iWorld
Axis Capital appointed as banker for ALT Digital Media
BENGALURU: The Ekta Kapoor led Balaji Telefilms Limited (BTL) has announced Axis Capital as the banker for investments into its digital business ALTBalaji thru BTL’s wholly owned subsidiary ALT Digital Media Entertainment Limited.
A BTL release filed with the bourses says: ‘In recognition of the continued robust prospects of Balaji Telefilms Limited (BTL) market’s leading television content production business and the strong response and growth potential its newly launched digital OTT platform (ALTBalaji), the Management of BTL has decided to concentrate a significant portion of its bandwidth and the Company’s available resources on these high potential business segments.’
The release claims further that: ‘Several financial and strategic investors have expressed strong interest to partner with ALTBalaji and the Management is actively considering the options available and has appointed Axis Capital as bankers for the Investments.’
BTL claims that ALT Digital Media Entertainment Limited with its stand out original content, has received great response with 2.4 million downloads. making BTL one of the first movers in the fast growing OTT market in India. Given the disruptive nature of the emerging OTT opportunity, ALTBalaji will be a game changer for BTL.
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.
