iWorld
Bharat Gupta of Jagran news media receives the DMA Trailblazer Award 2023
Mumbai: Jagran New Media CEO Bharat Gupta was honoured with the DMA Trailblazer Award 2023 in Mumbai on 11 October. He received this award in the “Women” category under “Individual Excellence” for his impactful vision and leadership in shaping HerZindagi’s incredible journey to make it the women’s website in just five years and touching the hearts of over 20 million people monthly.
On this recognition, Jagran New Media CEO Bharat Gupta said “I am truly honoured to receive this award and grateful for my team’s continued efforts towards using content and technology to build equitable and progressive societies, by fostering an environment of purpose, experience, and community. Five years ago, with the objective of launching a women-only website, we launched HerZindagi.com, to carve a niche for our women audiences.
Our sustained commitment to keeping purpose over profit resulted in the rapid growth of the website’s user base by an astounding 32 per cent over the past two years. The overall strategy is solely driven by impacting & engaging the audiences by fostering a community for women that educates, empowers, inspires and gives them a platform to be heard, seen, & recognized.”
The DMA Trailblazer Awards 2023 by DMA Asia celebrates visionaries and ideas that go beyond what societies deem possible, and at the same time push the boundaries of people to think big and work towards a better future. This year’s theme was “Purpose over Profit” which recognized corporations & individuals championing the greater good, awarding the beacons inspiring a new world.
Bharat’s recognition goes beyond industry acknowledgement as it represents a tangible difference in society that HerZindagi makes daily.
iWorld
Tata Play Binge adds Pocket Films to micro drama platform Shots
Over 210 micro dramas and 220 hours of content strengthen short form play
MUMBAI: Short stories are getting shorter and sharper. Tata Play Binge is doubling down on snackable storytelling, adding Pocket Films to its micro-drama hub Shots as it looks to capture India’s fast-growing appetite for quick-consumption content. The move expands Shots into a deeper, more diverse catalogue, now featuring over 210 micro-dramas and 220 hours of short-format programming across genres such as action, drama and thriller. The content spans Hindi and key regional languages, reflecting the increasingly local yet mobile-first nature of viewing habits.
Pocket Films brings with it a library of emotionally driven, culturally rooted narratives, including micro-dramas like Chaturanga, Vidushi, Maasa, Silent Cycle and Pilibhit, alongside short films such as Lock-up, Dubki and The Disguise. The addition builds on existing partnerships with Bullet and Stage, strengthening Shots as a one-stop destination for bite-sized storytelling.
Designed for vertical viewing, the platform leans into scroll-friendly interfaces, auto-play sequencing and seamless discovery mirroring the habits of always-on, digital-first audiences. The content remains ad-supported and is available within the Tata Play Binge app at no additional cost.
The integration also sits within a broader aggregation strategy. Tata Play Binge currently offers access to 30 plus OTT services including Prime Video, JioHotstar, Zee5 and Apple TV+ through a single subscription and interface, aiming to simplify fragmented streaming consumption.
As platforms race to keep up with shrinking attention spans, Tata Play Binge’s bet is straightforward: when stories get shorter, the catalogue needs to get bigger and faster.
