iWorld
aha announces new web series ‘The Baker and the Beauty’
Mumbai: Telugu OTT platform aha in association with Keshet International has announced the latest web series “The Baker and the Beauty”, slated for the 10 September release.
The show is an adaptation of the globally acclaimed Israeli series by the same name. “The Baker and the Beauty offers a realistic picture of the conflicts, aspirations of people across Telugu middle-class households and in the crème de la crème of the society,” said aha in a statement.
The drama revolves around the unlikely romance between a middle-class youngster Vijay, who manages his parents’ small-time bakery and a film star Aira Vasireddy, a loner at heart.
Starring Santosh Shobhan, Tina Shilparaj, Vishnu Priya, Sai Swetha and Venkat, the ten-episode show marks the first collaboration between aha and Annapurna Studios. The trailer of the show was unveiled amid the cast and crew in Hyderabad.
“With nearly 11 million app downloads and an audience numbering 45 million across the globe, aha has set new standards for top-class content in the Telugu digital space in less than two years,” said My Home Group, director, Meghana Jupally. “The success of genre-bending shows like Kudi Yedamaithe and Tharagathi Gadhi Daati recently, speaks for itself. I am sure The Baker and the Beauty would leave audiences spellbound as well.”
“I feel privileged to be part of a memorable show like The Baker and the Beauty and equally humbled to associate with aha for a web show. This show kick-started my career as a lead actor and also reinstated my love for the craft and storytelling,” said lead actor Santosh Shobhan. “I resonated with the concerns, confusions, and sentiments of a middle-class boy like Vijay. The show will have something for everyone to identify with, and there can be no better occasion than a festival like Vinayaka Chavithi for families to come together and enjoy the show.”
aha has premiered films and series including “Krack”, “11th Hour”, “Zombie Reddy”, “Chaavu Kaburu Challaga”, “Naandhi”, “In the Name of God”, “Needa”, “Kala”, “aha Bhojanambu”, “One”, “Super Deluxe”, “Chathur Mukham”, “Kudi Yedamaithe” and “Tharagathi Gadhi Daati” this year.
e-commerce
ONDC names Vibhor Jain MD and CEO; Rohit Lohia joins as CBO, Manoj Thakur as CTO
Leadership formalised as open commerce network sharpens focus on scale and user value
The Open Network for Digital Commerce has formalised Vibhor Jain as managing director and chief executive officer, cementing a leadership transition at India’s ambitious open commerce platform as it pushes for scale and relevance.
Jain, who had been serving as acting chief executive officer since April last year following the exit of Thampy Koshy, steps into the role with effect from 7th April , according to a report by The Economic Times. He previously served as chief operating officer at the government-backed network, which enables buyers and sellers to transact across applications through an open, interoperable system.
Setting out his strategy, Jain underscored the network’s differentiated architecture. “Going forward, we are concentrating on what open, interoperable infrastructure can uniquely enable, things that no single platform has the incentive or the architecture to do,” he said.
He added that the immediate priority is to widen ONDC’s impact across user cohorts often underserved by platform-led commerce. “My priority is to deepen the value ONDC creates for the people it exists to serve: kisaans, karigars, kiranas, gig workers, first-time investors, and daily commuters across India,” he said.
Jain also flagged leadership reinforcement within the organisation, noting that ONDC has “a strong and exciting leadership team in place”, with Rohit Lohia joining as chief business officer and Manoj Thakur as chief technology officer.
With over 18 years of experience spanning entrepreneurship and consulting, Jain brings a track record in technology-led, large-scale transformation programmes and internet businesses. At ONDC, he has been closely involved in shaping strategy and operations as the network seeks to move digital commerce away from platform-centric models towards an open network approach.
Before ONDC, Jain worked with JUMO, where he helped set up the fintech firm’s India operations, and led the India launch of Mobike, handling regulatory, policy and operational aspects of its market entry. Earlier, he co-founded Atlanta Healthcare, an air quality management company, and spent more than a decade in consulting roles at Andersen and EY, advising governments on public policy and technology-driven reforms, including work on the Aadhaar programme and tax systems.
The mandate is clear but the path is complex. As ONDC attempts to rewrite the rules of digital commerce, Jain now carries the burden of turning open architecture into mass adoption, in a market still dominated by platform power.
