News Broadcasting
Tata Indicom launch low cost Motofone F3c having Qualcomm single chip
BANGALORE: Tata Indicom today announced the national launch of the ultra slim Motofone F3c on the CDMA platform in Bangalore today based on Qualcomm’s QSC 6010 chipset. On the anvil are launches of other chipsets – 6020 and 6030 with other handset manufacturers according to Tata Teleservices (TTL) CEO Darryl Green. The Motofone F3 will be exclusive for TTL for the next six months. Bollywood actor Neha Dupia did the honours for TTL.
TTL plans to target the ordinary man who probably gets a cell phone for the first time with the low cost stylish handset as bait. The Motofone F3c is priced at Rs.1,699/- inclusive of all taxes and charges. TTL plan to combine Motofone F3c with the benefits of their GO XTRA PACK, will enable customers to avail double talk time for the first six months with bonus talk time valid for 1 year from the date of activation. The scheme also offers free incoming calls for the first six months without recharge. Darryl is confident of selling 2 to 3 million of these handsets over the next 12 months.
This was also the first global launch of the single chip by any company globally according to Qualcomm senior vp Kanwalinder Singh who avers that “QUALCOMM is committed to bringing wireless connectivity to emerging markets, and our QSC family of solutions enables compelling, affordable devices for cost-sensitive countries such as India. We are pleased to be working with Motorola and Tata in bringing the Motofone F3c, and look forward to further collaboration with the industry toward the common goal of making connectivity accessible to more people worldwide.”
“Though many companies have announced single chip solutions, they are so far only there on paper,” added Singh.
The Motofone F3c has features such as voice prompts in six local languages—English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, the QUALCOMM Single Chip (QSC) enabled device from Motorola, MOTOFONE F3c has been specially designed to suit the needs of Indian consumers. It offers a rich vacuum metallized finish making it extremely sturdy, with polyphonic ringtones including three Indian tones, high audio, office quality speakerphone and ringtone downloads.
TTL, which recently crossed one million subscribers in Karnataka and two million subscriptions in New Delhi, is looking to close the financial year with 18 million subscribers. They currently have 15 million subscribers.
News Broadcasting
Network18 channels lead YouTube news viewership in March 2026
CNN-News18, News18 India and CNBC channels top categories with record views
MUMBAI: When the world hit refresh on breaking news, Network18’s channels were already streaming ahead. As geopolitical tensions and war-driven headlines fuelled a surge in global news consumption, the network’s digital playbook delivered big clocking record Youtube viewership across English, Hindi and business news categories in March 2026.
At the forefront was CNN-News18, which emerged as the clear leader in the English news segment with 130 million live and video-on-demand views. The channel edged past competitors such as Times of India (126.5 million), Times Now (101.1 million), India Today (88.2 million) and NDTV (77.5 million), according to Databeings data for March.
In the Hindi news arena, News18 India delivered a commanding performance, racking up a staggering 3,297 million views on YouTube. The channel comfortably outpaced NDTV India, which recorded 3,119 million views, underlining its deep reach and consistent engagement with mass audiences, as per Playboard data.
The network’s dominance wasn’t confined to general news. In the Hindi business segment, CNBC Awaaz topped the charts with 92 million views, narrowly ahead of Zee Business (90 million) and well ahead of ET Now Swadesh (57 million). Meanwhile, its English counterpart CNBC-TV18 posted a strong 58 million views, reinforcing the network’s cross-category strength.
The spike in viewership reflects a broader shift in audience behaviour, with viewers increasingly turning to digital platforms particularly Youtube for real-time updates and in-depth coverage during high-intensity news cycles. For Network18, the numbers signal more than just scale; they underline the effectiveness of a multi-platform strategy that blends speed, credibility and continuous coverage.
In a month where the news never paused, it seems viewers chose to stay tuned where the stream never stopped.
