iWorld
Network18 Digital hires Saregama’s Mudaliar as chief product officer
MUMBAI: Network18 Digital (N18D), the digital arm of the Network18 Group, has appointed Avinash Mudaliar as the chief product officer. Mudaliar has an experience of over 16 years across media including digital, print and radio and has a plethora of accolades to his name.
At N18D, Mudaliar will be responsible for working across all the digital properties of Network18 (firstpost, moneycontrol, News18.com and other sub-brands like Cricketnext, Compare India, Tech2, Indiwo , Faking News) – working with the teams, defining present enhancements on existing products and working future roadmaps and initiatives.
Considering the future is going to be 4G-enabled and video focused and Avinash’s experience in handling products both around video and audio is a great addition to the Network’s strength. He also brings with him a deep understanding of news and content and the ability to package it in across both the physical and digital products.
Network18 Digital CEO Manish Maheshwari says, “Avinash brings an unparalleled understanding of the digital space to the table. His presence will bolster the on-going activities and bring in the momentum to look at a number of clutter-breaking products in the arena. He has often walked the unconventional path and with Network18 Digital’s intention to consistently deliver out-of-the box content, he is the perfect addition to the team.”
Prior to this, Mudaliar was the vice president – product, technology and IT at Saregama whom he joined in 2013 as VP and head of internet products. He also grew the Youtube business manifold.
In the last four years, he led the team which conceptualised and executed all of Saregama’s digital, physical product and technology initiatives, the latest being Saregama Carvaan – the digital radio. His team also led the development of D2C products like the new Saregama.com music store and app, Saregama’s niche music apps like Saregama Classical and Shakti and the creation of the backend technology and analytics platforms which power and service both Saregama’s B2B clients and internal initiatives. He also headed and grew the Youtube business manifold.
Before his stint at Saregama, he worked with Times Internet Ltd (TIL). He was the co-founder and business head of Gaana.com. While he was the vice-president and business head of Indiatimes, he and his team simultaneously worked on a product which became Gaana.com. Gaana.com was then hived off as a separate entity which he went on to head. He joined TIL in 2008 as VP – head of content, creative. His role involved scoping and execution of internal products within Indiatimes. He was given business responsibilities and made business head and went on to head multiple verticals within TIL which included gaming, infoTech and videos.
Mudaliar says: “Getting our products right and understanding our customers would be key – it’s great to be part of an ecosystem which is focused on serving what the customer wants ”
This is a home-coming for Mudaliar as in the past he was a part of the founding team of In.com and served as the founder editor-in-chief of In.com at Web18 (Now Network18 Digital). Prior to that, he was with Radio Mirchi as the cluster programming head for south. His earlier stints with the internet include being a partner of Microsoft’s Bhashaindia Indic language computing initiative and BPL’s Oyeindia.com.
iWorld
Micro-Dramas Surge in India, Redefining Mobile Content Habits
Meta-Ormax study maps rapid rise of short-form storytelling among 18–44 audiences.
MUMBAI: Micro-dramas aren’t just short, they’re the snack that ate Indian entertainment, and now everyone’s bingeing between the sofa cushions. Meta, in partnership with Ormax Media, has released ‘Micro Dramas: The India Story’, a comprehensive study unveiled at the inaugural Meta Marketing Summit: Micro-Drama Edition. The report maps how the vertical, bite-sized format is reshaping content consumption for mobile-first audiences aged 18–44 across 14 states.
Conducted between November 2025 and January 2026 through 50 in-depth interviews and 2,000 personal surveys, the research reveals that 65 per cent of viewers discovered micro-dramas within the last year proof of explosive adoption. Nearly 89 per cent encounter the format through social feeds and recommendations, making algorithm-driven discovery the primary engine rather than active search.
Key viewing patterns show a median of 3.5 hours per week (about 30 minutes daily) spread across 7–8 short sessions. Consumption peaks between 8 pm and midnight, with additional spikes during commutes and work breaks classic “in-between moments” that the format fills perfectly. Around 57 per cent of viewing happens in ambient mode (while doing something else), and 90 per cent is solo, enabling more intimate, personal storytelling.
Romance, family drama and comedy lead genre preferences. Audiences show growing openness to AI-generated content, 47 per cent find it unique and creative, while only 6 per cent say they would avoid it entirely. Regional languages are surging after Hindi and English, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada dominate consumption.
Meta, director, media & entertainment (India) Shweta Bajpai said, “Micro-drama isn’t a passing trend, it’s rewriting the rules of Indian entertainment. In under a year, an entirely new category of platforms has emerged, built audience habits from scratch, and created a business vertical that is scaling fast.”
Ormax Media founder-CEO Shailesh Kapoor added, “Micro-dramas are beginning to show the early signs of becoming a distinct content category in India’s digital entertainment landscape. When a format aligns closely with how audiences naturally engage with their devices, it has the potential to scale very quickly.”
The study proposes ecosystem-wide responsibility, universal signposting of commercial intent, shared accountability among advertisers, platforms, creators, schools and parents, built-in safeguards, and formal media literacy in schools.
In a feed that never sleeps and a day that never stops, micro-dramas have slipped into the cracks of every spare minute turning 30-second stories into the new national pastime, one vertical swipe at a time.
