iWorld
Josh partners with Germany’s international broadcaster Deutsche Welle TV to explore international content
Mumbai: Josh, India’s fastest-growing and most engaged short-video app has entered into a one-year strategic partnership with Deutsche Welle, popularly known as DW, Germany’s leading international broadcaster to provide high-quality content to users on Josh in an engaging short-video format. Through this partnership, DW aims to bolster its reach across Bharat with news and informational content, leveraging the Bharat-centric platform that Josh is.
Speaking on the partnership, Josh’s Head of Creator and Content Ecosystem Sunder Venketraman said, “We are looking forward to our partnership with DW TV, as we strive to leverage Josh’s reach and deep engagement with Bharat to bring to the users of Bharat news and infotainment from a global perspective. Through this partnership, we aim at empowering our users with the knowledge and global awareness using engaging formats and narratives while also ensuring to meet the local language content needs of our audience.”
Commenting on the collaboration, DW’s Distribution Manager – DW in Asia Daniel Schulz and DW Distribution Representative for India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, Jaya Oberoi said: “At Deutsche Welle, we aim to produce versatile content which is not only entertaining and educative but a conversation starter. Our partnership with Josh presents us with a unique opportunity to connect to a much younger and vibrant audience in India. The timing couldn’t be better as we are planning to expand our bouquet on regional languages with DW’s flagship programs in the coming months. We are excited to be joining hands with Josh, in our journey to distribute DW videos to the heart of India.
As DW looks at significantly expanding its presence in India, the partnership with Josh enables DW to engage more meaningfully through their content thus making news more informative and engaging. The collaboration further elevates the objectives of both brands as they aim to cater to the demand for high-quality infotainment content in a format that is snackable and engaging while also meeting the local language needs of the users. The international content from DW will be available to users in English and Hindi.
DW will be bringing information and content on diverse topics such as current affairs, climate change, history, health, and unique human interest among others, from around the world to users on Josh.
iWorld
Telcos push for unified rules as spam shifts to OTT platforms
Over 80 per cent fraud moves online, operators seek common framework.
MUMBAI: The spam may have left your phone network but it hasn’t left you alone. India’s telecom operators are once again dialling up the pressure for a unified regulatory framework, warning that fraud is rapidly migrating to internet-based platforms where oversight remains far looser. According to industry communication, a leading operator has written to multiple arms of the government including the Department of Telecommunications, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Ministry of Finance arguing that tighter controls on traditional telecom networks are inadvertently pushing bad actors towards over-the-top (OTT) communication platforms.
The concern is not new, but the framing has sharpened. What was once an industry grievance is now being positioned as a consumer protection issue. Operators say that tackling spam in silos no longer works, as fraudsters seamlessly shift across platforms, exploiting regulatory gaps. The result: a moving target that traditional safeguards struggle to contain.
Executives point to a clear shift in fraud patterns. OTT platforms are increasingly being used for phishing links, impersonation scams and bulk unsolicited messaging, with industry estimates suggesting that over 80 per cent of spam activity has now migrated online. In this environment, the lines between telecom networks, messaging apps and financial fraud are blurring fast.
At the heart of the industry’s demand is a call for a technology-neutral regulatory framework, one that applies consistently across telecom and internet-based communication services. Operators argue that the absence of uniform safeguards, such as sender verification systems, robust spam filters and clearly defined accountability mechanisms, has created enforcement blind spots that fraudsters are quick to exploit.
The proposal is straightforward but far-reaching. Telcos are pushing for baseline anti-fraud measures across all communication platforms, alongside faster response systems and deeper coordination between ministries. Given the interconnected nature of telecom networks, digital platforms and financial systems, they argue that fragmented oversight only weakens the overall defence.
The broader issue is regulatory arbitrage, the ability of bad actors to hop between platforms based on which is least regulated at any given time. Without harmonised rules, operators say, efforts to curb fraud risk becoming a game of whack-a-mole.
As digital communication continues to expand, the debate is shifting from who regulates what to how consistently it is regulated. For now, telecom operators are making their case clear: in a world where spam travels freely, regulation cannot afford to stay fragmented.
