iWorld
Substack expands video capabilities amid Tiktok uncertainty
MUMBAI: The social media landscape is shifting, and Substack is seizing the moment. With Tiktok’s future in the U.S. hanging in the balance, the San Francisco-based startup is doubling down on video, aiming to lure creators looking for new ways to monetise their content. On 20 February, Substack announced that creators can now post video content directly through its app and place videos behind a paywall.
“There’s going to be a world of people who are much more focused on videos,” said Substack co-founder Hamish McKenzie. “That is a huge world that Substack is only starting to penetrate.”
One of those creators is Carla Lalli Music, a food content creator and cookbook author, who made a dramatic switch from Youtube to Substack. After posting nearly 200 videos, amassing hundreds of thousands of followers, and generating millions of views, Music quit Youtube. Why? The numbers didn’t add up. She earned almost $200,000 in revenue in just one year on Substack, a stark contrast to the losses she incurred producing videos for Youtube since 2021.
“If I published four videos a month on Youtube, I’d earn about $4,000, but each video cost $3,500 to make,” Music said. “I was losing $10,000 a month.” Even with brand deals, the earnings barely covered production costs. Now, with her content behind a paywall, she’s focusing on writing another book, posting exclusive recipes, and selectively producing videos for Substack subscribers.
Founded in 2017, Substack initially served as a newsletter platform where writers could charge readers a monthly subscription fee. The company raised $100 million, with its most recent valuation exceeding $650 million. Today, more than four million paid subscribers and over 50,000 creators generate income on the platform.
With the uncertain future of Tiktok, Substack is aggressively expanding its offerings. Following Tiktok’s brief removal from Apple and Google’s app stores in January, Substack launched a $20 million fund to attract creators looking for a stable platform.
“If Tiktok gets banned for political reasons, there’s nothing to do with the work you’ve done, but it really affects your life,” McKenzie said. “The only and surefire guard against that is if you don’t place your audience in the hands of some other volatile system who doesn’t care about what happens to your livelihood.”
Now, Substack is courting video-first creators from competing platforms, offering them a place to own their audience without algorithms deciding who sees their content. Already, 82 per cent of Substack’s top 250 revenue-generating creators have integrated audio or video into their content.
Unlike its previous video feature that only allowed clips in Notes-Substack’s front-facing feed—the new update lets creators monetise videos, track viewership, and measure revenue impact.
For creators burned by unreliable earnings on other platforms, Substack’s paywalled video model offers a sustainable alternative. The company is betting that in a world where direct-to-fan revenue drives more than half of the $290 billion creator economy, the ability to monetise video will make its platform even more attractive.
eNews
BCG to lead India’s AI strategy at AI Impact Summit
The consultancy unveils reports, playbooks, and sector insights shaping India’s AI future
MUMBAI: Artificial intelligence is no longer just a buzzword in India. The focus has shifted from adoption to embedding AI across complex systems, and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is taking centre stage at the AI Impact Summit India from 16–20 February in New Delhi.
BCG will steer conversations on scaling AI across key sectors including healthcare, education, agriculture, manufacturing, finance, skilling, and inclusive development. The summit also underlines India’s growing global influence in AI, with Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighting the country’s top-tier position in AI preparedness, talent, and implementation.
BCG will launch two major AI reports, lead strategic sessions, and collaborate with government bodies, industry players, and global experts, reinforcing its commitment to India’s AI growth story.
BCG X India Leader Nipun Kalra commented, “AI is moving from experimentation to real-world impact. Hosting a global forum of this scale is a milestone for India, signalling its intent to lead from vision to execution. At BCG, we are helping design AI strategy playbooks, strengthen governance frameworks, and accelerate adoption across critical sectors.”
BCG India leader technology and digital advantage practice Saibal Chakraborty added, “Countries that learn systematically from peers move faster from strategy to execution. Proven approaches in governance, talent, and infrastructure help avoid pilot fatigue and focus on real impact.”
Key report launches include:
Playbook for national AI strategy and implementation
Created with JICA, this report offers governments a practical blueprint to design and operationalise national AI strategies. It presents a five-pillar framework covering strategy, competitiveness, enablers, infrastructure, and governance, with actionable steps for countries across the global South. The report will be launched during the panel discussion ‘Building Blocks for National AI Strategy and Implementation’ on 20 February.
AI for all: Catalysing jobs, growth, and opportunity
BCG, in partnership with India AI Mission and Prosus, explores how AI is transforming finance, education, agriculture, manufacturing, and healthcare. The report focuses on AI-led productivity, intelligent risk management, hyper-personalisation, and operating model redesign. It will be launched on 17 February.
Beyond reports, BCG will contribute to summit discussions and programmes:
- AI skilling: ‘Empowering the Human Edge: Building a Future-Ready Workforce in the Age of AI’ on 16 February, led by Sidharth Madaan, convening global experts.
- Sector-focused AI session: ‘AI for All: Catalysing Jobs, Growth, and Opportunity’ on 17 February, led by Vipin V and Tirtha Chatterjee.
- Healthcare panel: ‘From Volume to Value: Role of AI in Redefining Indian Pharma’s Leadership for Viksit Bharat 2047’ on 18 February, moderated by Priyanka Aggarwal.
- National AI strategy discussion: Panel on ‘Building Blocks for National AI Strategy and Implementation’ with Saibal Chakraborty on 20 February, featuring the launch of the national playbook developed with JICA.
With AI increasingly shaping economies and societies, BCG’s presence at the summit promises to turn insights into action, helping India write the next chapter in its AI journey.
