video. Current market data suggests HBO Max holds around 12 per cent of US on-demand subscriptions, compared to Paramount+’s 3 per cent, together still trailing Netflix’s 19 per cent and Disney’s combined 27 per cent via Disney+ and Hulu.
Paramount CEO David Ellison has signalled that while platforms may merge, HBO’s creative identity will remain intact, stating the brand should “stay HBO” even within a broader ecosystem.
Beyond streaming, the deal would redraw the map for film production. Combining two of Hollywood’s oldest studios Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros., the new entity aims to scale output to over 30 films annually, while maintaining a 45-day theatrical window. Warner Bros. currently commands around 21 per cent of the US box office, compared to Paramount’s 6 per cent, underscoring the strategic weight of the acquisition.
But scale comes with scrutiny. Critics warn that fewer players could mean reduced consumer choice, rising subscription costs, and potential job cuts as the combined company looks to streamline overlapping operations while managing billions in debt.
The news business, too, faces a reset. CNN would join forces at least structurally with Paramount-owned CBS, raising questions about editorial independence and positioning. The merger has already drawn political attention in the United States, particularly given perceived ties between the Ellison family and Donald Trump, though the company maintains that newsroom autonomy will be preserved.
If approved, the deal would mark another milestone in Hollywood’s consolidation wave shrinking the industry’s traditional “big six” studios to a “big four”, with Paramount joining Disney, Universal, and Sony at the top table.
In an industry built on storytelling, this merger may well become its most consequential plot twist yet.
