iWorld
Planet Marathi & Vistas Media partner for new Marathi OTT
MUMBAI: Singapore-based Vistas Media Capital (VMC) has partnered with Planet Marathi Seller Services (Planet Marathi) to introduce an OTT platform focusing on Marathi content. The soon-to-be launched streaming service aims to cater to a TG of 100 million globally with a number of genres.
VMC will be investing up to $5 million into Planet Marathi for a strategic equity in the venture. Planet Marathi plans to deliver rich, contemporary and diversified content through advanced technology for consistent streaming across devices.
Vistas Media Capital group CEO Abhayanand Singh said, “The Indian OTT space has grown significantly over the last few years but there is still an opportunity to capitalise on in the regional segment. The Marathi audience across the globe is a large one which for many years has patronised good content important for the digital space. We are thrilled to partner with Planet Marathi to launch this platform and fill the need-gap.”
Planet Marathi head and founder Akshay Bardapurkar said, “Marathi viewers today are devoid of digital entertainment in their native language barring a few shows or movies on television or other platforms. With this insight, introducing an exclusive Marathi OTT shall fill a void that the Marathi entertainment industry has been facing. We also plan to expand our reach globally and VMC is the perfect partner to take the first step with us in this journey. We look forward to this long term association with VMC”.
While the world overcomes a pandemic, the lockdown has brought about newer ways and genres in which the entertainment sector can maximise its audiences pan India with internet playing a key role. As per KPMG’s India Media and Entertainment Report 2020, “robust growth in digital infrastructure and content supply allowed the digital segment to post a 26 per cent growth in FY20 despite a slowing economy, with digital and OTT advertising growing by 24 per cent.”
VMC owns and invests in multiple media related businesses, companies and assets in capital markets and private equity. Golden Ratio Films, a subsidiary of VMC has had a strong focus on content creation, marketing and distribution across feature films, web series and short films across budgets in Hindi, Marathi, Tamil and English in India and Hollywood.
An established brand in Marathi media & entertainment, Planet Marathi has played a pivotal role in initiating and setting trends in the Marathi film industry, be it a tie up with multi social media giants, branding and promotions of Marathi cinemas or even image building for celebrities through Planet Talent.
iWorld
X launches XChat messaging app on iOS with calls and encryption
Standalone app marks shift from “everything app” vision, adds E2E messaging.
MUMBAI: From one big app to many small chats, X seems to be splitting its ambitions. X has rolled out its standalone messaging app, XChat, to iOS users, opening up a new front in its evolving product strategy. The app allows users to connect with existing X contacts through private and group messages, file sharing, as well as audio and video calls. The launch follows a limited beta phase, where the platform tested the product with a smaller user base to refine the experience. Now available publicly, XChat marks a notable pivot from earlier ambitions championed by Elon Musk to turn X into a single “everything app” combining messaging, payments, commerce and more.
Instead, the company under xAI ownership and backed by SpaceX appears to be building a suite of standalone applications, each targeting specific use cases while expanding its broader ecosystem.
At launch, XChat includes end-to-end encrypted messaging, PIN-based access, disappearing messages, and features such as message editing, deletion for all participants, and screenshot blocking. The company has also said the app is free from advertisements and tracking mechanisms, positioning it as a privacy-first alternative in a crowded messaging space.
However, security claims around the platform are likely to face scrutiny. Earlier iterations of XChat drew criticism from experts who argued it fell short of established encrypted platforms like Signal. With the wider rollout, the app is expected to undergo fresh evaluation to assess whether those concerns have been addressed.
Beyond messaging, XChat will also house X’s Communities feature, which is being discontinued on the main platform due to low usage and spam concerns. Migrating these users could provide an early boost to adoption, effectively turning XChat into both a communication and community hub.
The move underscores a broader recalibration at X less about cramming everything into one app, and more about spreading bets across multiple touchpoints, one message at a time.
