iWorld
ALTBalaji claims its exclusive content has global reach, regional shows in pipeline
MUMBAI: ALTBalaji, the digital platform of Balaji Telefilms which launched on 16th April 2017, now has an audience in over 70 countries with 10 days of the service going live. ALTBalaji was made available globally and the shows have found an audience not just with the South Asian Diaspora but also with regions where Indian entertainment content has been popular.
The countries include US, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, Far East and UAE which have large pockets of Indian communities and places like Suriname, Curaco, Armenia, Ghana, Kyrgystan and Aruba which have PIOs in significant numbers.
ALTBalaji’s launch line up of shows include Karrle Tu Bhi Mohabbat -starring Ram Kapoor and Sakshi Tanwar, in a story of two opposite attracts, DevDD -a show depicting a female Devdas who is wilder than the imagination, Boygiri – a tale about 6 men who refuse to grow up, Bewafaa Sii Wafaa- a show on married couple finding their soulmates after marriage and Romil and Jugal- a passionate tale of Romeo and Juliet with a twist. These original stories have been lapped up by the audiences that have been starved of well-made and interesting stories.
ALT Digital Media Entertainment CEO Nachiket Pantvaidya said – “We have created a platform for original and exclusive Indian content that fills the gap between what Indian TV shows and Western shows have to offer. We are showcasing original and exclusive content in languages like Bengali, Punjabi, Tamil and Gujarati that will appeal to a broad spectrum of South Asian audiences globally and we are happy to discover that even non-Indian audiences subscribed to our shows and are enjoying them.”
ALTBalaji will release new shows every fortnight for its viewers to binge watch. The content is created by some of the best talent of the Indian entertainment industry, including critically acclaimed directors and actors.
The long illustrious list of artistes comprises of Nagesh Kukunoor, Juhi Chawla, Nimrat Kaur, Rajkumar Rao, Hansal Mehta, Sakshi Tanwar, Ram Kapoor, Atul Kulkarni, Sameer Soni, Yudhishtar Urs, Dipannita Sharma Atwal, and more.
ALTBalaji’s 250+ hours of original and exclusive content offer a wide range of genres; the package has something for every viewer.
Shows in regional language are also in pipeline for the platform, Maya Thirrai- a Tamil thriller drama will soon be available to viewers. ALTBalaji offers an extensive range of shows in various languages and genres to all age groups and regions, both in India and abroad.
iWorld
X launches XChat messaging app on iOS with calls and encryption
Standalone app marks shift from “everything app” vision, adds E2E messaging.
MUMBAI: From one big app to many small chats, X seems to be splitting its ambitions. X has rolled out its standalone messaging app, XChat, to iOS users, opening up a new front in its evolving product strategy. The app allows users to connect with existing X contacts through private and group messages, file sharing, as well as audio and video calls. The launch follows a limited beta phase, where the platform tested the product with a smaller user base to refine the experience. Now available publicly, XChat marks a notable pivot from earlier ambitions championed by Elon Musk to turn X into a single “everything app” combining messaging, payments, commerce and more.
Instead, the company under xAI ownership and backed by SpaceX appears to be building a suite of standalone applications, each targeting specific use cases while expanding its broader ecosystem.
At launch, XChat includes end-to-end encrypted messaging, PIN-based access, disappearing messages, and features such as message editing, deletion for all participants, and screenshot blocking. The company has also said the app is free from advertisements and tracking mechanisms, positioning it as a privacy-first alternative in a crowded messaging space.
However, security claims around the platform are likely to face scrutiny. Earlier iterations of XChat drew criticism from experts who argued it fell short of established encrypted platforms like Signal. With the wider rollout, the app is expected to undergo fresh evaluation to assess whether those concerns have been addressed.
Beyond messaging, XChat will also house X’s Communities feature, which is being discontinued on the main platform due to low usage and spam concerns. Migrating these users could provide an early boost to adoption, effectively turning XChat into both a communication and community hub.
The move underscores a broader recalibration at X less about cramming everything into one app, and more about spreading bets across multiple touchpoints, one message at a time.
