iWorld
ITV virtual roundtable on seamless video experience today
MUMBAI: The latest roundtable in the Vidnet tech series being organised by Indiantelevision.com will be held today, 12 May, at 5 pm. Powered by Bitmovin, the webinar will discuss the “challenges of ensuing seamless video experience during the Covid2019 pandemic & beyond.”
The pandemic meant many more people were at home, consuming content, delivered on streaming platforms and television. Data consumption rose to levels not seen before. In India, most of the streamers started delivering videos in the standard definition format as against HD because of the stress on bandwidth. What other lessons has the current crisis and pandemic taught streamers? What else did they do to deliver a better seamless experience to consumers? And going forward what else can be done? The webinar seeks to find answers to these questions, and many more.
The virtual roundtable will feature Dan Balis, senior product manager at Bitmovin, and will be moderated by Indiantelevision.com founder, CEO & editor in chief Anil Wanvari.
Bitmovin is built for technical professionals in the OTT video market with software solutions to help optimize customer operations and reduce time-to-market. Dan's work at Bitmovin focuses on the Bitmovin Player. He has over 15 years experience launching streaming video products and platforms at scale for media and technology companies that include Viacom, Bright cove, and AOL. His specialties include video platforms, cloud, analytics, SAAS, and ad tech.
The roundtable will have technology heads of some of the prominent OTTs as delegates. They include: Hoichoi technology head Alok Majumdar, Eros Now CTO Lokesh Chauhan, Zee5 technology head Tushar Vohra, SonyLIV head of technology Manish Verma, LOCO – Pocket Aces VP engineering Viral Mehta, Lionsgate India director of product Mohit Khatwani, and ScoopWhoop Media CTO Vinay Gupta,
The event will be simulcast on zoom and Facebook.
iWorld
MS Dhoni invests in Kuku, joins Kuku TV as brand ambassador
Cricket icon backs AI storytelling platform, fronts Kuku TV campaign
MUMBAI: MS Dhoni has invested in Kuku and joined its short-form drama app Kuku TV as brand ambassador, signalling a high-profile bet on India’s fast-growing AI-led content space.
Kuku, a mobile-first storytelling platform, operates across formats with apps such as Kuku TV for micro-dramas, Kuku FM for audio content and Guru for learning-led entertainment. Founded in 2018, the company has scaled rapidly, crossing 350 million installs and building a catalogue of over 20,000 titles across multiple Indian languages.
Dhoni said his decision to invest and partner with the platform was driven by its distinct approach to storytelling and its strong growth trajectory. MS Dhoni said, “I chose to invest in Kuku, and also come on board as the ambassador for Kuku TV, because the platform really stood out to me. It has built a differentiated entertainment experience for audiences across India, spanning multiple languages and formats. The growth has been impressive, and I connect strongly with the founders, who come from small towns like mine and have built something of this scale. I believe in their vision of building an AI-driven storytelling platform from Bharat, for Bharat, and for the world.”
Founded by Lal Chand Bisu, Vinod Kumar Meena and Vikas Goyal, the platform positions itself at the intersection of technology and storytelling, using AI to create and distribute bite-sized content tailored to mobile audiences.
Sharing his perspective, Kuku co-founder and CEO Lal Chand Bisu said, “MS Dhoni is known for backing bold decisions that others might hesitate to take. At Kuku, we are also taking bold bets. That spirit of unconventional thinking resonates deeply with us.”
Adding to this, Kuku co-founder and COO Vinod Kumar Meena said, “Our beloved Thala is one of the rare personalities with truly nationwide appeal. As we build Kuku for all of India, that connection makes him a natural fit for us.”
Further, Kuku co-founder and CTO Vikas Goyal said, “MSD has a unique understanding of people. As we build for both creators and consumers, that perspective will be incredibly valuable, especially as we continue strengthening our AI-driven storytelling stack.”
Backing the momentum, Panthera Peak Capital managing director Nikhil Bhandarkar said, “Kuku’s vision, execution, and clarity of thought are exceptional, qualities that closely mirror MS Dhoni’s approach. We are excited to partner with the team as they build Kuku into a global entertainment platform.”
To mark the association, Kuku TV has rolled out the campaign Dhoni Watches Kuku TV, anchored by a brand film that plays on Dhoni’s instinctive decision-making. Built around short, engaging stories delivered in minutes, the campaign highlights the platform’s promise of quick, compelling entertainment.
With Dhoni stepping in as both investor and face of the brand, Kuku appears to be doubling down on its ambition to take AI-driven storytelling from India to a global audience, one short story at a time.
