iWorld
Harini Calamur, intellect behind LeEco’s content strategy in India
MUMBAI: After a successful run with Zee Media Corporation Limited as the head digital content for news, Harini Calamur is enthralled on joining LeEco as the head for original content.
LeEco has shown signs of aggression and has announced a slew of content initiatives and acquisitions in Asia over the past few months.
“It’s a fun place to be in. Content consumption patterns are moving to mobile phones now. It’s exciting to see the increasing demand for intriguing content from Indian viewers. Delivering gripping content to the viewers is pleasing”, says Calamur.
She is responsible for developing original content for LeEco’s OTT platforms in India across languages and genres. During her tenure with Zee, Calamur conceptualized, designed, and implement a digital news content strategy for all the news brands of the group –dna and Zee News and regional variants. She moved the entities from companion websites to digital products, with loyal audiences and advertisers and also launched the hyperlocal platform for the group, iamin.in, present in 36 locations across India.
The global internet and technology conglomerate LeEco is also called the Netflix of China for its content eco-system. The soon to launch platform plans to produce as well as commission content for its viewers in India. It has Atul Jain as the COO Smart Electronics Business in conjunction with Debashish Ghosh COO looking after the entire Indian content business and Divya Dixit as director of content marketing for India.
The company recently launched its flagship superphones, Le Max and Le1s, in the Indian market. As a partner, ErosNow will be integrated within the Le ecosystem of internet enabled smartphones and smart televisions, showcasing ErosNow’s Bollywood films, music and originals. Devices will include a one-year premium subscription to ErosNow service pre-bundled with the purchase of the phones. The launch of Le 2 Superphone by LeEco has stirred the pricing landscape in India and has given a new lease of vibrancy to the smartphone market in India.
LeEco has once again renewed its exclusive partnership with Flipkart. An agreement cementing this alliance was signed off between Atul Jain and Flipkart chief marketing officer Samardeep Subandh.
Gaming
Formula 1 and Mumbai Falcons launch India’s first official F1 sim racing championship
Nationwide competition creates pathway from virtual racing to pro motorsport
MUMBAI: Formula 1 has teamed up with Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited to launch India’s first officially sanctioned F1 sim racing competition, marking a new step in the country’s growing motorsport ecosystem.
The championship, titled F1 Sim Racing India Open 2026, will offer a structured national platform for sim racers, with participants competing on the official F1 25 across multiple stages. The competition will begin with online qualifiers, followed by city-based simulator rounds, before culminating in a national final in Mumbai this November.
Open to players across PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox, registrations for the event will begin on 30 April via the Mumbai Falcons app. The format mirrors real-world racing, featuring official circuits, team liveries and competitive structures aligned with the global series.
Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan said the initiative arrives at a time when interest in the sport is surging in India, adding that a structured sim racing platform could help identify and nurture the next generation of talent.
Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited managing director Ameet Gadhoke noted that the championship aligns with the team’s long-term goal of building a strong motorsport pipeline in the country and placing Indian talent on the global stage.
The launch also reflects broader momentum in esports, especially after its recognition under India’s Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025. By bridging gaming and real-world racing, the initiative aims to offer aspiring drivers a credible entry point into professional motorsport.
With interest in Formula 1 steadily rising and conversations around its return to India gaining pace, the new championship could become a proving ground for future racing stars.
