iWorld
Techzone and Aircel launch Re 1 store
MUMBAI: After Techzone’s alliance with Aircel for Re 1 video store four months back, the encouraging response has prompted the launch of another promising platform – Aircel’s Re 1 store! Powered by Techzone as their technology and platform partner, Aircel has enhanced its offerings for their users by opening the exciting Re 1 store that includes downloading videos, full tracks, images and games just for Re 1.
Techzone not only offers its vast library of more than 10,000 pieces of content across multiple categories in more than 12 languages to this store but has also powered the VAS platform for Aircel. Consumers can access this latest value added service on mobile via WAP or GPRS/2G/3G and download the same on mobile handset at just Re1 per content. The social media savvy youth can also share their content preference on Facebook and Twitter along with referring the same to their friends.
The content at store for Re 1 covers over 12 languages including English, Hindu, Marathi, Gujarati, Assamese, Bhojpuri, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam amongst others. This new VAS would let the consumers download the videos across 8 genres including bollywood, Hollywood, reality shows, lifestyle, music, regional, comedy and more from a vast collection of 10,000+ videos. Along with the latest music, Techzone also offers their aficionados retro music too.
To engage more customers, the Re 1 store will have ‘Goodies Section’ and Premium section where the customers can collect points on every download and later redeem those points for recharge, movie tickets and much more and Premium section will offer high on value combo offers wherein a user can avail packs for Rs 10 or for Rs 25 and enjoy different services. Users can also book mark by downloading the icon on the handset where the icon would direct them to the WAP page directly, thus making the process simpler. This service is aimed at introducing more Aircel customers to the mobile internet experience. The charges for browsing the portal is as per the data plans opted by the users.
Explaining the expansion of their VAS offering, Techzone MD Naveen Bhandari said, “Increased usage of smart phones and internet penetration in the Tier II & Tier III cities, has led the VAS industry to grow leaps and bounds resulting us to provide innovative services to the customers. With approximately more than a billion subscribers in India there is a strong potential market for expansion in terms of services. Sticking to our pull based strategy our content team is constantly making an effort to add plethora of new services and features so as to reach out to those billion consumers. The VAS market, though currently facing turbulence for a short term, is likely to see an upward surge and grow by 15-20 per cent by the end of 2013. This growth is majorly due to cheaper handsets and growing digital space and we are expecting positive response for our services.”
iWorld
Netflix cuts jobs in product division amid restructuring
Layoffs hit creative studio unit as leadership and strategy shifts unfold.
MUMBAI: The streaming wars may be fought on screen, but the latest plot twist is unfolding behind the scenes. Netflix has reportedly begun laying off several dozen employees from its product division as part of an internal reorganisation, according to a report by Variety. The cuts are believed to have primarily affected the company’s creative studio unit, which works on marketing assets such as in app trailers, promotional visuals and live experience content for the streaming platform.
The company has not disclosed the exact number of employees impacted.
According to the report, the layoffs were not tied to employee performance. Instead, the restructuring eliminated certain roles while other employees were reassigned to different teams within the organisation.
The roles affected are understood to include designers, producers and creative specialists responsible for marketing and brand experience initiatives.
The job cuts come as Netflix adjusts its leadership structure and reshapes its product and creative teams. Last month, Elizabeth Stone was promoted from chief technology officer to chief product and technology officer, giving her oversight of product, engineering and data operations across the company.
Earlier, in December 2025, Netflix also appointed Martin Rose as head of creative for global brand and partnerships, a move seen as part of a broader restructuring of the company’s brand and product functions.
Despite the layoffs, Netflix remains one of the largest employers in the streaming sector. The company is estimated to employ around 16,000 people globally, with roughly 70 percent of its workforce based in the United States and Canada. In 2023, the company reported approximately 13,000 employees, indicating that its headcount had grown significantly before the latest restructuring.
The workforce changes arrive at a time when Netflix is navigating a shifting financial and strategic landscape in the global entertainment industry.
The streaming giant recently secured $2.8 billion in additional cash after receiving a breakup fee from Paramount Skydance following its withdrawal from a deal involving Warner Bros. Discovery.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Netflix co chief executive Ted Sarandos explained that the company had evaluated multiple scenarios during the negotiations but chose not to match the competing offer once it learned that a higher bid had been submitted.
Netflix had capped its offer at $27.75 per share and ultimately stepped back rather than pursue Paramount’s $111 billion acquisition deal, which included a personal guarantee.
Sarandos also cautioned that the financing structure behind the Paramount Skydance transaction could have ripple effects across the entertainment industry.
According to him, the debt heavy deal could trigger significant cost cutting, with David Ellison, chief executive of Paramount Skydance, expected to eliminate about $16 billion in costs and potentially cut thousands of jobs as part of the integration process.
For Netflix, the current restructuring appears to be part of a broader attempt to streamline operations while continuing to invest in product, technology and global content even as the streaming industry enters a new phase of consolidation and financial discipline.
