eNews
NFDC and Netflix partner to launch “The Voicebox”
Mumbai: National Film Development Corporation, a public sector enterprise under the aegis of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB), has joined hands with Netflix India to launch an upskilling program for voice-over artists in India called “The Voicebox”.
The occasion was graced by Shri. Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, MoIB, Vrunda Desai, joint secretary (Films), MoIB, Shri. Aditya Kutty, legal director, Netflix, Freddy Soames, head of competition policy, Netflix, and Sharad Mehra, chairman, Pearl Academy, among others.
Today at Shastri Bhawan, Prithul Kumar, managing director, of National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and joint secretary (Broadcasting II), MoIB and Kiran Desai, general counsel, and senior director – of business and legal affairs, Netflix India, signed the MoU to formalise the partnership, which aligns with NFDC and Netflix’s combined vision to promote Indian cinema and nurture talent in the Media and Entertainment industry.
“The Voicebox” program will offer Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) training for voice-over artists focusing on English, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Gujarati languages. As part of the program, structured workshops, which would include training (featuring guest lectures and mentoring sessions), followed by an assessment, will be conducted in seven major cities of India – New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Kochi. Each batch would accommodate up to 30 candidates, with 210 participants selected through preliminary screening. At least 50 per cent of the participants will be women.
Pearl Academy, India’s leading design institute will join as a Training Partner for this program. Seven top participants from every batch will be chosen to contribute to Netflix’s special project, “Azaadi ki Amrit Kahaniya”, where they will lend their voices to narrate stories reflecting the Indian independence movement.
The program is open to professionals, preferably women, with more than two years of experience in the media and entertainment sector, who are eager to enhance their skills in voice-over.
This Voicebox program is sponsored by the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity, which has dedicated $100 million a year over five years to setting underrepresented communities up for success in the TV and film industries through programs all around the world.
eNews
Swiggy sees record orders during India vs New Zealand T20 final
Chicken biryani tops match-day menu as fans order 7,500 times per minute at peak.
MUMBAI: India’s T20 final didn’t just break stumps, it broke Swiggy’s delivery records, proving cricket fans celebrate victories with plates, not just flags. Swiggy, India’s leading on-demand convenience platform, reported a sharp spike in food orders during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final between India and New Zealand. On 8 March 2026, overall orders rose 23.2 per cent year-on-year compared with the same date in 2025, driven by fans turning living rooms into mini stadiums complete with match-day feasts.
Key highlights from the evening:
- Orders during peak match hours (7–10 pm) were 2.1 times higher than pre-match levels.
- The highest order rate hit 7,500 orders per minute at 19:45.
- Chicken biryani reigned supreme as the most-ordered dish, followed by masala dosa, chicken fried rice, garlic breadsticks and paneer butter masala.
While metros such as Bengaluru, Mumbai and Hyderabad led volumes, the cricketing fever spread nationwide. Among emerging cities, Thiruvananthapuram, Surat and Rajkot recorded the strongest order growth. Smaller markets including Shillong, Agartala and Port Blair also showed significant appetite, underlining the expanding footprint of quick-commerce food delivery across India.
The surge reflects a growing trend of pairing major sporting events with doorstep delivery, turning big matches into shared, convenient celebrations. In a night where every boundary mattered, Swiggy proved the real MVP might just be the delivery partner who kept the snacks and the vibes flowing without missing a single wicket.
