iWorld
MX TakaTak launches Fame House for top Indian influencers to create and collaborate
KOLKATA: Short video app MX TakaTak is the new home for content creators across the country, with over 6 million digital influencers, and counting, under its umbrella. In order to nurture and give a platform to these talented digital enthusiasts, MX TakaTak has announced the first edition of MX TakaTak Fame House. It’s a one-of-a-kind platform wherein 15 leading Indian influencers are put under one roof in an exotic location and given an invite-only opportunity to reach millions of new fans daily.
The influencers who made the cut for the maiden edition of Fame House include some of the biggest names like Nisha Gurgain, Lucky Dancer Lucky, Ashika Bhatia, Amulya Rattan, Ayush Yadav and Rush Twins, to name a few.
In a seven-day lockdown starting from 19-25 October in Goa, MX TakaTak Fame House will give these influencers the chance to create, collab and chill out together. Each of them will also receive professional guidance to turn their ideas into reality – be it hair, makeup, styling, cameras, equipment, or location. Each day will see a new theme with multiple tasks and all they need to do is innovate, create new content and see their following scale new heights – all the while having fun, of course!
MX Player CEO Karan Bedi said, “Our aim has always been to bring alive the dream of fame, fandom and eventual fortune for our TakaTak family and with this edition of Fame House, we want to give them all the right tools to make it big. The concept is to create an easy-going, collaborative but exciting environment by bringing together an exclusive set of digital creators and giving them opportunities to bring out the best in them.”
Viral TikToker Nisha Gurgain is excited to come on board with Fame House. She said: “Most of us have always aspired to be a star and with the Fame House, MX TakaTak is bringing us one step closer to our dream by hosting us in Goa and ensuring we are given every assistance to create some great content.”
Artist and influencer Lucky Dancer added: “I think events like this challenge us to think outside the box and work on fresh concepts that can draw in more fans. I’m really looking forward to staying in the Fame House and creating videos that can go viral.”
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.
