iWorld
Paytm launches android Mini app store
MUMBAI: Paytm has launched its android mini app store to support Indian developers in taking their innovative products to the masses. Mini apps are a custom-built mobile website that gives users an app-like experience without having to download them. This would greatly benefit millions of citizens to save their limited data and phone memory.
Paytm is providing listing and distribution of these mini-apps within its app free of charge. For payments, developers can let their users choose from Paytm Wallet, Paytm Payments Bank, UPI, net-banking, and cards.
Paytm has created the digital infrastructure to enable small developers and businesses to set up low-cost, quick-to-build mini-apps that can be encoded using HTML and javascript technologies. The company provides Paytm wallet, Paytm
Payments Bank account and UPI at zero charges and levies a 2 per cent charge for other instruments like credit cards. As a local Indian app store, it aims to drive the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission while keeping the digital consumer spends within the country.
Paytm Mini app store offers direct access to discover, browse and pay features without downloading or installing separate apps. More than 300 app-based service providers such as Decathalon, Ola, Park+, Rapido, Netmeds, 1MG, Domino's Pizza, FreshMenu, NoBroker have already joined the program. It comes with a developer dashboard for analytics, payments collection along with various marketing tools to engage with the users. This app store has been running in beta with select users and witnessed over 12 million visits in the month of September.
Paytm founder and CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma said the mini app store creates an opportunity for every Indian app developer. "It empowers our young Indian developers to leverage our reach and payments to build new innovative services,” he added.
Sharma guaranteed that for Paytm users, the mini app store will be a seamless experience that doesn't require any separate download, and where they can use their preferred payment option without hassle."
The company believes that through this initiative India would be able to build a sustainable and thriving local technology ecosystem that resonates with the true spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat. Growing technology companies will get the opportunity to rely on Paytm to contribute towards the overall growth of the Indian economy and create employment.
iWorld
JioHotstar enters micro-drama space with 100 shows under Tadka banner
Short-form push targets 300M users as content meets commerce in new format
MUMBAI: JioStar has made a bold play in India’s fast-growing micro-drama space, rolling out over 100 short-form shows under its new Tadka banner on JioHotstar, timed with the massive viewership surge of the Indian Premier League 2026.
The scale of the launch signals clear intent. Rather than testing the waters, the company has dived in headfirst, releasing a wide slate of content on day one. Each show is designed for quick consumption, with episodes running 60 to 90 seconds in a vertical format tailored for mobile-first audiences.
The move comes as India’s micro-drama market, currently valued at around $300 million, is projected to grow tenfold to over $3 billion by 2030. Globally, the format has already proven its mettle, with China’s micro-drama sector recording explosive growth in recent years.
What sets this rollout apart is its built-in monetisation strategy. The shows are free to watch and ad-supported, with brand integrations woven directly into storylines from the outset. It reflects a broader shift where content and commerce are increasingly intertwined, rather than operating in silos.
The timing is equally strategic. With more than 300 million users already tuning in for IPL action, JioHotstar is effectively turning cricket’s biggest stage into a discovery engine for its new format.
The company is not entering an empty arena. Early movers like Kuku TV, MX Player and platforms backed by Zee Entertainment Enterprises have already laid the groundwork, building audiences and validating demand for snackable storytelling.
Now, with scale, distribution and advertiser interest aligning, the big players are stepping in. For JioStar, Tadka may well serve as a proving ground for the next evolution of digital entertainment, where every minute counts and every second sells.
If the bet pays off, India’s next big content wave might just arrive in under 90 seconds.
