iWorld
Stories from the heartland go global
MUMBAI: Stories that stay rooted, yet take flight, that’s the new India calling. At FICCI Frames 2025, a star-studded panel on “Local Roots, Global Reach: Indian Storytelling from the Heartland” turned into a masterclass on why stories told with heart are now travelling the farthest.
Moderated by broadcast journalist Anuradha Sengupta, the session featured The Viral Fever president Vijay Koshy, actors Neena Gupta, Pratik Gandhi, Faisal Malik, and Vineet Kumar Singh, voices that have lived and shaped India’s storytelling renaissance.
“Anything that comes from the heart will touch the heart,” said Neena Gupta, drawing applause as she spoke of how authenticity, not algorithms, drives real connection.
Pratik Gandhi reflected on his own journey after Scam 1992, “Stories can come from anywhere, but emotions are universal,” he added, noting how success opened creative doors rather than data dashboards.
Vijay Koshy traced this evolution from Youtube freedom to OTT patronage. “We learnt the hard way in the digital world. Platforms are the new patrons, much like kings once funded artists,” he said, recalling how Panchayat, a show rejected by many, went on to become a cultural phenomenon precisely because “nothing was happening” in it.
For Vineet Kumar Singh, heartland tales are India’s timeless truth. “Whether it’s Mother India or Panchayat, every story that mirrors real life finds its way to people’s hearts,” he said, reflecting on how viewers discover themselves in the stories of small towns and forgotten bylanes.
Neena Gupta, ever candid, summed it up, “I think we should always try to go to the resources you have,” underlining how creators can draw on their own experiences and surroundings to tell authentic stories.
The discussion also delved into the shifting sands of streaming. Sengupta reminded the panel that subscription models are giving way to ad-led formats. Koshy, however, remained optimistic. “We are not afraid. Authenticity will always survive,” he said with quiet conviction.
As the session wrapped, Vineet shared a moving anecdote about Supermen of Malegaon, a small-town film that won hearts globally. “When it ended at the Toronto International Film Festival, the applause didn’t stop. That’s the power of stories from our soil,” he smiled.
From villages to viral screens, India’s storytellers seem to have found their sweet spot: telling tales that are homegrown, heartfelt, and now, truly world-bound.
iWorld
JioStar revenue hits Rs 9,784 crore as cricket fuels 22 per cent growth
A surge in digital viewership and sports dominance fuels a blockbuster quarter for the media giant
MUMBAI: JioStar is batting on a flat pitch. The media titan’s fourth-quarter results for the financial year 2026 reveal a business scaling new heights, propelled by an unprecedented appetite for premium sports and digital-first storytelling.
Gross revenue for the quarter soared by 22.15 per cent to Rs 9,784 crore, up from Rs 8,010 crore in the third quarter. Operationally, the momentum was equally strong; revenue from operations climbed 21 per cent to Rs 8,372 crore. These figures underscore the firm’s successful integration following the Reliance and Disney merger, creating a dominant force in the Indian market.
The annual performance has been nothing short of a spectacle. Full-year gross revenue reached a massive Rs 36,248 crore, while annual profit after tax hit Rs 3,210 crore. This rapid expansion reflects JioStar’s ability to capture and monetise the massive growth in India’s media consumption.
Cricket proved to be the ultimate growth engine. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and TATA IPL 2026 delivered “record-breaking viewership” across both television and digital screens. The World Cup final alone drew a global peak concurrency of 72.5 million on JioHotstar, cementing its status as the nation’s premier streaming destination. On television, JioStar maintained a commanding 34.2 per cent viewership share, reaching a staggering 810 million viewers nationwide.
The digital numbers were just as impressive. JioHotstar averaged 500 million monthly active users, driven by consistent subscriber growth and innovative AI-led content discovery tools. These advancements are ensuring that JioStar remains at the cutting edge of the global “Race for Attention.”
With a firm grip on the country’s most valuable sporting rights and a rapidly growing digital footprint, JioStar is perfectly positioned for the future. It has built the ultimate content powerhouse—one that is ready to dominate the Indian living room for years to come.
