iWorld
OTT players ease payment worries with UPI tie-ups
KOLKATA: The unified payments interface (UPI) service crossed a billion transactions a month last year and is on a constant upward trend. As more Indians make UPI their go-to option for online payment, over-the-top (OTT) platforms are also strengthening their ties with them to be more user friendly.
Leading OTT player ZEE5, which has seen high uptake of the service on connected devices, became the first-ever OTT platform to launch an UPI based payment facility on connected devices. Users of Samsung smart TVs now have an option of ‘scan and pay’ by selecting the ‘UPI payment’ mode, ‘scanning the QR’ and ‘paying on their UPI app’. With this easy convenient option, the app is set to empower users by democratising the payment process and allowing customers to make payments through their smartphones.
“ZEE5 has been leading the way in innovation through technology with constant upgrades to our interface and navigation to make things smoother for users. In an industry leading initiative, ZEE5 is now offering users the option to make their payments easily online while watching their favorite content through smart TV Apps. The latest update of the ZEE5 app on Samsung Smart TVs has already made UPI QR payments available to users. Customers can now choose their plan, make the payment through UPI within seconds by scanning the QR code, and then continue streaming. This is an exciting juncture for ZEE5 as very few sectors offer this option and we are the first platform in this industry to explore this. ZEE5 has been a pioneer in integrating new technology and options and this is another step that will drive forward our growth,” ZEE5 India expansion projects business head and global product head Rajneel Kumar said.
SonyLIV 2.0, which has unveiled recently its new brand identity, reinforces its alliances with a series of wallet partners to maximise consumer delight. In an exciting initiative, LIV premium subscribers now stand to win an array of offers and benefits across six leading payment options like Paytm, MobiKwik, AmazonPay, Payzapp, Freecharge and OlaMoney Postpaid. User can avail a cash back varying from 10 per cent upto 100 per cent subject to the platform. These newly announced cashback offers are available to all LIV premium subscribers in India across operating systems and devices.
“At SonyLIV, customer delight is of primal importance to us. We are happy to leap ahead in existing partnerships with wallets and add newer ones to the franchise. This is a major step up in our efforts towards strengthening old bonds and building new partnerships keeping in mind consumer behavior & preferences,” SPN digital business growth and monetisation head Manish Aggarwal said.
ALTBalaji recently extended its association with payment gateways Paytm and Amazon Pay. As a part of the offering, Paytm will be offering cashback up to Rs 75 on ALTBalaji subscription whereas Amazon Pay customers will get a cashback of a minimum amount of Rs 10 and a maximum amount of Rs 250 on a minimum purchase of Rs 100. The offer will be valid in India for Android and web-only.
“Keeping the customer at the very core of everything that we stand for, we have always strived towards providing them a seamless experience through our services. Our long-standing association with Paytm and Amazon Pay is yet another step in the right direction that further fosters this bond with our consumers. It will further give us the opportunity to reach out to the masses and make them aware of the engrossing and original content that we have on offer,” Balaji Telefilms group COO and ALTBalaji CEO Nachiket Pantvaidya said.
Gaming
IICT signs three MoUs to boost AVGC-XR and esports
Partnerships with Zenfluencers, Yologram and Eruditio at Chennai Gaming Show 2026 strengthen education, XR innovation and nationwide talent outreach.
MUMBAI: IICT has just levelled up the game in a big way. The Indian Institute of Creative Technologies signed three strategic Memorandums of Understanding on 17 April 2026 at the CII Summit FX – India Gaming Show in Chennai, forging alliances with The Zenfluencers, Yologram Style Pvt. Ltd. and Eruditio Consultants to accelerate India’s AVGC-XR ecosystem.
The tie-ups combine IICT’s strengths in education, skilling and research with specialist expertise across esports, immersive technologies and large-scale outreach.
- With The Zenfluencers, IICT will roll out globally benchmarked esports programmes, including joint certification courses, industry workshops, tournaments and masterclasses, creating clear career pathways across the full esports value chain.
- The partnership with Yologram Style Pvt. Ltd. focuses on gaming, immersive storytelling and extended reality (XR), delivering industry-aligned curriculum, faculty mentorship, student showcases and collaborative research in immersive AI and virtual production.
- Collaboration with Eruditio Consultants targets awareness, accessibility and career alignment, with nationwide counsellor training, institutional engagement and structured guidance frameworks to reach students beyond Tier-1 cities.
IICT CEO Vishwas Deoskar said, “As the AVGC-XR sector evolves at a rapid pace, strong collaborations between industry and academia are essential. These partnerships will create meaningful impact across education, innovation and outreach.”
Yologram Style Pvt. Ltd. founder Aditya Mani added, “AI-driven creator worlds are transforming games into engines of culture, commerce and careers. Together we aim to empower a generation to build immersive futures.”
Eruditio Consultants founder Indrajit Ghosh noted, “This is not just about awareness, it is about building a structured ecosystem that connects aspiration with opportunity.”
The Zenfluencers CEO Atharva Gupta said, “This MoU is a big unlock moment for the esports ecosystem in India. We’re building a structured pipeline for talent across the full stack.”
By bringing together academia, industry leaders and ecosystem players, IICT is creating scalable models that blend cutting-edge skills with real-world relevance. In a sector racing toward the future, these three partnerships ensure India’s next generation of creative technologists won’t just keep up, they’ll set the pace.
