iWorld
Times Now, Twitter team up for exclusive election partnership
MUMBAI: The ongoing elections are unique in many ways. And joining this is Times Now and Twitter. The duo has announced a first of its kind partnership in India where the social media platform has associated itself to exclusive content offerings created by the news channel.
Times Now and Twitter have teamed up for the elections to create dual, interactive content for both viewers and followers to be a part of the conversation.
The partnership is a result of the success that the news channel has seen in the social media space in the last one year creating huge properties which have garnered not just audiences but shaped the Indian social media space. These range from creating the biggest non-sporting event on twitter in the form of Rahul Gandhi’s interview with Arnab Goswami which created more than 50 crore potential impressions, to using vines to promote a show for the first time in India to creating a simple hashtag which became synonymous with the state elections in 2013 – Times Now has constantly reinvented itself on twitter. In fact, the #rahulspeakstoarnab hashtag trended for more than 48 hours in India and first seven of the top 10 trending topics were related to the interview.
For the general elections, both Times Now and Twitter will introduce several innovative properties which will give a real time, updated picture of public opinion.
Times Now will leverage its substantial presence on the social network to provide the audience with exclusive content created specifically for the platform. This will be in the form of infographics and videos, giving the followers a ringside view of election results with updates throughout the counting day.
“We will also have a live sentiment analysis of twitter feeds – and participation of viewers in Times Now debate by inviting them to tweet video questions using the Vine app. This will be done by using the hashtag #IHaveAQuestion. This will give viewers an unprecedented opportunity to be a part of the political debate and add their voice to it,” said the channel through a statement.
The same will be boosted by access to exclusive real-time data from twitter which will be presented to both TV viewers and social media followers in interesting formats – adding an entirely new perspective to the election coverage.
The entire election coverage will use the hashtag #WhoWillFormGovt which will bring together opinion makers and influencers as well as common people on the platform.
“Apart from this, we are also trying to make information more accessible through a novel initiative called Tweet to SMS. Through this, people will be able to follow the Times Now twitter handle and more importantly, get election related updates via SMS, making it much easier to keep track of the news,” informed the channel.
iWorld
Micro-Dramas Surge in India, Redefining Mobile Content Habits
Meta-Ormax study maps rapid rise of short-form storytelling among 18–44 audiences.
MUMBAI: Micro-dramas aren’t just short, they’re the snack that ate Indian entertainment, and now everyone’s bingeing between the sofa cushions. Meta, in partnership with Ormax Media, has released ‘Micro Dramas: The India Story’, a comprehensive study unveiled at the inaugural Meta Marketing Summit: Micro-Drama Edition. The report maps how the vertical, bite-sized format is reshaping content consumption for mobile-first audiences aged 18–44 across 14 states.
Conducted between November 2025 and January 2026 through 50 in-depth interviews and 2,000 personal surveys, the research reveals that 65 per cent of viewers discovered micro-dramas within the last year proof of explosive adoption. Nearly 89 per cent encounter the format through social feeds and recommendations, making algorithm-driven discovery the primary engine rather than active search.
Key viewing patterns show a median of 3.5 hours per week (about 30 minutes daily) spread across 7–8 short sessions. Consumption peaks between 8 pm and midnight, with additional spikes during commutes and work breaks classic “in-between moments” that the format fills perfectly. Around 57 per cent of viewing happens in ambient mode (while doing something else), and 90 per cent is solo, enabling more intimate, personal storytelling.
Romance, family drama and comedy lead genre preferences. Audiences show growing openness to AI-generated content, 47 per cent find it unique and creative, while only 6 per cent say they would avoid it entirely. Regional languages are surging after Hindi and English, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada dominate consumption.
Meta, director, media & entertainment (India) Shweta Bajpai said, “Micro-drama isn’t a passing trend, it’s rewriting the rules of Indian entertainment. In under a year, an entirely new category of platforms has emerged, built audience habits from scratch, and created a business vertical that is scaling fast.”
Ormax Media founder-CEO Shailesh Kapoor added, “Micro-dramas are beginning to show the early signs of becoming a distinct content category in India’s digital entertainment landscape. When a format aligns closely with how audiences naturally engage with their devices, it has the potential to scale very quickly.”
The study proposes ecosystem-wide responsibility, universal signposting of commercial intent, shared accountability among advertisers, platforms, creators, schools and parents, built-in safeguards, and formal media literacy in schools.
In a feed that never sleeps and a day that never stops, micro-dramas have slipped into the cracks of every spare minute turning 30-second stories into the new national pastime, one vertical swipe at a time.
