iWorld
From studio to stage Coke Studio Bharat goes live and turns up the volume
MUMBAI: Coke Studio is switching channels from screens to streets. This January, The Coca-cola Company is set to create a first-of-its-kind cultural moment as Coke Studio Bharat makes its live, public debut with Coke Studio Bharat Live in Delhi and Guwahati.
For the first time since its launch, Coke Studio Bharat will move beyond digital drops and streaming playlists into large-scale, on-ground showcases designed for music lovers. The new Live format brings together music, food and cultural expression, allowing audiences to step directly into the world they have so far only experienced through a screen.
Positioned squarely at India’s youth, the concerts aim to turn Coke Studio Bharat from a viewing experience into a shared one. Fans will watch artists perform under one roof, immersed in the soundscapes and stories that define the platform’s folk-meets-future identity.
Coca-Cola Inswa IMX lead Shantanu Gangane said the move was a natural evolution. After seasons of organic growth, the brand saw an opportunity to take its community beyond digital and into live, high-impact moments that celebrate India’s musical heritage, Coca-Cola-style.
At its core, Coke Studio Bharat has always drawn strength from local sounds regional dialects, folk traditions and indigenous instruments blended with contemporary styles. The LIVE edition extends that mission, bridging generations by introducing Gen Z audiences to India’s musical roots through collaborations that feel current, credible and deeply connected to place.
The Delhi showcase will feature Shreya Ghoshal, Aditya Rikhari, Rashmeet Kaur, Divyam and Khwaab, offering a mix of vocal mastery, indie storytelling and experimental depth.
Guwahati will host Anuv Jain, Shankuraj Konwar, Rito Riba and Anoushka Maskey, bringing voices from the Northeast to the centre of a national cultural moment.
Artists across both cities echoed the sentiment that the Live format adds a new honesty to the music. Performing beyond the studio, they said, allows stories to breathe, connect and land differently when shared face-to-face with audiences who understand where the sound comes from.
Each performance is designed to retain its regional authenticity while travelling across geographies, reinforcing Coke Studio Bharat’s belief that India’s most powerful stories are rooted locally but resonate nationally.
More details on programming, on-ground experiences and artist-led content will be revealed closer to the concerts. For now, one thing is clear, Coke Studio Bharat is no longer just something you stream, it’s something you show up for.
iWorld
X launches XChat messaging app on iOS with calls and encryption
Standalone app marks shift from “everything app” vision, adds E2E messaging.
MUMBAI: From one big app to many small chats, X seems to be splitting its ambitions. X has rolled out its standalone messaging app, XChat, to iOS users, opening up a new front in its evolving product strategy. The app allows users to connect with existing X contacts through private and group messages, file sharing, as well as audio and video calls. The launch follows a limited beta phase, where the platform tested the product with a smaller user base to refine the experience. Now available publicly, XChat marks a notable pivot from earlier ambitions championed by Elon Musk to turn X into a single “everything app” combining messaging, payments, commerce and more.
Instead, the company under xAI ownership and backed by SpaceX appears to be building a suite of standalone applications, each targeting specific use cases while expanding its broader ecosystem.
At launch, XChat includes end-to-end encrypted messaging, PIN-based access, disappearing messages, and features such as message editing, deletion for all participants, and screenshot blocking. The company has also said the app is free from advertisements and tracking mechanisms, positioning it as a privacy-first alternative in a crowded messaging space.
However, security claims around the platform are likely to face scrutiny. Earlier iterations of XChat drew criticism from experts who argued it fell short of established encrypted platforms like Signal. With the wider rollout, the app is expected to undergo fresh evaluation to assess whether those concerns have been addressed.
Beyond messaging, XChat will also house X’s Communities feature, which is being discontinued on the main platform due to low usage and spam concerns. Migrating these users could provide an early boost to adoption, effectively turning XChat into both a communication and community hub.
The move underscores a broader recalibration at X less about cramming everything into one app, and more about spreading bets across multiple touchpoints, one message at a time.
