iWorld
The Trade Desk partners with Samsung Ads
Mumbai: Global tech company The Trade Desk on Wednesday announced its collaboration with Samsung Ads, a platform for advanced TV advertising solutions that can further help Indian marketers reach millions of highly engaged Indian viewers across the open internet.
The Trade Desk is expanding CTV advertising opportunities to India’s fast-growing open internet which includes over-the-top (OTT), music streaming, websites, and mobile apps, for the first time.
Through The Trade Desk’s platform, marketers will have access to Connected TV (CTV) inventory on Samsung Smart TV, offered through its free, ad-supported on-demand (AVOD) streaming service, Samsung TV Plus. The collaboration will allow marketers to add Samsung CTV inventory to their programmatic media buy, said the statement.
As more Indian consumers access digital content through multiple screens and platforms, CTV is emerging as the new, premium channel for India’s consumers and marketers. According to a report by Ernst & Young, CTV is expected to reach over 40 million homes in India by 2025, from seven million homes today. For marketers, CTV represents an opportunity to apply data to what is often the largest segment of their advertising investment.
Commenting on the collaboration, Samsung Ads, senior director-India and South East Asia, Prabhvir Sahmey said, “India is fast becoming a programmatic-first market, with 74 per cent of total digital ad sales predicted to be programmatic by next year. For this reason, India is the first market where we are launching a programmatic first strategy. Our collaboration with The Trade Desk is integral to facilitating wide access to our inventory, offering brands the opportunity to extend their reach in a premium, brand-safe environment – the biggest screen in the house.”
The collaboration will enable marketers to measure their advertising campaigns in a way that is not possible with linear TV. By applying the same level of data-driven insights that they do with their digital advertising campaigns, marketers can compare and measure ad opportunities across channels on the open internet in a transparent way.
The Trade Desk India’s GM, Tejinder Gill stated, “Indian marketers are increasing their spends on digital advertising and steadily turning to programmatic advertising, which offers real-time measurement and better control over ad frequency. CTV, which is rapidly gaining adoption among consumers, is one of the best platforms in India for programmatic advertising. As CTV advertising does not rely on third-party cookies, marketers can also measure and compare the effectiveness of their CTV advertising with other channels on the open internet. We will leverage our global expertise to pioneer CTV advertising on the open internet in India, starting with our collaboration with Samsung Ads.”
iWorld
Samay Raina returns with Still Alive, confronts 2025 controversy in bold comeback special
Comeback set tackles controversy, blending humour with raw storytelling
MUMBAI: Samay Raina is set to release his new stand-up comedy special, Still Alive, on YouTube on April 7, 2026, marking a high-profile return following a turbulent year.
The trailer for the special dropped on April 5, offering a glimpse into what Raina describes as a raw and unfiltered set that leans as much on honesty as it does on humour.
Positioned as a comeback of sorts, Still Alive draws heavily from the controversy surrounding his show India’s Got Latent in early 2025. The episode led to legal trouble, multiple FIRs, and a lengthy six-hour interrogation by the Maharashtra Cyber Cell, placing the comedian at the centre of intense public scrutiny.
Rather than sidestep the episode, Raina leans into it. The special reflects on the fallout and his personal journey through it, blending observational comedy with moments of emotional candour. Early audience feedback from live performances suggests the tone is less about rapid-fire punchlines and more about storytelling with bite.
The special was filmed during his global Still Alive & Unfiltered tour, which ran from August 2025 to early 2026. The tour saw Raina perform across major international venues, including the Madison Square Garden Theatre in New York, a milestone that places him among the youngest Indian comedians to take that stage.
The title itself signals resilience. “Still Alive” is a nod to navigating both legal and public backlash while choosing to remain unapologetically authentic, a theme that appears to anchor the set.
With the special set to premiere online, all eyes are now on how audiences respond to a performance that promises equal parts reflection and wit. For Raina, the message is clear. He is not just back, he is ready to be heard on his own terms.
