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Social distancing for a society that loves chai
MUMBAI: India is known as a country that not only loves drinking tea, but is an intricate part of both its culture and history. As many Indians, across the country, experience social distancing, Society Tea – a celebrated household name and market leader in the tea category in Maharashtra – introduces its #StayAtHome campaign, to encourage safety, remembering the beautiful memories, we collectively spend as a community, around tea.
Society Tea celebrates this tea drinking culture, borrowing visuals from their human interest photo essay campaign aptly titled 'Tea Society Called India', capturing poignant shots celebrating the unifying and proudly home-grown tea drinking culture across the length and breadth of our country.
Society Tea’s #StayAtHome campaign illustrates all those small moments in the day, wherein people come together to brew a delightful experience over a cup of chai. Thereby giving the message that until such a time comes again, #StayAtHome #StayIndoors #StaySafeAtHome and grab a cup of Society Tea!
Society Tea director Karan Shah said, “Society Tea has always been subtly invested in its duty towards society. With the inspiration to brew delightful experiences and conversations over chai, we at Society Tea have recently incorporated the visually appealing #StayAtHome campaign, to portray simple and small memories during the day, when we come together as a community to enjoy our tea together. Until such a time is back, let’s not only stay safe, but also look forward to enjoying these moments with our friends, family and close ones.”https://www.facebook.com/SocietyTea/videos/3260409547302551/
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MAM
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.
