iWorld
QYOU Media India launches its direct-to-consumer app Q PLAY
Mumbai: On Tuesday, QYOU Media India announced its first direct-to-consumer app, Q PLAY, to rapidly expand their media business.
The app offers all five QYOU Media India channels, namely The Q, Q Marathi, The Q Kahaniyan, The Q Comedistaan, and Q GAMEX. The best content from social & digital media creators will be available on all channels thanks to QYOU Media India’s distinctive programming style. With Q PLAY, unique, fresh, relatable, and exciting content will be found in one app, one destination, with many newer channels set to be added in the future.
The ad-supported download-and-watch app can be downloaded on the Google Play store and directly on smart TVs and mobile devices without any registration hassle.
Commenting on the launch, QYOU Media India chief operating officer Krishna Menon said, “The launch of Q PLAY opens a myriad of new possibilities. It enables us to be independent in addition to relying upon third-party platforms for distribution. The launch of this app will deepen our audience engagement by attempting to fill a need for relatable and entertaining content. We are thrilled to launch Q PLAY into the market. While it will take us time to build and grow our user base, Q PLAY is the tip of the spear around our digital objective to create a growing one-on-one customer relationship around our brand.”
Embed Link: https://youtu.be/2p1XB3RTslw
The direct-to-consumer (D2C) model in India is expected to grow exponentially and reach a value of $100 billion by 2025. Much of this is being driven by the mass adoption of social media and the use of influencer marketing as direct conduits to young Indian consumers. QYOU Media India currently reaches over 125 million viewers weekly on Q branded content channels. The company has a goal of driving that number to 200 million in the next three to six months. Q PLAY is designed to begin to leverage that audience scale to employ a direct relationship between the company and its user base. Q PLAY will additionally leverage both the large number of blue-chip advertiser brand relationships enjoyed by the company along with the recently announced data initiative to mine data from all sources of distribution, thus driving stronger monetization via more targeted content and ad campaigns.
Gaming
Roblox appoints Sunil Rao as India managing director to drive growth
Former AWS leader to lead creator ecosystem, partnerships and local strategy
MUMBAI: Roblox has appointed Sunil Rao as managing director for India, as the company looks to deepen its footprint in one of its fastest-growing markets.
Rao, who will join in May, will serve as the senior-most representative for Roblox in India, leading local strategy, partnerships and day-to-day operations. His mandate includes strengthening the platform’s presence, supporting the creator ecosystem and aligning India’s market needs with global priorities.
A key focus area will be nurturing India’s growing community of developers and creators, enabling local studios to leverage Roblox’s tools for scaling and monetisation. Globally, the platform’s creator community earned over $1.5 billion in 2025, underlining the economic potential of user-generated content ecosystems.
“Roblox is at the forefront of enabling a new generation of creators and games. India’s scale, creativity, and entrepreneurial energy present a massive opportunity,” said Rao. “I’m excited to build a vibrant and inclusive ecosystem that empowers developers and creators across the country. Ensuring child safety and aligning closely with India’s regulatory framework will be among my top priorities.”
Welcoming the appointment, Roblox vice president international Zhen Fang said India represents a high-potential market for the company. “Sunil brings deep expertise in building operations across diverse markets, and his passion for community-centric platforms makes him the ideal leader to drive our next chapter of growth in the country.”
Rao brings over two decades of experience across technology platforms, venture capital and developer ecosystems. He was previously part of the leadership team at Amazon Web Services, where he led strategy and corporate business development across Asia-Pacific and Japan. He also served as a partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, working closely with startups and founders.
Earlier in his career, Rao played a key role in building developer ecosystems at Symbian, Nokia and Google, contributing to the growth of major mobile and internet platforms.
With India’s large youth population and rapidly evolving digital landscape, Roblox’s latest leadership move signals a sharper focus on long-term growth, local relevance and creator-led innovation in the market.
