iWorld
Dish TV India’s OTT Platform Watcho sees 50% surge in content consumption
MUMBAI: Leading DTH company Dish TV India has rolled out a variety of short format, snackable original content on its OTT platform Watcho in response to the increase in the viewing needs of their customers,
Over the past one month, the platform has witnessed a 50 per cent surge in content consumption, leading to a steep hike in their subscriber base and adding 1 million new subscribers in a month bringing it up to 3.0 million. Watcho has also seen a spike in the time spent by viewers on the platform during March 2020. This sudden increase can be attributed to the recently added new and fresh content on the platform and the overall surge in consumption of content during the ongoing lockdown.
Additionally, during the lockdown period, Watcho’s streaming bandwidth has been better optimized to reduce network load on the internet by reducing the native resolution of the app to 480p without compromising on the quality. The company undertook this move to ensure the delivery of uninterrupted content to the viewers and keep them entertained 24*7.
“We are excited to share that Watcho has witnessed solid growth in its customer base and content consumption since January 2020. The rapid growth is
the result of our strategy to create short, engaging content which is the preference of viewers nowadays. Since the inception of Watcho, we have invested in building a unique content library which includes original series & shows, cutting across genres like drama, comedy and Thrillers. As a result, Watcho is fast emerging as the preferred entertainment destination among young audiences,” DishTV India Ltd executive director and group CEO Anil Dua said.
Focused on short format storytelling for digital consumption, Watcho offers many original fiction shows like 4 Thieves, Love Crisis, Ardhasatya, Mortuary, Chhoriyan, Rakhta Chandana and original influencer shows like Look I can Cook, Bikhare Hain Alfaaz to name a few. Watcho content cuts across all genres including but not limited to; Drama, Comedy, Thriller, Romance, Food, Fashion and Poetry.
iWorld
Telcos push for unified rules as spam shifts to OTT platforms
Over 80 per cent fraud moves online, operators seek common framework.
MUMBAI: The spam may have left your phone network but it hasn’t left you alone. India’s telecom operators are once again dialling up the pressure for a unified regulatory framework, warning that fraud is rapidly migrating to internet-based platforms where oversight remains far looser. According to industry communication, a leading operator has written to multiple arms of the government including the Department of Telecommunications, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Ministry of Finance arguing that tighter controls on traditional telecom networks are inadvertently pushing bad actors towards over-the-top (OTT) communication platforms.
The concern is not new, but the framing has sharpened. What was once an industry grievance is now being positioned as a consumer protection issue. Operators say that tackling spam in silos no longer works, as fraudsters seamlessly shift across platforms, exploiting regulatory gaps. The result: a moving target that traditional safeguards struggle to contain.
Executives point to a clear shift in fraud patterns. OTT platforms are increasingly being used for phishing links, impersonation scams and bulk unsolicited messaging, with industry estimates suggesting that over 80 per cent of spam activity has now migrated online. In this environment, the lines between telecom networks, messaging apps and financial fraud are blurring fast.
At the heart of the industry’s demand is a call for a technology-neutral regulatory framework, one that applies consistently across telecom and internet-based communication services. Operators argue that the absence of uniform safeguards, such as sender verification systems, robust spam filters and clearly defined accountability mechanisms, has created enforcement blind spots that fraudsters are quick to exploit.
The proposal is straightforward but far-reaching. Telcos are pushing for baseline anti-fraud measures across all communication platforms, alongside faster response systems and deeper coordination between ministries. Given the interconnected nature of telecom networks, digital platforms and financial systems, they argue that fragmented oversight only weakens the overall defence.
The broader issue is regulatory arbitrage, the ability of bad actors to hop between platforms based on which is least regulated at any given time. Without harmonised rules, operators say, efforts to curb fraud risk becoming a game of whack-a-mole.
As digital communication continues to expand, the debate is shifting from who regulates what to how consistently it is regulated. For now, telecom operators are making their case clear: in a world where spam travels freely, regulation cannot afford to stay fragmented.
