iWorld
Diverse language content the pivot for ZEE5’s growth
MUMBAI: The Zee Group’s much anticipated new digital platform ZEE5 (Z5) has finally launched, a few months down the brand refresh that was given to media behemoth’s entertainment channels. Offering everything from Indian and international original content, movies, TV shows, music, live TV and health and lifestyle content, Z5 gives viewers the opportunity to pick their entertainment from 11 browsing (and content) languages—English, Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Bhojpuri, Gujarati and Punjabi.
During the launch event, Zee International and Z5 global CEO Amit Goenka said, “As a global content company, our biggest strength is how well we understand our consumers and translate this into content they love. Every aspect of Z5 is based on our deep understanding of our consumers and their local ecosystem. It is both local and global at the same time and we know it is going to change the way you watch content.”
Z5 is seeking to addresses the entertainment demands of a young India that is increasingly digital savvy and globally connected, yet fundamentally rooted in its culture. Aggregated and original content is offered in the 11 languages as well as Odiya. “Digital will play a critical role in fuelling this growth and we wanted to ensure that we had a strong offering and presence in the space. With the launch of Z5 we see ourselves catapulting into the next phase of growth,” added Amit.
A silent preparation of 1.5 years went into Z5 to include content and features that cannot be found on any other Indian platform. While revealing the mystery of the silence Zee Entertainment Enterprises MD and CEO Punit Goenka said, “We have invested immense amount of time and energy in creating and acquiring rich and engaging content for Z5, which I am sure will be cherished by our viewers across the nation and worldwide. The launch of Z5 further strengthens us as a media and entertainment powerhouse.”
While talking about the strategies for India, ZEE5 digital head Archana Anand said, “We see ZEE5 as filling a definite need-gap in the Indian market for strong language content and navigation experience across Indian languages. Our platform will be as relevant to the urban elite as it is to the new digital audiences experiencing Internet for the first time. India’s digital story is going to be fuelled by new language consumers and that’s exactly who ZEE5 is for.
Our Brand Anthem celebrates this spirited new India, globally savvy, yet happiest in the language of their comfort. We believe this market to be hugely underserved and hence, see this approach as key to driving our India win.”
Z5 is banking on India’s rich diversity of languages to bag it the popularity. “Our brand anthem celebrates this spirited new India, globally savvy, yet happiest in the language of their comfort. We believe this market to be hugely underserved and hence, see this approach as key to driving our India win,” she added. Tie ups have been made with regional producers for language content.
The platform’s brand anthem has been directed by Dangal director Nitesh Tiwari, composed by Amit Trivedi and written by Amitabh Bhattacharya. Keeping in mind the distinct audiences, two versions of the anthem have been created – one for the North market and one for the South, each catering to the specific market nuances for authenticity and connect.
Z5 has a freemium pricing model with both free and paid premium content to cater to a mix of audiences. Viewers who subscribe to the subscription pack will get access to the entire library of content at a special launch offer price of Rs 99 per month instead of the actual monthly pack price of Rs 150. The advertisers will have a strong involvement in their free wall offerings. Those with Zee’s older digital platforms, i.e. Ozee will automatically upgrade to Z5, whereas Ditto TV will ask for an upgrade from the viewer. However, originals, international movies, old shows, Zee theatre and many more things will fall under its paid offerings. The live news TV offering will not only provide Zee News but also other news broadcasters’ feeds on it.
People can watch 100 movies that have never been shown on TV with subtitles and with dubbing in their language of choice. Fresh series will be either launched together or on a weekly basis. Punit said that Z5 will focus towards the production of kids’ content in the near future. Anand also added that they will look at acquisitions in the kids’ space in regional languages.
Z5 is also available as a progressive web app (PWA) to address the patchy connectivity and low phone storage scenarios.
iWorld
Schmooze launches AI matchmaker Riya to personalise dating
300,000 users try feature as retention doubles on Gen Z dating app.
MUMBAI: Love might be blind, but now it’s also algorithmically curated and apparently quite chatty. Schmooze has introduced an AI-powered personal matchmaker named Riya, marking its latest push to move beyond swipe-led dating into deeper, personality-driven matchmaking. Unlike traditional matching systems, Riya interacts directly with users through conversations asking about everything from lifestyle and humour to relationship goals and family values. The idea is simple but ambitious: understand users beyond surface-level preferences and recommend matches that actually fit.
The feature builds on a pattern Schmooze had already observed. Its earlier AI tool, People Finder, allowed users to describe their ideal partner in detail and users did exactly that. Requests ranged from “an extrovert who works in tech and likes to cook” to hyper-specific traits, signalling a clear shift towards intent-driven dating.
That insight exposed a gap. While dating apps typically rely on probability-based algorithms, many users already know what they want they just lack a system that can interpret it meaningfully.
Riya attempts to fill that gap using a conversational approach. Instead of rigid inputs, it gathers signals organically sometimes through casual questions about weekend plans or social habits while mapping deeper compatibility markers in the background.
To support this, Schmooze has built its own end-to-end voice AI stack and large language model, rather than relying on third-party systems. The move is aimed at keeping costs in check while handling scale, and ensuring tighter control over user data and privacy.
The early numbers suggest traction. More than 300,000 users have already interacted with Riya, with those users showing 2× higher retention compared to others on the platform. While the system is designed for short interactions, some users are spending up to 40–50 minutes in conversation occasionally even asking for date ideas, prompting the company to add personalised recommendations.
The launch is the latest step in Schmooze’s broader attempt to rethink dating for Gen Z. Founded by Vidya Madhavan and Abhinav Anurag, the platform initially stood out by using memes as a proxy for personality tracking over 3.5 billion meme swipes across its base of more than 5 million users.
In a market dominated by global players like Tinder, Bumble and Hinge, Schmooze’s approach signals a shift from visual-first discovery to interaction-led compatibility. And with AI now stepping in as a digital wingman, the dating game may be moving from swipe right to speak right.
