iWorld
Stage secures $12.5m funding to take regional content centre stage
MUMBAI: Stage, the streaming platform championing India’s regional languages and cultures, has secured $12.5m in Series B funding led by Goodwater Capital and Blume Ventures, with Physis Capital and angel investors also piling in.
The platform, which focuses on underserved linguistic communities, has become something of a dark horse in India’s crowded streaming market. Stage now boasts Rs 180 crore in annual recurring revenue, 4.4m paying households and over 20m app installations—impressive figures for a service that began by exclusively targeting Haryanvi speakers.
Stage’s numbers tell a compelling story: a 289 per cent surge in revenue and 286 per cent jump in subscribers over the past year. Popular originals such as Videshi Bahu (Haryanvi), Kaand 2010 (Haryanvi) and Bhawani (Rajasthani) have helped drive growth, alongside the National Award-winning Dada Lakhmi featuring Bollywood veteran Yashpal Sharma.
“What if stories could make people fall in love with their roots? That’s the question we asked five years ago,” reflected Stage chief executive and co-founder Vinay Singhal, on X (foremerly Twitter). “To everyone who’s ever hidden their dialect to sound ‘professional’… Walk taller today. Your culture, your dialect is not a liability. It is a matter of pride. And we’ll keep fighting to prove it. And this funding isn’t just about capital—it’s a resounding validation of India’s regional culture.”
The platform’s success challenges the conventional wisdom that regional content remains a niche play. Harsh Mani Tripathi, chief product officer and co-founder, puts it bluntly: “Every subscriber who joins Stage isn’t just a user—they’re custodians of their culture.”
Ritesh Malik, a Stage board member, waxed lyrical about the company’s mission: “By amplifying underrepresented voices and making regional dialects aspirational, Stage is not just shaping content—it’s shaping culture.
With Bhojpuri content now live, Stage’s roadmap for 2025-26 involves breaking into new cultural territories while deepening its footprint in existing markets. “This isn’t just a growth story. It’s a movement. As we always say: ‘Company Nahin, Hum Kranti Hain!’,” declares Singhal.
Reflecting on the journey, Karthik Reddy of Blume noted with satisfaction: “To see it bloom to Rs 15 crore a month when sceptics said no one would pay or watch this as primary content is very satisfying.”
The once-free Haryanvi app has certainly found its voice—and paying audience.
iWorld
Samay Raina returns with Still Alive, confronts 2025 controversy in bold comeback special
Comeback set tackles controversy, blending humour with raw storytelling
MUMBAI: Samay Raina is set to release his new stand-up comedy special, Still Alive, on YouTube on April 7, 2026, marking a high-profile return following a turbulent year.
The trailer for the special dropped on April 5, offering a glimpse into what Raina describes as a raw and unfiltered set that leans as much on honesty as it does on humour.
Positioned as a comeback of sorts, Still Alive draws heavily from the controversy surrounding his show India’s Got Latent in early 2025. The episode led to legal trouble, multiple FIRs, and a lengthy six-hour interrogation by the Maharashtra Cyber Cell, placing the comedian at the centre of intense public scrutiny.
Rather than sidestep the episode, Raina leans into it. The special reflects on the fallout and his personal journey through it, blending observational comedy with moments of emotional candour. Early audience feedback from live performances suggests the tone is less about rapid-fire punchlines and more about storytelling with bite.
The special was filmed during his global Still Alive & Unfiltered tour, which ran from August 2025 to early 2026. The tour saw Raina perform across major international venues, including the Madison Square Garden Theatre in New York, a milestone that places him among the youngest Indian comedians to take that stage.
The title itself signals resilience. “Still Alive” is a nod to navigating both legal and public backlash while choosing to remain unapologetically authentic, a theme that appears to anchor the set.
With the special set to premiere online, all eyes are now on how audiences respond to a performance that promises equal parts reflection and wit. For Raina, the message is clear. He is not just back, he is ready to be heard on his own terms.
