iWorld
ShemarooMe expands in the USA Market
MUMBAI: ShemarooMe, a one-stop destination for bollywood films, classic cinema, Gujarati and other regional movies, devotional and kids’ content is now available on the Roku platform to users in the US. The availability of the channel on Roku devices further strengthens ShemarooMe’s presence in the US market by offering its vast library of Bollywood and regional language content. The collaboration allows Roku users access to ShemarooMe’s varied Indian content on their smart TV.
With an ardent fan-base of Indian content including movies, regional cinema, kids and devotional content, the US market has always been positively receptive towards Indian content. Bollywood and Indian regional content are popular not only amongst Indians residing in the US but also with the natives in the US region and has seen an increase demand in viewership.
Shemaroo Entertainment Limited Digital COO Zubin Dubash commented “We are delighted to launch ShemarooMe on the Roku platform. Now, Roku customers can enjoy a lean-back experience of over 10,000 hours of their favorite Indian masala content on the ShemarooMe channel on their Roku devices.”
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.
