iWorld
Strike a PWR pose as WoMI turns visibility into a movement
MUMBAI: There are photoshoots and then there are moments where a camera captures a cultural shift. PWR Pose 2.0 was unmistakably the latter. Women of Music India (WoMI), the not-for-profit initiative founded by media advisor and entrepreneur Priyanka Khimani, wrapped up the second edition of PWR Pose in Mumbai, transforming what began as a professional headshot project into one of the city’s most purposeful creative gatherings. More than 120 creators, emerging talents, educators, executives and industry leaders came together for an evening that blended confidence-building, cultural exchange, and community-first programming.
Hosted at Shutterbox, Excel Entertainment’s premium visual production space, PWR Pose 2.0 delivered on its mission: to give women in music the confidence, visibility, and access they often fight harder for in a still-uneven industry. From emerging vocalists and producers to A&R executives and young students from underserved communities, the event created a rare, inclusive space where everyone could show up and be seen.
Professional headshots captured by ace photographer Aniruddh Kothari and his team became the symbolic heart of the experience. Complemented by glam and styling by Komal Sahijwani and her HMUA team, the atmosphere encouraged participants to present themselves with pride, ease and authenticity. For many, it was their first opportunity to be professionally photographed, an act that felt both empowering and overdue.
But the event’s defining pulse came from WoMI’s collaboration with The Dharavi Dream Project (TDDP). Their performances and community activations injected the evening with raw talent and lived experience, grounding the gathering in the power of grassroots creativity. The partnership served as a clear statement: inclusive industry spaces are built not by invitation, but by intention.
This year also marked WoMI’s first collaboration with educators from The Sound Space, acknowledging that representation does not begin with the stage, it begins in classrooms where cultural foundations are shaped. By welcoming teachers, WoMI widened the frame of who gets to be celebrated in India’s creative ecosystem.
Throughout the evening, curated photography zones, backstage conversations, mentoring touchpoints and community-led storytelling made the environment feel far more collaborative than transactional. This wasn’t networking, it was creative kinship.
What emerged was a movement bigger than the event itself. In bringing together young performers, educators, grassroots collectives and industry professionals, PWR Pose 2.0 reimagined what cultural access can look like when inclusion is intentional and opportunity is shared.
Reflecting on the impact, Priyanka Khimani said, “This year, PWR Pose became bigger in meaning, and not just scale. By collaborating with grassroots organisations and bringing upcoming talent and educators into industry spaces, we are reshaping what access can, and should, look like. These are voices that deserve to be seen, heard, and supported as they step into creative careers.”
With this edition, WoMI not only reinforced its role as a catalyst for visibility and opportunity, it also demonstrated how thoughtfully designed community-first spaces can shift narratives, build confidence, and change futures. PWR Pose 2.0 leaves behind a cultural imprint and a clear reminder: when women take up space, the entire industry widens its lens.
iWorld
T20 World Cup ’26: India–England semi-final sets global streaming record of 619 million views on JioHotstar
India–England semi-final records 65.2 million peak streams
MUMBAI: The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 set a new milestone in global sports streaming, as the India–England semi-final drew record digital audiences on JioHotstar.
The match on 5 March registered 65.2 million peak concurrent viewers, the highest ever recorded for a live event on any streaming platform worldwide. The semi-final also generated 619 million views, making it the most streamed T20 international match in history.
The landmark audience numbers were driven largely by viewers in India, setting a record achieved within a single market, rather than through aggregated viewership across multiple countries.
The high-scoring encounter between India national cricket team and England cricket team produced 499 runs across both innings, fuelling widespread fan engagement across platforms.
According to the International Cricket Council, the digital record surpassed the previous global benchmark of 65 million concurrent viewers, set in November 2024 by another international streaming platform.
Across television and digital platforms combined, the semi-final reached more than 320 million viewers, while total watch time exceeded 23 billion minutes, making it the most watched T20 international match ever.
“This World Cup demonstrates the immense passion of cricket fans and the progress made in bringing the game closer to audiences worldwide,” said ICC chairman Jay Shah.
“This moment reflects the scale of cricket fandom in India and the technological capability required to serve hundreds of millions of viewers simultaneously.”
JioStar vice-chairman Uday Shankar, said the audience surge underscored the future of large-scale digital entertainment.
“One in every three Indians tuned in to watch the second semi-final. Delivering such an experience at scale requires the very best of technology,” he said.
The 619 million views during the match also eclipsed the 533 million views recorded during the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
With the final yet to be played, the 2026 tournament has already set multiple benchmarks in audience reach and digital engagement.
India will face the New Zealand national cricket team in the final on 8 March at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The match will be broadcast on the Star Sports Network and streamed on JioHotstar.
