MAM
Fiction helps Colors to shrink gap with Star Plus
MUMBAI: After a long time, Star Plus and Colors, the top two channels of the Hindi general entertainment genre, are in close fight.
As per Tam data for the week ended 26 March, the gap between the two is just 19 GRPs (gross rating points). And this time it‘s not movies or special events but fiction shows that have taken Colors nearer to the genre leader.
During the week under review, Colors gained 15 GRPs to close the week at 272 GRPs, while Star Plus lost 13 GRPs to take its tally to 291 GRPs.
Colors’ 10 pm show Uttaran (5.9 TVR) and 8.30 pm show Laagi Tujhse Lagan (5.6 TVR) became the top rated shows for the week, occupying first and second space in the charts; they displaced Zee TV’s Pavitra Rishta (5.2 TVR) and Star Plus’ Saathiya Saath Nibhana (5 TVR).
Meanwhile, Zee TV and Sony Entertainment Television lost maximum GRPs during the week (21 and 24 respectively), but continued to retain their third and fourth positions with 186 and 159 GRPs respectively.
Sab saw no change and remained with 136 GRPs on fifth place, while Imagine TV did add eight GRPs to close the week with 81 points.
Star One closed the week with 30 GRPs, down six points from last week, while Sahara One lost two points to end with 25 GRPs.
Brands
Uidai partners with Google to help users locate Aadhaar centres
Verified Aadhaar centres to appear on Maps with services and access info
MUMBAI: Finding an Aadhaar centre may soon be as easy as finding your favourite café. In a move aimed at making public services more accessible, the Unique Identification Authority of India has partnered with Google to display authorised Aadhaar centres on Google Maps. The feature, expected to roll out in the coming months, will allow residents to locate verified centres quickly and confidently.
More than 60,000 Aadhaar centres, including state of the art Aadhaar Seva Kendras, will be mapped. When users search on Google Maps, they will be directed to authorised facilities rather than unverified listings, helping curb misinformation and confusion.
The listings will do more than drop a pin. Users will be able to see the nature of services offered at each centre, whether it is adult enrolment, child enrolment, or limited to address and mobile number updates. Details such as operating hours, parking availability and divyang friendly infrastructure will also be shown wherever applicable.
Uidai CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar, said the collaboration is part of the authority’s continued effort to improve ease of living for Aadhaar holders by making authorised centres simpler and faster to navigate.
The partnership will deepen in its next phase, with Uidai using Google Business Profile to manage information and respond directly to public feedback. Looking ahead, the two organisations are also exploring the option of enabling appointment bookings through the Google Maps interface, potentially allowing residents to plan their visits with greater efficiency.
Google India country head, strategic partnerships Roli Agarwal, said integrating verified Aadhaar centres would help millions access trusted services with confidence, bringing essential government infrastructure closer to the people who need it most.
If all goes to plan, a routine Aadhaar update may soon begin not with a queue, but with a search bar.
