iWorld
T-Series beats PewDiePie to become world’s top YouTube channel
MUMBAI: After a heavy battle of several months, music label and production house T-Series has finally overtaken PewDiePie to become the top YouTube channel. T-Series now has 90.52 million subscribers, a little above the Swedish YouTuber’s 90.49 million. For the last six years, PewDiePie, aka Felix Kjellberg has been the most subscribed YouTube channel. It was around six months ago that the threat from T-Series started to become imminent, leading to a massive anti-T-Series campaign from his followers. A few days ago, T-Series chairman Bhushan Kumar had tweeted an appeal to Indian viewers to increase its subscriber count.
India’s telecom revolution enabled T-Series to jump from 30 million subscribers at the start of 2018 to where it has reached now.
iWorld
JioHotstar enters micro-drama space with 100 shows under Tadka banner
Short-form push targets 300M users as content meets commerce in new format
MUMBAI: JioStar has made a bold play in India’s fast-growing micro-drama space, rolling out over 100 short-form shows under its new Tadka banner on JioHotstar, timed with the massive viewership surge of the Indian Premier League 2026.
The scale of the launch signals clear intent. Rather than testing the waters, the company has dived in headfirst, releasing a wide slate of content on day one. Each show is designed for quick consumption, with episodes running 60 to 90 seconds in a vertical format tailored for mobile-first audiences.
The move comes as India’s micro-drama market, currently valued at around $300 million, is projected to grow tenfold to over $3 billion by 2030. Globally, the format has already proven its mettle, with China’s micro-drama sector recording explosive growth in recent years.
What sets this rollout apart is its built-in monetisation strategy. The shows are free to watch and ad-supported, with brand integrations woven directly into storylines from the outset. It reflects a broader shift where content and commerce are increasingly intertwined, rather than operating in silos.
The timing is equally strategic. With more than 300 million users already tuning in for IPL action, JioHotstar is effectively turning cricket’s biggest stage into a discovery engine for its new format.
The company is not entering an empty arena. Early movers like Kuku TV, MX Player and platforms backed by Zee Entertainment Enterprises have already laid the groundwork, building audiences and validating demand for snackable storytelling.
Now, with scale, distribution and advertiser interest aligning, the big players are stepping in. For JioStar, Tadka may well serve as a proving ground for the next evolution of digital entertainment, where every minute counts and every second sells.
If the bet pays off, India’s next big content wave might just arrive in under 90 seconds.
