iWorld
Quick, crisp facts sans opinion: GoNews launch live-streamed from Global Exhibition on Services
NEW DELHI: GoNews, an app-based news channel, was officially launched on Tuesday at CII’s Global Exhibition on Services. True to its adage of providing news on the go, the occasion was live-streamed to over 20,000 smartphone users who had downloaded the app, besides scores of followers on social media.
Speaking on the occasion, GoNews founder and editor-in-chief Pankaj Pachauri said that creation of the app-based news channel was done on purpose so as to disseminate basic information and hard facts to viewers having no or little access to satellite TV.
Pachauri, a former TV news journalist who had also done a stint as the former PM Manmohan Singh’s media advisor, said research and data convinced him that satellite TV news was losing its viewership as well as sheen because it had become “highly opinionated” and was increasingly becoming “hostage to advertising.”
“We must deploy emerging technologies in media and save avoidable costs by constantly focusing on innovation and R&D. Unfortunately, this is not being done enough and it is hurting the bottomlines of all the news organisations,” he said while speaking at GES 2017.
According to him, “There are more smart phones in India than TV sets now and viewers, particularly the youth, are fed up of news in the long format. They want their news without opinion or bias and they want it quickly. They hate it when the videos buffer. That is why the GoNews app is light on data size as well as data consumption. This is so because we are not force-fitting satellite content into a website and website content into an app. We are creating the content primarily for the app.”
The app also puts the choices in the hands of viewers by allowing them to select the amount of content they want to watch on different subjects. “That is why we say ‘whenever you have time, that’s `prime time’,” Pachauri quipped.
The CII’s Exhibition on Services is a three-day event in which 73 countries and nearly 600 exhibitors are participating. The exposition will continue until Thursday.
Later, Pachauri told indiantelevision.com that the reception to the app based news channel made him believe that he and his team, probably, have made the correct decision to go mobile. “There were several queries on whether we were looking for additional funding and I had to tell those people that the venture is comfortable at this point of time. But the feedback from the audience was really encouraging,” he added.
GoNews delivers personalised news to viewers on their smart phones and smart TVs at a time of their choosing. As per information made available by GoNews, news stories are citizen-centric and not consumer-centric, credible, co-creative and concise. The channel is collaborating with content generators in rural India to offer news and stories that often go unreported or are not available at other news outlets.
In addition, GoNews provides live streaming of important news events from its studio and from the field, depending on the importance of the event.
GoNews was founded and led by the veteran journalist Pachauri who has a wide experience of working with some of the top international and Indian broadcasters for over three decades. The team comprises senior journalists, drawn from the field of broadcasting, management and academia. GoNews is the first digital offering of Cloudburst Mediaworks Private Limited.
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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.
