iWorld
Facebook pumps Rs 27 lakh in fashion start-up CoutLoot
MUMBAI: CoutLoot, one of the India’s first end-to-end fashion re-commerce platforms has been selected for Facebook’s developer-focused FbStart programme, which is designed to help early-stage mobile-focused startups on building and growing their apps. The curated marketplace that focuses on pre-loved fashion space has received access to US$ 40,000 (Rs 27 lakh) worth of credits and services from Facebook and various other platforms.
Incepted in November 2015, CoutLoot is an end to end Fashion re-selling service where you can buy and sell your preowned fashion.
Launched last year, FbStart is a programme that helps thousands of developers grow their startups by leveraging valuable tools & services, worldwide events, and opportunities to engage with the Facebook team. Under the programme, CoutLoot would also receive mentoring from Menlo Park-headquartered Facebook’s engineering teams and services from its partners like AWS, Annie, Dropbox, Adobe and MailChim. It will also get a chance to get access to the exclusive community of its developers and worldwide events. The program provides free access to more than 25 services including open source tools like React Native, FB Login and Account Kit and App Analytics. According to the independent newswire agency IANS, India is the largest market for FbStart outside the US. According to the product partnerships team at Facebook, over 75% of top-grossing apps in India get integrated with Facebook.
CoutLoot co-founder Jasmeet Thind said, “We at CoutLoot are constantly striving to make pre-loved and pre-owned fashion reselling a first-of-its-kind experience in India. Although our primary objective is to tackle the problems of scale and quality service in this space, we are presently focusing on enhancing user engagement and growing the user base. FbStart programme will be an immense boost to us at this phase of our evolution. Receiving mentorship from the pioneer of social networking will bring a huge opportunity for us to lead the fashion re-commerce revolution in India within the next couple of years.”
Founded by Mahima Kaul, Sahil Khimavat, Vinit Jain & Thind, CoutLoot is a one-stop solution to de-clutter one’s closet for cash. While sellers get paid for selling off unused branded and boutique fashion items from their closet, buyers get to avail products from the best brands in a nearly-mint new condition at up to 80% off.
Based out of Mumbai, CoutLoot delivers all over India, however, selling is restricted to 14 cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Bangalore, Noida, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad, Surat, Kolkata, and Jaipur. While selling and buying happen via CoutLoot’s Android and iOS apps, its website can be accessed for buying across all regions of the country. So far, the online platform has sold close to 1000 ethnic outfits. Although a relatively new concept at present catering to special occasions, CoutLoot is also preparing to start its customised tailoring services to ensure perfect fitting of the outfits to the buyers. Meanwhile, considering that over one crore weddings take place annually in metro cities, CoutLoot is also planning to start a wedding section for buying and selling wedding and bridal fashion.
iWorld
Rusk Media announces Battleground Season 2 on Amazon MX Player
Fitness reality show returns in April 2026 with bigger challenges and mentors.
MUMBAI: The arena is reopening and this time the competition promises even more sweat, strategy and spectacle. Rusk Media has confirmed the return of its fitness reality format Battleground for a second season, set to stream on Amazon MX Player from April 2026. The announcement follows the breakout success of the show’s debut season, which positioned itself as a high energy blend of sport, strategy and reality television. Season 1 brought together 16 contestants for a 28 day test of endurance and discipline, as aspiring athletes and fitness enthusiasts competed in physically demanding challenges and team based battles.
Divided into four teams, the participants trained under a panel of mentors drawn from the fitness and lifestyle space, with former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan serving as the show’s Super Mentor.
The format quickly found an audience among digital viewers and was listed among the most binged titles on Amazon MX Player. The show also picked up industry recognition, winning the “Most Popular Non Fiction Show” honour at the IWMBuzz Digital Awards 2025.
The first season also drew a slate of brand partnerships, including Honda Bigwing, Charged, American Pistachio Growers, Bigmuscles Nutrition, Ritebite Max Protein, Plix and Sparsh CCTV, highlighting the show’s appeal to brands targeting India’s rapidly growing youth and fitness audience.
For Season 2, the producers say the format will evolve with tougher physical challenges, a sharper competitive structure and deeper mentor involvement while continuing to focus on discovering the next generation of Indian fitness personalities.
Rusk Media, chief executive officer and co founder Mayank Yadav said the first season proved the appetite for competitive fitness storytelling. “Battleground was always envisioned as more than a show. Season 1 demonstrated that there is a massive audience for aspirational fitness competition at scale. With Season 2 we are going even bigger in ambition, intensity and opportunities for contestants and partners,” he said.
Rusk Ads lead Rahul Arora added that the series has also evolved into a strong platform for brand integration and advertiser engagement. “Season 1 showed that Battleground is not just compelling content but a powerful brand ecosystem. As we move into Season 2, we are looking to deepen brand collaborations and build more integrated partnerships,” he said.
With a larger format, an expanding fan base and a new season set to arrive in April 2026, Battleground is positioning itself as one of India’s emerging fitness reality franchises in the digital entertainment space.
