iWorld
Nokia Networks’ Ashish Chowdhary to lead Apple India ops
MUMBAI: Ashish Chowdhary, the chief customer operations officer of Nokia Networks has been appointed as Apple India head. He will take over as Apple India head from January next year.
Nokia, confirming his departure, said that Chowdhary will be leaving “at the end of 2018 after 15 successful years”.
Nokia also said, “Chowdhary will continue to lead customer operations and remain a member of the Nokia Group leadership team until the end of 2018. He will then leave Nokia to take a leadership position in another company.”
Chowdhary has 25 years of international experience in the enterprise and telecom side. With Nokia he was in charge of its sales and operations worldwide. Before that, he was the head of Asia Middle East and Africa and earlier, head of Global Services Business Unit.
On 1 November, Apple CEO Tim Cook had admitted that his business was sluggish in the country and would like to do something about it. Just after that, came the appointment of Chowdhary.
“I am a big believer in India. I am very bullish on the country and the people and our ability to do well there,” said Cook.
Apple India is currently under Michel Coulomb who took over from Sanjay Kaul in December last year.
iWorld
Hari Om OTT bets on AI-first filmmaking after Bharat Next Gen takeover
Platform plans six devotional series yearly, with Dronacharya set for June 2026 release.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… algorithm. In a move that blends mythology with machine learning, devotional streaming platform Hari Om OTT is placing artificial intelligence at the heart of its filmmaking playbook. Founded by media entrepreneur Vibhu Agarwal and recently acquired by Bharat Next Gen Digital Pvt Ltd, the platform has announced a full scale AI first content strategy that positions artificial intelligence as the backbone of its film production model. The company plans to launch six original devotional series annually, beginning in the upcoming financial year.
Rather than treating AI as a post production shortcut, Hari Om OTT says it has spent the past 14 months building a full 360 degree in house AI ecosystem designed to power the entire creative pipeline. The platform has assembled a specialised internal team that includes AI Creative Directors, devotional content researchers and dedicated scriptwriters, bringing everything from concept development to execution under one roof.
The studio already has multiple films in production and is targeting at least three theatrical releases in the coming financial year. Leading the slate is Dronacharya, scheduled for release in June 2026, followed by Khatushyam Ji, Salasar Balaji and Rani Dadi Sati. Additional projects in development include stories centred on Agrasen Maharaj Ji and Chatthi Maiya.
Beyond feature films and series, Hari Om OTT is also expanding into a documentary vertical that explores the cultural heritage and temples of different Indian states. Designed as a state wise tourism promotional series, the project will use AI driven visual tools to offer immersive glimpses into India’s spiritual and architectural legacy, aiming to connect devotional storytelling with heritage tourism for global audiences.
Bharat Next Gen director Kanhiya Mittal described the upcoming slate as the start of what he calls a new cinematic movement powered by artificial intelligence.
“With Dronacharya, we are initiating a new cinematic movement powered by AI. This technology allows us to present India’s sacred history and cultural legacy with greater scale and authenticity. Our vision aligns with the prime minister’s emphasis on AI first innovation for India’s growth. We believe storytelling rooted in tradition, enhanced by technology, can position India as a global leader in human centric AI creativity,” he said.
Backed by Bharat Next Gen, Hari Om OTT is now positioning itself as a technology forward devotional content studio operating at the intersection of artificial intelligence and culturally rooted storytelling, where epics from the past may soon be shaped as much by code as by creativity.
