MAM
Nestlé a+ launches ‘Cartons to Classroom’ campaign with Tetra Pak
Mumbai: Nestlé a+ has joined hands with Tetra Pak to launch ‘Cartons to Classroom’- a unique initiative to increase awareness about recycling in India by converting used beverage cartons to create classroom furniture for schools for less-privileged children.
The initiative will begin in Mumbai and it marks the start of a long-term collaboration between Nestlé a+ and Tetra Pak, duly supported by the food and beverage company’s retail partners- Reliance Retail and RUR Greenlife, a social enterprise.
Cartons to Classroom is an extension of Tetra Pak’s ‘Go Green with Tetra Pak’ programme. It brings together two important goals of increasing recycling of used beverage cartons and providing quality education infrastructure for less-privileged children.
“Nestlé a+ is proud to partner with Tetra Pak on this unique recycling initiative that not only champions the cause of responsible waste management but also contributes effectively towards the education of less-privileged children,” said Nestlé India director- dairy Mehernosh Malia. “The ‘Cartons to Classroom’ programme is the first step by Nestlé a+ in this long-term collaboration on sustainability with Tetra Pak. We are committed to working towards more such initiatives across our brands.”
Beverage cartons such as the ones made by Tetra Pak, are paper-based, recyclable and can be converted into useful items like classroom furniture. A key catalyst in increasing the recycling of cartons is environmentally conscious consumers. With an intent to make this initiative accessible to all Nestlé a+ consumers, 54 collection points across Reliance Smart Superstores and Sahakari Bhandar outlets will be made available in Mumbai. Through these, Nestlé a+ aims at collecting more than 10,00,000 cartons which would get recycled into composite sheets, almost 100+ desks for schools, said the brand in a statement.
“We are happy to have the support of a reputed brand like Nestlé a+ on Cartons to Classroom, which speaks volumes about the power of partnerships. A responsible manufacturer, brand owner, retailer and social enterprise, all coming together to make a real difference in the area of environmental sustainability,” said Tetra Pak- South Asia sustainability director Jaideep Gokhale. “Building on our flagship program Go Green with Tetra Pak launched in 2010, this campaign will bring alive how one small step of depositing used cartons for recycling can positively impact communities as well as the planet.”
“Go Green with Tetra Pak is a program that is very close to our hearts, and we are thankful to our loyal customers who have extended their support to the program for 11 years! I am confident that our customers will respond with even more enthusiasm and play their part in supporting Cartons to Classroom,” added Reliance Retail president and CEO Damodar Mall.
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.
