iWorld
Cyrus Oshidar launches youth centric digital venture 101India.com
MUMBAI: Digital ventures are mushrooming in the country nineteen to a dozen. With the big daddys of Indian media and entertainment like Raghav Bahl and Ronnie Screwvala leading from the front in the space with new ideas and bags full of investment, it doesn’t take much to figure that digital is where the future lies. And another such media personality, who is putting his money where the mouth is, is the former MTV man Cyrus Oshidar.
When it comes to interacting with the youth in India, there’s no bigger name than Oshidar. Under his supervision at MTV India, iconic creative series targeted at the youth were launched, which successfully managed to garner the TG’s attention. Be it Roadies, or the musical voyage in Sound Trippin, uniqueness was forever visible in each and every concept.
The man who played a pivotal role in establishing youth market in India with multiple innovations, is now set to connect with the youth yet again and this time with the digital portal 101India.com. The portal was launched a month ago with the aim of providing unique and differentiated content for young Indians. What’s more, his team’s unique skill sets were also used to create deeper and more relevant brand solutions. With 101India, Oshidar and his team aim to lead the digital content movement in India.
Speaking exclusively to Indiantelevision.com, 101India.com MD and chief creative officer Oshidar says, “It was at the 2012 Cannes’ first branded content and entertainment contest that the concept of 101digital.com came into my mind. It’s time for the movement to begin. We need to talk to the youth in a creative manner, which they will acknowledge and then eventually interact with.”
Combining adverts in a subtle manner with content on the platform is how the portal will look at making an impact on the youth’s mind. Oshidar says, “We are not a million hits platform and hence we are not going to go pitching to advertisers with promises to millions in return for their crores. We know how to speak to the youth of the country and that’s all we will do. Gone are the days of putting ads in between content. Now we have to fit the brand in the content itself and that’s what we will do in 101India.com.”
The content publishing platform will target educated metro youth aged between 21 – 25 years and hence majority of the marketing and promotional activities to promote the venture will revolve around social media.
Broadband speed in the country is poised to get a major fillip what with Airtel 4G already hitting the market and Reliance Jio impending launch by year end. Oshidar is of the opinion that these rollouts will enhance the infrastructure and bridge the gap between quality streaming and content.
While internationally acclaimed over the top (OTT) venture Netflix is speculated to start its India operation in 2016, another player HOOQ has already launched its India ops. The space is getting cluttered by the day with the addition of Indian OTT players like Ditto TV, Hotstar and Eros Now amongst others. There’s cut-throat competition in the market and established ventures can often overpower startups. However, Oshidar believes that quality content will always sustain. “Game Of Thrones will remain Game Of Thrones and people will consume it irrespective of the platform. So we need to have premium content to sustain in the long run,” he asserts.
101India.com will soon launch an app to reach out to more mobile customers. In terms of content, the venture has created a documentary on the issue of transgenders in association with Times of India’s online venture Indiatimes.com. Also in the pipeline are a series of fiction shows along with a few short movies.
The entire production is taken care of by the in-house team at 101India.com. “We are blessed to have a group of creative talents, who have worked closely with me at MTV and we execute the production all among ourselves,” Oshidar concludes.
More digital power to Oshidar we say!
iWorld
Netflix cuts jobs in product division amid restructuring
Layoffs hit creative studio unit as leadership and strategy shifts unfold.
MUMBAI: The streaming wars may be fought on screen, but the latest plot twist is unfolding behind the scenes. Netflix has reportedly begun laying off several dozen employees from its product division as part of an internal reorganisation, according to a report by Variety. The cuts are believed to have primarily affected the company’s creative studio unit, which works on marketing assets such as in app trailers, promotional visuals and live experience content for the streaming platform.
The company has not disclosed the exact number of employees impacted.
According to the report, the layoffs were not tied to employee performance. Instead, the restructuring eliminated certain roles while other employees were reassigned to different teams within the organisation.
The roles affected are understood to include designers, producers and creative specialists responsible for marketing and brand experience initiatives.
The job cuts come as Netflix adjusts its leadership structure and reshapes its product and creative teams. Last month, Elizabeth Stone was promoted from chief technology officer to chief product and technology officer, giving her oversight of product, engineering and data operations across the company.
Earlier, in December 2025, Netflix also appointed Martin Rose as head of creative for global brand and partnerships, a move seen as part of a broader restructuring of the company’s brand and product functions.
Despite the layoffs, Netflix remains one of the largest employers in the streaming sector. The company is estimated to employ around 16,000 people globally, with roughly 70 percent of its workforce based in the United States and Canada. In 2023, the company reported approximately 13,000 employees, indicating that its headcount had grown significantly before the latest restructuring.
The workforce changes arrive at a time when Netflix is navigating a shifting financial and strategic landscape in the global entertainment industry.
The streaming giant recently secured $2.8 billion in additional cash after receiving a breakup fee from Paramount Skydance following its withdrawal from a deal involving Warner Bros. Discovery.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Netflix co chief executive Ted Sarandos explained that the company had evaluated multiple scenarios during the negotiations but chose not to match the competing offer once it learned that a higher bid had been submitted.
Netflix had capped its offer at $27.75 per share and ultimately stepped back rather than pursue Paramount’s $111 billion acquisition deal, which included a personal guarantee.
Sarandos also cautioned that the financing structure behind the Paramount Skydance transaction could have ripple effects across the entertainment industry.
According to him, the debt heavy deal could trigger significant cost cutting, with David Ellison, chief executive of Paramount Skydance, expected to eliminate about $16 billion in costs and potentially cut thousands of jobs as part of the integration process.
For Netflix, the current restructuring appears to be part of a broader attempt to streamline operations while continuing to invest in product, technology and global content even as the streaming industry enters a new phase of consolidation and financial discipline.
