iWorld
Explurger goes global: India’s travel social app wins praise from Sonu Sood
MUMBAI: Bollywood actor and philanthropist Sonu Sood has put the spotlight on Explurger, a homegrown social media platform for travellers, echoing prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for Indian innovation to go global.
Modi ji asked, and we delivered! ???
Explurger, a ‘Made In India’ social media app for travelers with more than 17M+ users worldwide. Growing from desi roots to global routes, we’ve brought the PM’s vision to life across 75+ countries, taking India to the world. Come, join it… pic.twitter.com/4EmoxCDlip
— Explurger (@explurger) October 7, 2025
Launched three years ago by Jitin Bhatia and Sonu Sood, Explurger has rapidly grown to over 17 million users worldwide. The travel-focused app combines AI-powered travelogues, real-time journey tracking, and community sharing, all under the mantra ‘Get Out – Get Social.’ Rather than endless scrolling, the platform encourages users to explore new destinations, check in with Explurge-ins, complete bucket lists, and earn gamified rewards.
“The Prime Minister’s call for innovation within India’s digital ecosystem highlights the country’s confidence in building its own technology frameworks,” said founder and CEO Jitin Bhatia. “Explurger embodies that mindset entirely developed in India, powered by Indian talent, and designed to resonate globally. We want to show that Indian tech can innovate and inspire on the world stage.”
PM Modi has repeatedly emphasised the importance of homegrown solutions. In a recent speech, he urged Indians to buy and sell Swadeshi goods and nurture platforms that meet domestic needs while competing internationally.
With its unique blend of real-world adventure and social connectivity, Explurger has become a shining example of Make-in-India ingenuity in the social media space. As the platform continues its global push, it demonstrates that India isn’t just building apps, it’s building experiences that travel the world.
MUMBAI: If cricket were a binge-worthy series, this one just dropped its most explosive pilot yet. The opening weekend of the 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League has come out swinging, smashing records across both television and digital platforms and reaffirming the tournament’s unmatched pull in India’s sporting and media landscape.
Backed by two high-octane matches featuring 200-plus run chases, the tournament delivered a combined reach of over 515 million viewers across linear TV and digital platforms via JioStar’s broadcast ecosystem, including Star Sports and JioHotstar. More tellingly, engagement surged alongside reach, with total watch-time hitting 32.6 billion minutes, a sharp 26 per cent jump over the opening weekend of the previous season.
The numbers reveal a deeper shift in how India watches cricket. Connected TV (CTV) consumption rose by 30 per cent, while peak concurrency on digital platforms jumped 61 per cent, signalling a growing appetite for shared, big-screen streaming experiences. On traditional television, the momentum held strong, with TV ratings (TVR) climbing 24 per cent compared to earlier seasons’ opening matches.
A key driver of this spike has been the evolution of the viewing experience itself. This season introduced differentiated feeds, most notably a Hindi CTV broadcast featuring cricketing voices such as Ravichandran Ashwin, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag and Irfan Pathan. Blending expert analysis with a watch-along format, the feed has added a conversational, almost second-screen feel without requiring viewers to leave their screens.
According to JioStar CEO for Sports Ishan Chatterjee, at the opening weekend underscores not just scale but also the depth of engagement that live cricket continues to command. He noted that the combination of large-screen viewing and digital interactivity is creating a more immersive and personalised experience, while also delivering tangible outcomes for brand partners.
From the league’s perspective, the early numbers point to a tournament that continues to reinvent itself. Arun Singh Dhumal, Chairman of the IPL, said the strong start reflects how high-quality cricket paired with enhanced viewing formats is resonating with audiences nationwide, while Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Devajit Saikia highlighted the “quality of engagement” as a key takeaway, not just the scale.
Commercially too, the opening weekend signals robust advertiser confidence. The broadcast is led by co-presenting sponsors including Google (Search AI Mode), Campa Energy, and Havells & Lloyd, alongside co-powered partners such as Birla Opus, Hero Motocorp and Amazon. A long tail of associate sponsors from OpenAI and Asian Paints to Flipkart and Amul further reflects the league’s unmatched ability to aggregate advertiser interest at scale.
Taken together, the opening weekend numbers are less a spike and more a statement. With 515 million viewers, 32.6 billion minutes of watch-time, and double-digit growth across formats, IPL 2026 has not just started strong, it has set the tone for a season that looks poised to push the boundaries of both sport and spectacle.
