iWorld
Indian short-video platforms score funding from global investors
KOLKATA: When one door closes, another opens. The ban on TikTok resulted in a wellspring of similar short video format platforms which became home to India’s considerable content creation community. Josh and Roposo are among these homegrown video sharing apps which rode the vocal for local wave and expanded their market shares post the government cracking the whip on Chinese apps. They quickly racked up several million downloads and an active user base within days of launch. Now, their growth trajectory has piqued the interest of top-notch global investors.
TikTok copycat Josh’s parent company Bengaluru-based VerSe Innovation has raised nearly Rs 740 crore ($100 million) from investors like Google, Microsoft, AlphaWave. VerSe Innovation is valued at more than around Rs 7,400 crore ($ 1 billion) following the investment. Additionally, Roposo’s parent company Glance InMobi has just concluded a Rs 1,070 crore ($145 million) investment round from Google and Mithril Capital.
Google is optimistic that the investments in leading Indian start-ups will enable them to further scale the availability of relevant and engaging content in different formats across various Indic languages.
“We’re also eager to support the wider ecosystem in India, particularly local startups innovating in this space. When we shared details of the India Digitization Fund in July this year, we identified enabling affordable access and information for every Indian in their own language, whether it’s Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Gujarati, and more as a key pillar in order to drive forward India’s digitisation,” Google said in a blogpost.
VerSe Innovation has joined India’s unicorn club on the back of this latest round of funding, which will be deployed towards the augmentation of local language content offerings, the development of content creator ecosystem, and innovation in AI and ML along with focusing on Josh. The app currently has more than 77 million monthly active users and 36 million daily active users and plays over 1.5 billion videos per day.
On the other hand, Glance will use the new investment to deepen its AI capability across Glance and Roposo, expand its technology team, and launch services on the platform. The app has more than 33 million monthly active users and has been downloaded more than 100 million times on Google Play Store.
Back in September, ShareChat (behind the short video format app Moj) also raised roughly Rs 300 crores ($40 million) from investors including Twitter Inc and Lightspeed Ventures. According to a recent report, short-form videos have emerged as the fastest-growing content category in India with 180 million users in the financial year 2020.
iWorld
Netflix launches Playground app to bring games and interactive play for kids
Interactive games, fresh series and returning favourites aim to blend play and learning
MUMBAI: Netflix is doubling down on kids entertainment with a major expansion of its family-friendly slate, anchored by the launch of Netflix Playground, a new interactive app designed to blend play with storytelling.
Aimed at children aged eight and under, the app allows young viewers to engage with familiar characters from shows like Peppa Pig and Sesame Street through games and activities, all within a safe, ad-free environment. The app is already live in select markets and is set for a wider global rollout later this month.
The move signals Netflix’s push to turn passive viewing into a more immersive experience. Alongside the app, the platform has unveiled a mix of new titles and returning favourites, including fresh episodes of Trash Truck and The Creature Cases, as well as a new preschool series, Young MacDonald. Popular titles such as CoComelon Lane and Ms. Rachel are also set to expand with new seasons and episodes.
Speaking about the strategy, Netflix vice president of animation series and kids and family tv John Derderian said, “We’re building a world where kids can not only watch their favourite stories, they can step inside them and interact with their favourite characters. We’re creating a seamless destination for discovery, learning, and play.”
The expanded offering also leans heavily on convenience for parents, with offline access, curated content, and robust parental controls designed to ensure a safe and tailored viewing experience. Features such as profile locks, content filters, and activity tracking aim to give families greater control while allowing children to explore independently.
The timing is strategic. Kids and preschool content has emerged as one of Netflix’s most-watched categories in recent years, making it a key battleground in the streaming wars. By combining games, education, and entertainment, the platform is looking to deepen engagement and build long-term loyalty among younger audiences.
With interactive play now joining its content arsenal, Netflix is not just streaming stories but inviting kids to step inside them, turning screen time into something a little more hands-on.
