iWorld
Prasar Bharati rides new Waves with Shucae Films OTT content tie-up
MUMBAI: India’s national broadcaster is catching the OTT tide and this one’s making Waves. In a move that blends legacy media with fresh digital storytelling, Prasar Bharati has partnered with Shucae Films to host the latter’s vibrant catalogue on its OTT platform Waves, with select content also airing across its television channels. The alliance brings a medley of Shucae’s web shows to Prasar Bharati’s growing digital stable. Think romantic twists, comedic chaos, and indie grit with titles like Jaane Kyun, It’s a Match, Pyaar Ke Panne, Bolo Pencil, Love Forever, Yeh Hai Meri Love Story!, and more now streaming for free.
By roping in Shucae’s younger, internet-savvy audience and juxtaposing it with its traditional viewership, Prasar Bharati is shaping Waves as a platform that doesn’t just preserve culture but also mirrors current content trends. The move also reflects the broadcaster’s broader digital-first ambition.
“This partnership reflects our commitment to offering vibrant, diverse and engaging content,” said Prasar Bharati CEO Gaurav Dwivedi. “Waves continues to evolve as a digital-first platform showcasing the best of Indian storytelling.”
Shucae Films CEO Manoj Doogra added, “We’re thrilled to bring our stories to a wider audience through Prasar Bharati. Waves is the perfect platform to blend entertainment with impact.”
From love stories to offbeat dramas, the line-up adds colour to Waves’ growing content pool. It also signals a stronger future for public broadcasters leaning into contemporary formats and co-creating with India’s expanding OTT talent pool. Whether it’s the nostalgia of Doordarshan or the now-ness of web series, this is storytelling tuned to every screen.
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.
