iWorld
Now, Reliance Jio coud set off broadband turf war with Airtel
MUMBAI: The entry of Reliance Jio in the telecom market disrupted mobile data pricing. Now, as the Mukesh Ambani-owned venture is set to enter the broadband service too, its competitor Bharti Airtel is also expected to bombard consumers with great offers. After telecom, the two companies are now prepping themselves for a war in the home broadband segment.
According to media reports, the broadband service from Jio will offer data speeds of 100 Mbps, with massive data limit, starting at Rs 1,000-1,500 a month. Moreover, it’s expected to offer a combination of fast connectivity and unlimited video and voice calls through the Voice Over Internet Protocol (Vo-IP).
To lure more customers, Jio may offer the initial service free of cost. Jio has already rolled out pilot services in few cities. Economic Times reported a person familiar with the development as stating that Jio might reveal the timing of commercial launch on 5 July, the day of Reliance Industry Ltd’s general meeting.
Airtel is also gearing up efforts to revamp its existing wired broadband connection. The telco has set aside Rs 24,000 crore for the financial year 2019. From current 89 cities it wants to expand its service to 100 key cities targeting big data consumption zones.
“We are closely watching the wired home broadband space and will combine innovation with aggressive investments and do whatever it takes to stay competitive on services and tariffs and grow our home customer base,” a senior Bharti Airtel executive said as quoted by ET.
The entry of Jio may again disrupt home broadband pricing forcing its rivals, especially Airtel, to decrease rates, repeating the 2016 Jio 4G phenomenon.
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iWorld
Netflix cuts jobs in product division amid restructuring
Layoffs hit creative studio unit as leadership and strategy shifts unfold.
MUMBAI: The streaming wars may be fought on screen, but the latest plot twist is unfolding behind the scenes. Netflix has reportedly begun laying off several dozen employees from its product division as part of an internal reorganisation, according to a report by Variety. The cuts are believed to have primarily affected the company’s creative studio unit, which works on marketing assets such as in app trailers, promotional visuals and live experience content for the streaming platform.
The company has not disclosed the exact number of employees impacted.
According to the report, the layoffs were not tied to employee performance. Instead, the restructuring eliminated certain roles while other employees were reassigned to different teams within the organisation.
The roles affected are understood to include designers, producers and creative specialists responsible for marketing and brand experience initiatives.
The job cuts come as Netflix adjusts its leadership structure and reshapes its product and creative teams. Last month, Elizabeth Stone was promoted from chief technology officer to chief product and technology officer, giving her oversight of product, engineering and data operations across the company.
Earlier, in December 2025, Netflix also appointed Martin Rose as head of creative for global brand and partnerships, a move seen as part of a broader restructuring of the company’s brand and product functions.
Despite the layoffs, Netflix remains one of the largest employers in the streaming sector. The company is estimated to employ around 16,000 people globally, with roughly 70 percent of its workforce based in the United States and Canada. In 2023, the company reported approximately 13,000 employees, indicating that its headcount had grown significantly before the latest restructuring.
The workforce changes arrive at a time when Netflix is navigating a shifting financial and strategic landscape in the global entertainment industry.
The streaming giant recently secured $2.8 billion in additional cash after receiving a breakup fee from Paramount Skydance following its withdrawal from a deal involving Warner Bros. Discovery.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Netflix co chief executive Ted Sarandos explained that the company had evaluated multiple scenarios during the negotiations but chose not to match the competing offer once it learned that a higher bid had been submitted.
Netflix had capped its offer at $27.75 per share and ultimately stepped back rather than pursue Paramount’s $111 billion acquisition deal, which included a personal guarantee.
Sarandos also cautioned that the financing structure behind the Paramount Skydance transaction could have ripple effects across the entertainment industry.
According to him, the debt heavy deal could trigger significant cost cutting, with David Ellison, chief executive of Paramount Skydance, expected to eliminate about $16 billion in costs and potentially cut thousands of jobs as part of the integration process.
For Netflix, the current restructuring appears to be part of a broader attempt to streamline operations while continuing to invest in product, technology and global content even as the streaming industry enters a new phase of consolidation and financial discipline.
