iWorld
ALTBalaji partners with AMAZON PAY
MUMBAI: India’s leading homegrown OTT platform, ALTBalaji announces its association via Amazon Pay. Through this partnership, customers can now experience a one-click purchase using Amazon Pay and avail a flat 50% cashback up to Rs. 150/- on paying for their ALTBalaji subscription.
With over 40 Originals in its content offering, ALTBalaji has built a legacy of creating iconic shows, like ‘Apharan,’ ‘Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain,’ ‘Home,’ ‘Gandii Baat’, ‘The Test Case’, ‘Bose: Dead or Alive’ among others, which have been lauded by audiences. ‘Broken but Beautiful’ strikes the right chords with audiences for its soul-stirring music and coming of age concept. Gandii Baat franchise has created quite a stir with its unabashed and sultry narratives of relationships and human tendencies; whereas on the other hand shows like TGIDF and Bose Dead/Alive has garnered rave reviews across demographics and age groups. Along with showcasing progressive and path-breaking content, the platform is also associated with a very wide talent pool of top-notch actors, writers and directors, who are expanding the boundaries of entertainment as we have known it so far.
Amazon Pay is one of the most trusted and convenient payment experiences for customers, sellers and merchants across India. Using Amazon Pay, customers can safely go cashless and enjoy quick and easy checkouts, faster refunds coupled with a secure shopping experience.
“This partnership helps us cater to audiences who prefer the Amazon ecosystem and payment options which is considered as the most trusted gateways for digital audiences across the country. Through this partnership, ALTBalaji’s library of homegrown, original premium content will now be even more accessible to a wider and newer set of audiences. The association will further help us extend our reach, while allowing Amazon Pay to offer their customers the entire catalogue of ALTBalaji’s premium content at an extremely competitive price point,” ALTBalaji CEO and Balaji Telefilms Group COO Nachiket Pantvaidya said.
“Integration of Amazon Pay on ALT Balaji gives consumers a safe and seamless payment choice. I am certain that this partnership will enhance the overall consumer experience on the platform and will encourage more subscribers to enjoy a friction free checkout,” Amazon Pay India Experience and Merchant Acceptance director Manesh Mahatme said.
With no additional authentications required, customers get the benefit of ‘one-click’ payments with a faster and vastly smoother check out process. Additionally, through Amazon Pay, customers can receive refunds faster than refunds to their bank accounts or credit cards and also view the details of balance transactions using an online statement.
iWorld
Karnataka weighs phone ban for under-16s
State consults university heads as Goa and Andhra Pradesh examine similar curbs on minors’ online access
BENGALURU: Karnataka may soon tell teenagers to put their phones away. The Congress-led state government is considering a ban on mobile phone use for students below 16, arguing that social media addiction is warping young minds, denting academic performance and fuelling wider social ills. The proposal is under active discussion, with chief minister Siddaramaiah seeking the views of vice chancellors from state-run universities on whether minors’ access to mobile phones on campuses should be curtailed.
“Today we are discussing this, and as you are all the vice chancellors here, I seek your opinion. Children are falling prey to drugs. Also, in line with various other countries, like Australia, there is a thought to ban mobile phones among students. I want your opinion on this. We are looking at this,” Siddaramaiah said.
The chief minister pointed to what he described as a growing obsession with social media among students. Excessive exposure, he warned, is affecting behaviour, education outcomes and mental health, while increasing vulnerability to drug exposure.
The debate is not confined to Karnataka. Priyank Kharge, electronics and IT/BT minister, told the legislative assembly that the state is consulting stakeholders on ensuring responsible use of artificial intelligence and social media, particularly by children, according to PTI.
Elsewhere, Goa is reportedly examining a proposal to bar children under 16 from accessing platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and X. In Andhra Pradesh, Nara Lokesh, education minister, has signalled that tighter curbs are under consideration. He has cited online harassment of women and the corrosive effects of excessive screen time on children’s attention spans and academic performance.
Lokesh said the state has commissioned a study of legal frameworks to ensure age-appropriate access to online platforms. The government has also invited Meta Platforms, X Corp., Google and ShareChat to an upcoming Group of Ministers meeting to review global best practice and explore ways to make social media safer for women and children.
“Trust in social media is breaking down. Children are slipping into relentless usage, affecting their attention spans and education. Women are facing non-stop online abuse. This cannot be ignored. The Andhra Pradesh Government has decided to act. In the meeting of the Group of Ministers on Social Media, we have ordered a study of legal frameworks for age-appropriate access,” Lokesh said in a post on X.
From Bengaluru to Amaravati, the message is sharpening. The smartphone, once a classroom companion, is fast becoming a political flashpoint. For India’s under-16s, the scroll may soon come with a stop sign.
