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UCWeb to select We-Media contributors with monthly payout
MUMBAI: UCWeb, a part of Alibaba Mobile Business Group, has outlined detailed guidelines for writers and content creators to join the ‘Super 1000’ Program launched in March 2017.
The integrated evaluation will be done under four key indicators including page views, content customization, content category and publishing frequency. The UC News Content team will review quality and the overall influence of the candidate while keeping in mind content originality and legitimacy before giving the final confirmation. ‘Super 1000’ is a strategic initiative for user-generated content in India and part of We-Media Reward Plan 2.0. Under this programme, UCWeb plans to recruit 1000 We-Media writers in India and Indonesia who will be able to earn at least Rs 50,000 per month, generating varied content across diverse categories.
The programme has received more than 1,300 applications since its launch in March 2017. One of the first writers to qualify for the programme is CricketTrolls, a blog offering latest cricket news, offbeat news, memes and more with an aim to make cricket more fun. The blog enjoys over 3.62 million page views and is earning more than 900 USD per month. Besides an upgrade in Ad revenue sharing model, the We-Media Reward Plan 2.0 programme will open the door of opportunity to the most talented writers in the country. The programme saw an increase of 200% and 350% (MoM) in its page views of English and Hindi We-Media content respectively in the past quarter. Other than cricket, contributors can also opt to write on Entertainment, Politics, Tech, Health, and Lifestyle categories.
“Users are embracing diverse digital content and their appetite for such content is being met by UC News. According to our data, there are at least 400,000 self-publishers in India, creating a huge scope to grow the market, especially in niche categories. UC News and We-Media programme aim to meet the increasing demand of varied content by users and build a well-established ecosystem. With our strengths in Big Data AI, the UC We- Media Program is opening a gateway to more opportunities in India’s content industry,” said UC News We-Media head Bruce Zuo.
CricketTrolls founder Anirudh Singh says, “Getting on board the UC News platform was one of the best decisions. With UC News, you just have to write good content for your readers and not worry about anything else. In addition to that, you can monetize your content. But the most exciting part for us was the analytics tool provided by the platform. It was so easy to analyze how many page views are we receiving, the kind of articles our readers are liking, and the follower base we are building. We would highly recommend all aspiring bloggers to join the UC News We-Media Platform.”
Anyone with the required qualification can apply or be recommended as a ‘Super 1000 We-Media’ candidate. Accounts with illegal or inappropriate content or accounts lacking originality will be filtered out of this selection. While the application process is easy, UCWeb’s editorial team is on strict watch against illegal content, including fake news, pirates, duplications, and any inappropriate adult content that can erode the reading experience. An active writer who publishes frequently has a higher chance of being selected.
Through this programme, UCWeb aims to overhaul the digital content landscape in India. The programme encourages customised, long-tail content creators who will contribute to India’s growing content ecosystem. Content generators with a distinguished identity along with profound insights, perspective and style will be given priority.
The Qualification Process for Super 1000 We-Media Program is as follows:
● Update account daily is a minimum criteria
● Create at least 20 articles per week
● Focus on original (valuable and meaningful) and unique content rather than copied content
● Exclusively release content on UC News
● Persist in the same vertical field (content category) continuously, with focus & perfection
● Aim to understand preferences of your fans/readers and continue to create content to meet their needs and choices
● Adhere to a healthy operation to ensure the legitimacy of the content shared. Practices such as unethical publication of illegal, unhealthy, fraud, infringement, improper marketing and other content will terminate your account
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Zscaler, Airtel launch India AI Cyber Research Centre
New hub to boost cyber resilience and trusted AI use
NEW DELHI: As India’s digital engine roars ahead, so do the risks riding shotgun. In response, Zscaler, Inc. and Bharti Airtel have joined hands to launch the AI and Cyber Threat Research Center – India, a national initiative aimed at strengthening the country’s cyber defences and accelerating responsible AI adoption.
The centre is designed as a multi stakeholder platform that brings together industry, government and academia. Its mission is clear: protect critical sectors such as telecom, banking and energy, shield everyday digital users, and future proof India’s fast expanding online ecosystem.
India has long been a major innovation hub for Zscaler, with a substantial portion of its cyber research talent based here. With this new centre, that footprint evolves into a national collaboration engine. The idea is simple but ambitious, build in India, for India, and help power the country’s journey towards a secure and digitally self reliant future.
The timing is telling. India is building digital systems at population scale, not just enterprise scale. That scale has widened the attack surface dramatically. At the same time, cyber criminals and nation state actors are deploying AI to scan, probe and exploit vulnerabilities in minutes.
Zscaler’s research arm, ThreatLabz India, reports millions of infiltration attempts every month. These include espionage campaigns linked to regional geopolitical tensions, 1.2 million intrusion attempts from 20,000 sources targeting 58 Indian digital entities, and a rise in zero day exploit attempts across multiple industries.
In such an environment, perimeter based security models are struggling to keep pace. The new centre aims to push a shift towards secure by design systems and Zero Trust architecture.
Its strategy rests on four pillars: protect through real time intelligence, remediate by working directly with government agencies, facilitate adoption of AI driven security and Zero Trust frameworks, and build a stronger cybersecurity talent pipeline through specialised certifications.
As founding members, Zscaler and Airtel will combine global threat intelligence with local network visibility. Zscaler will deploy a dedicated India focused research team and draw insights from its Zero Trust Exchange platform, which processes over 500 billion daily transactions worldwide. Airtel, meanwhile, will contribute deep visibility into IoT and mobile traffic, helping detect suspicious activity faster and coordinate response across the ecosystem.
Bharti Airtel executive vice chairman Gopal Vittal, said the partnership extends Airtel’s commitment to safeguarding customers and the nation’s digital fabric. He added that the collaboration would address challenges unique to the Indian market and encourage secure and confident digital engagement.
Zscaler chief executive, chairman and founder Jay Chaudhry, said India’s digital ambition cannot be secured with legacy firewalls and VPNs. He noted that a modern Zero Trust architecture is essential for a hyper connected world and that the new centre would harness the scale of Zscaler’s global security cloud while empowering a new generation of Indian cyber defenders.
Additional members from critical public and private sectors are expected to join the initiative in the coming months, expanding its scope and deepening collaboration.
In a world where threats travel at machine speed, India’s answer is to think faster, collaborate wider and build smarter.
