iWorld
Manish Kalra departs from Zee5 as chief business officer
MUMBAI: Manish Kalra, who led Zee5 over the past five years, first domestically and then in a global position, has abruptly stepped down from his role as chief business officer for India and global markets.
Manish had initially been given charge of the streamer’s advertising video on demand product in 2020. Eight months into the job, and he was given a bump up as Zee5’s business head for the domestic market (both AVoD and SvoD), a position he held until September 2024 when Archana Anand, the global head quit, and he was given additional responsibility for her portfolio.
Zee5 had recently broadened Manish’s mandate, entrusting him with overseeing the platform’s business across global markets. This role involved fostering strategic partnerships, enhancing audience engagement, and positioning Zee5 as a prominent player on the global streaming stage. Company sources confirmed Manish’s resignation, and that an internal leader has been assigned to oversee the transition. He would be serving his 90 day notice period at Zee is what sources say.
Manish joined Zee5 in May 2020 and brought over two decades of experience in online business and marketing. Before his time at Zee5, he held leadership roles at renowned organisations, including Amazon, MakeMyTrip, and Dell. His strategic vision and business acumen have been pivotal in steering Zee5’s growth.
An alumnus of XLRI, Jamshedpur, where he earned his MBA, Kalra also holds an engineering degree from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh. His professional journey exemplifies a strong foundation in strategic planning and execution across industries.
Under Kalra’s leadership, Zee5 made significant strides in audience engagement. His efforts helped the platform cement its position as India’s homegrown streaming giant with a growing international footprint.
iWorld
WhatsApp tests ‘WhatsApp Plus’ paid subscription tier
€2.49 plan adds customisation tools, messaging and calls remain free.
MUMBAI: Your chats may soon get a glow-up at a small monthly price. WhatsApp is testing a new paid subscription tier called ‘WhatsApp Plus’, signalling a shift towards premium personalisation features while keeping its core services free. The feature is currently being rolled out to a limited set of Android beta users, with early reports from WABetaInfo indicating a price of €2.49 per month (approximately Rs 274). Meta has confirmed the test, stating that it is designed for users who want more control over how they customise and organise their app experience.
Importantly, the subscription remains optional. Core functionalities including messaging, voice calls and community features will continue to be available free of charge, ensuring that the platform’s primary use case remains unchanged.
Instead, WhatsApp Plus focuses on aesthetic and organisational upgrades. These include exclusive sticker packs, new themes, custom app icons and personalised notification tones. On the functional side, subscribers may be able to pin up to 20 chats significantly higher than the current limit of three along with access to custom chat lists and enhanced categorisation tools.
Industry observers suggest the offering is largely cosmetic. Social media consultant Matt Navarra noted that the features lean more towards visual and usability enhancements rather than altering the app’s core functionality.
While global pricing has not been finalised, the subscription is expected to remain a low-cost monthly plan, with reports indicating a possible one-month free trial for eligible users. The feature is still in beta, meaning the final set of offerings could evolve before a broader rollout. Support for iOS users is also anticipated in the coming weeks.
The move mirrors a broader trend in the social and messaging ecosystem, where platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram have introduced similar subscription layers adding premium features without placing core services behind a paywall.
For WhatsApp, the strategy appears clear, keep the conversation free, but charge for a little extra flair around it.
