iWorld
Tarun Katial fuels ZEE5’s audacious ‘mission 100 million’
MUMBAI: Team ZEE5 returned from its Russian sojourn last month, checking into a new office address in Andheri East. The move away from ZEEL’s Lower Parel headquarters is the latest in a slew of changes being effected at the media conglomerate’s OTT business. Interestingly, a parallel can be drawn from the reforms in 1980s Russia to highlight the shift occurring at ZEE5 India. Perestroika (restructuring) and glasnost (openness) – have been key change drivers of brand ZEE5 under boss Tarun Katial.
Manish Aggarwal’s promotion to business head was followed by an injection of high-profile talent in the form of Rajneel Kumar – as business head expansion projects and head of products – and Taranjeet Singh – chief revenue officer and business head – new projects; the nucleus around which the brand will now be built.
ZEE5 has been an effective communicator of its vision as a brand, and has so far been in control of the narrative. From articulating the rationale behind partnerships with Airtel TV and Reliance Jio to being open to dialogue over other low-key deals, the company’s engagement strategy has been simple, effective and on point.
Another significant development at the company’s congregation in Moscow was the clarion call of ‘mission 100 million’ Tarun seems to have given his team, setting the agenda for the future. Having clocked 41 million monthly active users on last official count; the next big goal now seems to be breaching the three-figure MAU mark.
If Q2 numbers are anything to go by, then ZEE5 appears to have made significant gains with a 190 per cent growth in users, who spend an average of 31 minutes per day on the streaming app, with a 340 per cent rise in video views since April 2018.
This can be largely attributed to Tarun’s aggression and instinctive genius in creating unique but mass content. The focus now needs to shift towards stepping up the technology in terms of user experience and robustness, if a serious challenge to Star India’s OTT Hotstar has to be mounted.
With the impending leadership change at Hotstar, and competition dialing up their investments and fostering new partnerships, the very nature of India’s OTT landscape could alter.
As the super streamers jostle for second spot in the OTT sweepstakes, here are some insights from one the central figures – Tarun Katial – to this exciting high-stakes play
There’s a significant upsurge in user engagement. Were Originals the major driver? What was catch-up content’s role?
Content in regional languages is the clear protagonist of the story we have charted out. Not just have we curated original content in six languages (Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Bengali), but made that content available across all these languages in dubbed versions. In addition, we offer great options of searchability in eleven languages – by text and voice – a first for any OTT platform. These include Gujarati, Punjabi, Bhojpuri, Kannada and English in addition to the six mentioned above. Thus, a subscriber is never at a loss on the platform on account of the language of maneuverability.
We, at ZEE5, also make the most of the inherent strength of the Group in terms of the rich portfolio of viewing content that ZEE has developed over time. And we bring that entire repertoire of content on the platform so as to encourage viewers across the globe who have missed out on any of their favourite shows to get up-to-speed. ZEE5 provides subscribers the choice to binge watch from 1 lakh hours of On Demand Content and 90+ live TV channels.
The OTT audience is a very unique one and recognising the evolved nature of the sensibility, we have developed innovative marketing tools that has kept them on the platform. In addition to this, we also have discount offers for the price-sensitive first-time user.
What have been the major reasons for the rise in MAU?
Content has been our mainstay, and our edgy, relatable content line-up has found a huge audience not just in the main metros, but also tier II and III cities of the country. Our audience has developed great affinity with our originals across Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi and Bengali. This is in addition to all the content via our partner channels and fed onto the platform for those who may have missed the programmes during the airing time.
This, complemented by the state-of-the-art technology we have deployed on the platform, offers our audience a winning combination. Tools such as Variable Bit Rate, P2P CDN and Latest Content Encoders have reduced the data usage for content consumption. For example – a film that required 2 GB data to watch earlier, now consumes a maximum of 200-300 MB data only. With a view to making our systems smarter, we have partnered with CDN providers to transmit data to the user’s phone basis his / her location so as to render an experience without impacting viewing quality.
Our marketing team has been aggressively forging innovative partnerships and alliances to add value to the digital journey of our subscribers. This includes partnerships with travel portals including makemytrip.com considering the immediate synergy, as also EZMall.com and payment gateways such as PhonePe, considering their online behavior.
How will you keep up the pace of this upsurge?
For digital entertainment players like us, there’s huge scope in this data-rich consumer landscape. Industry reports and data clearly shows that the demand and propensity to consume exists.
In the coming months, you will see us better engaging with OEMs to facilitate embeds into the handsets, while the association with Airtel, Amazon Fire Stick and Xiaomi continue. This will be in addition to our tie-ups with payment wallets such as PhonePe for additional benefits, value-adds for our subscribers with other digital players as listed above. Thus, our subscribers have enough and more reasons to come back to us, in addition to the exciting content line-up.
Our content line-up with the additional uploads every month and an improved experience of recommendations using AI and Machine Learning will be an added incentive for subscribers to explore the platform and stumble on hitherto undiscovered content pieces.
After Karenjit, what's going to be your flagship show?
Our strong content library has shows ranging across crime, thriller, comedy, biopic, family drama genres in different languages. One of our marquee shows releasing this year is the Saqib Salim and Ranvir Shorey-starrer Rangbaaz. Set against the rustic background of Gorakhpur, the crime/ thriller series is inspired from a true story.
We are releasing a mix of originals across languages to keep the users entertained and wanting for more. Some of our big ongoing and upcoming properties include the ZEE5 Film Festival, Malayalam Shorts – comprising three Malayalam short films, Row No. 26 – a web series on renowned author Priya Kumar’s book, etc. Thus, there will be an entire set of shows on the platform on a monthly basis.
Can you talk a bit about content pipeline for next 6 months?
Our upcoming Bengali original Paoli Dam starrer Kaali, Row No. 26 – an adaptation of Priya Kumar’s novel, Saie Tamhankar starrer ‘Date with Saie’ are few of the exciting shows to watch out for. This, in addition to some big 2018 blockbuster digital releases and much more.
Recently ZEE had a film festival. Are consumers showing enough interest in original films?
The response to the ZEE5 Film Festival has been phenomenal. The views generated by the Indian and Pakistani movies have reinforced our belief that the OTT audience is looking for engaging content. Stories said interestingly will always draw an audience.
ZEE5 is now available in 150 markets. Which international markets will be prioritized?
We have recently announced our plan for international expansion for ZEE5. Under this, the mobile application will be released in more than 190 countries across the world in Android, iOS and web formats. Starting from next April, we will start reaching out to our audiences in countries such as Indonesia, Thailand and Russia where we will have originals made in accordance to their taste and preferences along with dubbed content. We will design our strategies keeping in mind that the audience is not the same everywhere. While the developed markets will entirely be on the subscription model, Middle East and North Africa will have a combination of AVoD and SVoD.
Subscriber growth in terms of percentage.
The number of ZEE5 active users have gone up by 190% per cent since April 2018. Considering that we have clocked in these numbers in just eight months of launching the platform, we are very proud of our performance. Statistics also indicate that our video views have grown by 340 per cent as compared to the last month indicating significant improvement in user engagement.
Are you going to tie up with any local cable broadband providers?
We will soon announce our alliances with renowned cable broadband providers. This will further enhance our reach and connectivity.
Given that your leadership style is pretty aggressive, how are you expanding the ZEE5 operations going forward?
At ZEE5, we are a very passionate team that is driven by the desire to succeed.
While this is the team that puts together the platform, we are also consumers of OTT content. And hence, we become the best judge of the efficacy of the experience that our subscribers are privy to. So, outdoing our own expectations is what drives us, and we have loads of fun doing it day in and day out!
Our aim eventually is to make ZEE5 a platform that is extremely intelligent in predicting consumer tastes and preferences, such that the home screen is a bespoke version for every subscriber.
You say ‘ZEE5 is the second most popular OTT platform’. On what parameters is this based?
According to public numbers and data, we are the second largest OTT platform in the country.
You’ve now had some time to settle down in your new role. What are the holes that need to be plugged?
The past eight months have been an absolute roller-coaster ride for us at ZEE5, and this has been possible only on account of the forward-looking and dynamic team we have here. As a Group, we have always believed in nurturing internal talent, while continuing to attract the best in the industry.
As we continue on our journey, we will continue to build the platform with a focus on consumer, technology, data and content as its pillars.
Gaming
India’s new online gaming rules take effect today, banning money games and creating a regulator
The rules, in force from today, separate e-sports from gambling and impose jail terms and stiff fines on violators
NEW DELHI: India’s online gaming sector woke up this morning to a new reality. The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2026, came into force today, May 1st, turning a year of legislative intent into enforceable law. The message from New Delhi is blunt: e-sports and social games are welcome; online money games are not.
The rules operationalise the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming (PROG) Act, passed by Parliament in August 2025. Together, they represent the most sweeping regulatory intervention India has made in its booming digital gaming market, one that generated Rs 23,200 crore in 2024 and is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 11 per cent to reach Rs 31,600 crore by 2027. The stakes, in every sense, could not be higher.
A sector out of control
The urgency behind the legislation is not hard to find. An estimated 45 crore Indians have been affected by online money gaming platforms, with losses exceeding Rs 20,000 crore. Addiction, financial ruin, money laundering, and suicides have all been linked to the sector. Seventy-seven per cent of the market’s revenues came from transaction-based games, a figure that made regulators deeply uneasy.
The government’s response, effective as of today, is categorical. Online money games, whether based on chance, skill, or any mix of the two, are banned outright. So is their advertising, promotion, and facilitation. Banks and payment processors are barred from handling related transactions. Unlawful platforms can be blocked under the Information
Technology Act, 2000.
The penalties are designed to sting. Offering or facilitating online money games can attract up to three years in jail and a fine of up to Rs 1 crore, or both. Repeat offenders face a minimum of three years, extendable to five, with fines between Rs 1 crore and Rs 2 crore. Advertising such games carries up to two years in prison and fines of up to Rs 50 lakh, with repeat violations attracting higher penalties still. Cyber cell officers at state and union territory levels, including at police station, district, and commissionerate levels, are empowered to investigate offences.
The new sheriff in town
At the centre of the new framework sits the Online Gaming Authority of India, a digital-first regulator constituted as an attached office of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, headquartered in Delhi. It is chaired by the additional secretary of MeitY and includes joint secretary-level representation from home affairs, finance, information and broadcasting, youth affairs and sports, and law and justice, a deliberately multi-sectoral design built for a complex sector.
The authority’s powers are broad. It will maintain and publish lists of online money games, investigate complaints, issue directions, orders, and codes of practice, hear appeals on user grievances, and coordinate with financial institutions and law enforcement to ensure effective and timely action.
Its decisions on game classification are to be completed within 90 days, a time-bound commitment that industry players have welcomed after years of regulatory ambiguity. Classification can be triggered by the authority acting on its own initiative, by an application from a service provider, or by a notification from the central government. Games will be assessed on objective factors: whether stakes are involved, whether players expect monetary winnings, the revenue model, and whether in-game assets can be monetised outside the game. The outcome is recorded in a determination order specific to the game and provider.
E-sports gets its moment
While the crackdown on money gaming dominates today’s headlines, the rules also carve out a structured path for e-sports and online social games. Registration, required when notified by the central government, applies to all games offered as e-sports and is based on factors including risk to users, scale, financial transactions, and country of origin. A successful application yields a digital certificate of registration with a unique number, valid for up to ten years. Service providers must display registration details, designate a point of contact, comply with data retention requirements, and follow directions on facilitating payments.
Online money games are explicitly ineligible for recognition or registration as e-sports under the National Sports Governance Act, 2025. The separation is deliberate, and the industry has noticed.
Akshat Rathee, co-founder and managing director of NODWIN Gaming, called today’s operationalisation “encouraging,” pointing to publisher-led registration of esports titles and a time-bound determination process as creating “much-needed certainty for all stakeholders.” He added that the “continued emphasis on clearly separating esports from online money gaming is critical in preserving the integrity of competitive gaming as a skill-driven discipline.” He described it as “a proud moment to see official acknowledgement of the broader benefits of responsible esports and gaming, from building confidence, discipline, and teamwork to creating new career pathways for young talent,” and said the framework sets “a strong foundation for the ecosystem to scale in a more structured and globally competitive manner.”
Animesh Agarwal, co-founder and chief executive of S8UL, was equally bullish. “This clarity is critical in unlocking investor confidence and attracting multi-genre brands, while also enabling organisations to take a more long-term view, whether in investing in talent, scaling teams, or building globally competitive formats,” he said, adding that it “strengthens trust among audiences and mainstream stakeholders, positioning esports not just as a sport, but as a fast-growing youth entertainment category in India.”
But Agarwal urged caution on several fronts. There remains limited clarity around financial frameworks, particularly in how esports earnings are treated by banks and financial institutions. A well-defined pathway for the formal recognition or registration of esports teams is still evolving, as are structured player protections. He also called for smoother visa processes for esports athletes competing in international tournaments and for government support in developing infrastructure, including bootcamps, training facilities, and access to high-performance equipment across titles.
Vishal Parekh, chief operating officer of CyberPowerPC India, pointed to downstream effects on education and careers. “With formal recognition and policy backing, colleges and institutions are more likely to take the sector seriously, whether through dedicated esports infrastructure, training programmes, or curriculum integration,” he said, adding that this helps students view gaming as a viable career spanning roles across competitive play, content, game development, and allied industries. He noted that as esports gains prominence in global multi-sport events, the framework strengthens India’s position in international competitive gaming, and called on the ecosystem to provide the right infrastructure and access to high-performance hardware to unlock opportunities in talent development and job creation.
Protecting users, one safeguard at a time
The rules introduce a layered system of user protections calibrated to the risk profile of each game. These include age verification, age gating, time restrictions, parental controls, user reporting tools, counselling support, and fair-play and integrity monitoring. Service providers must disclose their safety features and internal grievance mechanisms when applying for determination or registration.
A two-tier grievance redressal system sits atop these safeguards. Users who are dissatisfied with a platform’s resolution can escalate to the authority within 30 days. The authority aims to dispose of such appeals within a further 30 days. A second appeal lies before the secretary of MeitY, who must also endeavour to resolve matters within 30 days. Enforcement proceedings will be conducted in digital mode wherever possible, with cases targeted for resolution within 90 days from receipt of a complaint.
Penalties under the framework are proportionate, taking into account gain from non-compliance, loss to users, the gravity of the offence, and whether violations are recurring. Mitigation efforts by service providers will also be considered when determining penalties. All penalties imposed under the Act will be credited to the Consolidated Fund of India.
The money follows the rules
For investors and founders, the implications are immediate and significant. Sagar Nair, head of incubation at LVL Zero Incubator, a 100-day sprint designed to accelerate early-stage gaming startups across India, argues that with real-money gaming now prohibited, capital will shift “away from transaction-driven models toward content-led, IP-driven, and global-first gaming businesses.” He acknowledged trade-offs: for operators with exposure to real-money formats, the market becomes more restrictive in the near term. But he argued that by clearly separating esports and non-money gaming from online money gaming, “India is positioning itself as a hub for responsible, creative, and scalable game development.” The opportunity, he said, is “to view India not just as a monetisation-first market, but as a talent, IP, and scale market,” adding that “for founders and investors willing to adapt, this shift could ultimately strengthen India’s position in the global gaming landscape.”
The government frames the wider impact in equally ambitious terms: a boost to India’s creative economy and digital exports, new career pathways for young people, protection for families from predatory platforms, and a stronger voice in global digital governance. India, it argues, offers a model for other countries grappling with the same tensions between gaming’s economic promise and its social risks, one that shows innovation and strong safeguards need not be mutually exclusive.
Whether the framework delivers on those promises will depend on enforcement, always the hardest part. But from today, the architecture is firmly in place: a regulator with teeth, a classification system with deadlines, penalties designed to deter, and a clear dividing line between games that build careers and games that destroy finances. For a sector that has grown fast and governed itself loosely, May 1st, 2026 is the day the free ride ends.
