iWorld
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings on competition and content creation in India
MUMBAI: With Amazon flexing its muscle and soon to be Disney-owned Hotstar in the fray, the Indian OTT market is super competitive and exciting, feels Netflix CEO Reed Hastings. "There is also lots happening on Amazon, and on Hotstar, which is now going to be owned by Disney… It's a super competitive, exciting market,” he was quoted as saying by news agency IANS.
One of the hallmarks of the Indian market, Hastings highlighted, is the ongoing telecom revolution triggered by Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio. According to him, there is "nothing more impressive in the world than what Reliance Jio has done in the past four years in India" to democratise internet accessibility.
The streaming giant’s boss is of the opinion that these are good times for Indian content creators.
"If you were an Indian content creator (earlier), there were very few places to go, and now there are many places to go. So, people are pouring in. There are amazing amounts of stories that are coming up,” he said.
The 58-year-old is pleased with his company’s performance in India.
"There has been tremendous traction… Everyone has been talking about Lust Stories and Sacred Games. We have Delhi Crime coming out this week. So, there's lots that's happening on the original front,” he added.
Hastings pointed out that the Indian market has room to do different kinds of stories.
"We try to tell the best stories we can. Sometimes they are ready, sometimes they take longer. It really varies by that. There are so many streaming services, but if you think about how many networks there are on cable in India, there are way more than 34. I think there's a lot of room to do different kinds of stories," he stated.
Hastings also commented on the self-regulatory Code of Best Practices that Netflix and others have signed.
"None of us want strict government regulation on content. We can be flexible and can protect creative freedom a little better if we are a little bit proactive," he explained.
On the online censorship front, there is not much activity, Hastings noted.
"It's just before the elections. We are hoping the talk moves on because it's a challenging time to talk about anything like that. So in general, people around the world…and I am talking about adults, not children, want to watch what they want to watch, and the Internet represents that freedom,” he said.
Gaming
Interio by Godrej partners with FAU-G Bharat League 2.0 Finals
Furniture brand showcases ergonomic gaming chairs at major Mumbai esports event.
MUMBAI: Interio by Godrej has levelled up its game, this time by giving India’s competitive gamers a comfortable place to sit while they dominate the leaderboard. The leading furniture brand from Godrej Enterprises Group collaborated with Dot9 Games for the FAU-G Bharat League 2.0 Finals held in Mumbai. The offline tournament brought together over 100 competitive players for intense esports action.
As part of the partnership, Interio by Godrej showcased its specially designed ergonomic gaming chair, engineered to support long hours of gameplay with superior posture support, comfort, and overall wellbeing. Players got to experience the chairs first-hand during the high-intensity matches.
The event was graced by movie superstar and OG Khiladi Akshay Kumar, who felicitated the winners, adding star power and highlighting the growing mainstream appeal of esports in India.
Interio by Godrej head of marketing communications Reshu Saraf said the collaboration was driven by the evolving needs of India’s gaming community. “Players are investing significant time and skill into their setups. We wanted to show how thoughtful furniture design can enhance the overall gaming experience without compromising on comfort,” she noted.
Dot9 Games co-founder & CEO Deepak Ail added that comfort and physical wellbeing are becoming essential for sustained performance in competitive gaming. “Interio by Godrej’s gaming chairs added real value to the experience at the finals,” he said.
Beyond the event, Interio extended exclusive discounts on the gaming chairs to FAU-G players across its database to improve accessibility for the community.
This partnership reflects Interio by Godrej’s strategy to design products that respond to modern lifestyle shifts while strengthening its presence in India’s fast-growing esports ecosystem.
When gamers spend hours locked in battle, the right chair can mean the difference between victory and back pain. Interio by Godrej has clearly understood the assignment and delivered a comfortable win for players and the brand alike.
