iWorld
Aastha TV to launch OTT, VOD service
MUMBAI: Now mobile users who are fans of spiritual gurus like Morari Bapu, Shivani, Acharya Balkrishna and Swami Ramdev will be able to watch their programmes and discourses while on the go. The Swami Ramdev-Acharya Balkrishna-owned Vedic Broadcasting today launched an app which will stream the live linear channel feed of the TV channels of the Aastha group – including Aastha Bhajan, Aastha TV, Vedic and Arihant. In addition to that it features over 500 hours of VOD content and users will be able to watch catch up TV for the previous nine days.
Interestingly, Aastha TV is already available as a live channel on YuppTV.
According to Swami Ramdev, the Aastha app would bring “bring people across the world closer to Indian spirituality and meditation. It will break national boundaries and anyone anywhere will be able to watch the best of spirituality and natural wellness through Yoga and Ayurveda.”
Balkrishna believes that the app will “help connecting the younger generation across India and the world with the Indian spiritual value-based system and help them enrich their lives spiritually, mentally and physically.”
The app has been powered by OTT YuppTV’s white label service, which has moved on from being just an OTT platform to being a technology service provider to video companies wanting to deliver content via mobile and OTT services.
Says Yupp TV CEO Uday Reddy: “We are glad to associate with Aastha channel and expedite its reach across digital channels via our multi-screen white-labelled video platform. While the channel promotes spirituality and culture amongst the youth and elderly alike, our white labelled OTT Platform will ensure the channel's direct reach and accessibility to the users."
Adds Aastha TV CEO Pramod Joshi: "The present-day user is equipped with digital mediums, smartphones and tablets and their viewing habits have changed. Hence, it is important for us to be present where our users are and make it convenient for them to watch our content and have a direct connection with them. We thank YuppTV's white-labelled OTT Platform for helping us successfully navigate through the world of OTT and making Aastha channels directly accessible to users via iOS and Android mobile apps, websites and connected TVs."
The Aastha app will be free for users in India but will be available for a subscription, after an initial free period, in different markets globally.
The content on the app will also be available in regional languages like Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Oriya, Bangla and Marathi.
The app will also have also beam videos of Ramdev's yoga camps as well as his discourses, which will be dubbed in regional languages for wider reach.
iWorld
Uber spotlights Rs 25 bike rides with music led IPL campaign
Uber uses 15 second music films with Divine and Roll Rida to push Rs 25 rides
MUMBAI: In a season where ads usually swing for sixes with celebrity spectacle, Uber has chosen to play a clever single sharp, fast, and straight to the point. Uber has rolled out a distinctly stripped-down IPL campaign, putting its product Uber Bike rides starting at Rs 25 for up to 3 km front and centre, rather than leaning on big-budget storytelling. The campaign features hip-hop artist Divine in Mumbai and Roll Rida in southern markets, using music as the primary vehicle for recall.
IPL advertising has long been dominated by high-production narratives packed with cricketers and film stars. Uber’s approach flips that playbook. Instead of elaborate storytelling, the brand opts for 15-second music-led films quick, rhythmic bursts designed to mirror the pace of urban mobility itself.
The message is deliberately simple, affordable, fast rides that cut through city traffic. No layered plots, no extended build-up just a functional promise delivered with cultural flair.
In the Mumbai-led film, Divine zips through traffic on an Uber Bike, turning the Rs 25 price point into a hook with his signature wordplay around “pachisi”. The campaign cleverly reframes affordability as a moment of delight, the kind that leaves commuters with a “32-teeth smile” after beating traffic at minimal cost.
Meanwhile, Roll Rida’s version leans into southern sensibilities, blending Telugu and Tamil influences with high-energy visuals. Set to the beat of tape drums, the film celebrates how low-cost rides can unlock a more connected and vibrant city experience. Together, the films reflect a conscious push towards regional authenticity, rather than a one-size-fits-all national narrative.
The campaign also signals Uber’s sharper focus on India’s growing bike taxi segment. While the company offers multi-modal services spanning cars, autos, metro integrations and intercity travel, this push zeroes in on two-wheelers as a key growth lever in dense urban markets.
By anchoring the campaign around a Rs 25 entry price for short distances, Uber is targeting everyday commuters, particularly younger users navigating congested cities where speed and cost matter more than comfort.
With IPL advertising clutter at its peak, even the most straightforward message risks getting lost. Uber’s answer is to embed the proposition within culture using music, regional nuance and repeat-friendly short formats to drive recall. The creative team has also layered subtle visual cues including multiple references to “25” within frames encouraging repeat viewing and reinforcing the core message without over-explaining it.
The campaign reflects a broader shift in advertising priorities. As attention spans shrink and media environments get noisier, brands are increasingly favouring clarity over complexity and speed over scale.
Uber’s IPL play may not shout the loudest, but it lands where it matters in the everyday commute. Because sometimes, in a marketplace full of grand narratives, a Rs 25 ride is story enough.
