iWorld
Import tariffs hike to hurt telcos’ network expansion: Report
MUMBAI: The government, on Thursday, announced a plan to rein in imports and bolster a falling rupee. It will raise import tariffs on several electronic items and communication devices. The tariff hike was the second such move by the government in a two-week span according to Reuters.
The government attempts to raise import barriers to curtail the import of goods it deems as "non-essential" items. The list including wearables like smartwatches, voice over internet protocol equipment and phones, and Ethernet switches, among other items.
Last month, it raised import tariffs on 19 "non-essential items," including air conditioners, refrigerators, footwear, speakers, luggage and aviation turbine fuel, among other items.
The gambit is part of a plan to contain a slide in the rupee, which has weakened more than 14 per cent against the US dollar this year, hit by a rout in emerging markets and other domestic factors such as a widening current account deficit.
The plan, which becomes effective on Friday, will potentially also hurt Indian telecom carriers such as Reliance Jio Infocomm, Bharti Airtel and Idea, said Neil Shah of tech research firm Counterpoint.
"This will slow down the rollout of high-speed broadband which uses optical fibre and LTE networks," Shah told Reuters, adding however that it could help local telecom equipment makers like Tata Teleservices that manufacture some of this equipment locally.
India announced higher import tax on electronics products such as mobile phones and television sets in December, and then on 40 more items in the budget in February. These include goods as varied as sunglasses, juices and auto components.
iWorld
Tata Play Binge adds Pocket Films to micro drama platform Shots
Over 210 micro dramas and 220 hours of content strengthen short form play
MUMBAI: Short stories are getting shorter and sharper. Tata Play Binge is doubling down on snackable storytelling, adding Pocket Films to its micro-drama hub Shots as it looks to capture India’s fast-growing appetite for quick-consumption content. The move expands Shots into a deeper, more diverse catalogue, now featuring over 210 micro-dramas and 220 hours of short-format programming across genres such as action, drama and thriller. The content spans Hindi and key regional languages, reflecting the increasingly local yet mobile-first nature of viewing habits.
Pocket Films brings with it a library of emotionally driven, culturally rooted narratives, including micro-dramas like Chaturanga, Vidushi, Maasa, Silent Cycle and Pilibhit, alongside short films such as Lock-up, Dubki and The Disguise. The addition builds on existing partnerships with Bullet and Stage, strengthening Shots as a one-stop destination for bite-sized storytelling.
Designed for vertical viewing, the platform leans into scroll-friendly interfaces, auto-play sequencing and seamless discovery mirroring the habits of always-on, digital-first audiences. The content remains ad-supported and is available within the Tata Play Binge app at no additional cost.
The integration also sits within a broader aggregation strategy. Tata Play Binge currently offers access to 30 plus OTT services including Prime Video, JioHotstar, Zee5 and Apple TV+ through a single subscription and interface, aiming to simplify fragmented streaming consumption.
As platforms race to keep up with shrinking attention spans, Tata Play Binge’s bet is straightforward: when stories get shorter, the catalogue needs to get bigger and faster.
