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Nissin and Chhota Bheem team up for new masala noodles
Popular children’s character enters instant noodles category with fun digital twist.
MUMBAI: Chhota Bheem is about to make snack time even more heroic this time, with a bowl of noodles. Green Gold Animation, the creator of India’s beloved animated character Chhota Bheem, has partnered with Indo Nissin Foods to launch “Nissin Chhota Bheem Masala Noodles”. The new kid-friendly variant combines Nissin’s trusted taste with a mild masala flavour tailored for young consumers.
Each pack includes a QR code that unlocks the “Nissin Funtastic Playzone”, an interactive digital platform offering up to 15 Chhota Bheem-themed mobile games. The games are designed to provide short, engaging, and responsible play experiences, extending the Chhota Bheem universe beyond the screen.
India’s instant noodles market is estimated to be valued at nearly Rs 10,000 crore in 2025, growing at close to 10 per cent year-on-year, with the highly affordable segment accounting for nearly 85 per cent of the total market. The new product enters this competitive space with a focus on strengthening appeal among children and family households. It will be available across general trade and modern retail outlets nationwide.
Green Gold Animation founder & CEO Rajiv Chilaka said, “Our collaboration with Indo Nissin Foods is a meaningful step in expanding the Chhota Bheem universe into everyday consumer spaces. By combining Nissin’s product strength and retail reach with our storytelling expertise, we are creating an experience that goes beyond the screen.”
Indo Nissin Foods chief marketing officer Daisuke Okabayashi added, “With the launch of ‘Nissin Chhota Bheem Masala Noodles’, we are uniting the incredible appeal of Chhota Bheem with the great taste and trust of Nissin for kids. The addition of the Nissin Funtastic Playzone further elevates the experience through engaging and responsible play.”
This partnership marks a strategic brand extension for Green Gold Animation, moving Chhota Bheem deeper into daily family consumption habits while reinforcing its position as a multi-format Indian IP with long-term relevance.
In the highly competitive noodles aisle, Chhota Bheem is bringing his signature energy and courage this time, to help little ones enjoy a fun, tasty, and playful snack. The hero of Indian animation is now ready to conquer lunchboxes across the country.
MAM
Netflix Q1 2026 earnings ad growth and content spending in focus
Streaming giant set to report results on Thursday after walking away from Warner Bros Discovery takeover.
MUMBAI: Netflix is about to hit play on its latest quarterly numbers and investors are hoping the plot thickens in all the right ways. The streaming leader reports its first-quarter 2026 earnings on Thursday, marking its first set of results since it walked away from a proposed takeover of Warner Bros Discovery. That failed bid would have handed Netflix prized franchises such as Game of Thrones and Friends on a silver platter, sparing the costly effort of building its own library. Instead, the company now faces tougher competition from a potential $110 billion Warner Bros-Paramount Skydance combination, should that deal close.
Analysts polled by LSEG expect Netflix to post a 15.5 per cent rise in revenue to $12.18 billion, with advertising contributing $634 million. The company raised US prices in March, a move some believe could prompt an upward revision to its full-year revenue forecast and nudge more subscribers towards the faster-growing ad-supported tier.
Netflix shares have climbed 13 per cent so far this year and are up roughly 26 per cent since the company stepped back from the $72 billion Warner Bros deal. With the merger drama behind it, the spotlight now shifts to how aggressively Netflix can expand its advertising business and live programming.
“We’re kind of entering another phase for the ad business, where they are becoming one of the largest scaled global advertising platforms,” said Gabelli Funds portfolio manager John Belton, which holds Netflix shares.
During the quarter, Netflix beefed up its live slate with a BTS concert streamed from Seoul that drew 18.4 million viewers worldwide and the 2026 World Baseball Classic, which became the most-streamed baseball game globally. Investors are watching for signals that the company will lean further into sports and other live events to fuel ad revenue growth.
The results come at a pivotal moment. Having dodged what could have been a debt-heavy acquisition, Netflix has the freedom and the cash to double down on its core strengths: original content spending and building a robust, scaled advertising platform. Whether the numbers deliver a binge-worthy performance or leave viewers wanting more, one thing is clear: the streaming wars are far from over, and Netflix is determined to keep its crown.
Expect plenty of drama when the figures drop after all, in the world of streaming, every quarter is its own cliffhanger.
