iWorld
Twitter tests disappearing messages through ‘fleets’
MUMBAI: Twitter in India is testing out a new way to have conversations about your fleeting thoughts on the service – fleets. They disappear after 24 hours and there aren't any likes, retweets or public replies. The company said, "We learned from research that people don’t tweet because tweets are public, feel permanent, and display the number of retweets and likes. We hope fleets will empower many more people to express themselves more freely. India is the third market globally after Brazil and Italy where Twitter is rolling out this feature to test."
For Twitter to serve the public conversation, which is its mission, more people need to feel comfortable having conversations. There need to be more ways to have conversations on Twitter with less pressure and various controls. Fleets are fast and familiar. People can tap on their own avatar to start, add text or media and hit send.
Namaste! Starting today, Fleets are coming to India. If you’re in India, check it out and let us know what you think! #FleetsFeedbackpic.twitter.com/U6QiHynm1U
— Kayvon Beykpour (@kayvz) June 9, 2020
Twitter India MD Manish Maheshwari said, “India is important for Twitter since it is one of our largest and fastest-growing audience markets globally. We are excited to bring the Fleets experiment to India and make it one of the first three countries in the world to experience this new product. From the test in India, we’ll learn how adding a new mode of conversation changes the way Indians engage on Twitter. It’ll also be interesting to see if it further amplifies the diversity of usage by allowing people to share what they’re thinking in a way that is light-touch and light-hearted.”
Fleets from the accounts one follows are always right on top of one’s timeline. People can see who’s seen their fleet by looking underneath a post. They can tap on someone’s avatar to see what the person has shared since they last were on Twitter. Alternatively, one can also find an account’s fleets by looking on their profile page.
To create a new fleet, follow these simple steps:
● Tap the avatar on the top left of your profile to create a new fleet
● Start typing or tap a media icon to add photo/s or video/s
● Tap ‘fleet’ to post
To view someone’s fleet:
● Tap an avatar to see their latest fleets
● Swipe down to see newer fleets and up to see older fleets
● Swipe left or right to see fleets from other accounts you follow
To engage with your followers on fleets:
● Buttons to reply and react are available when direct messages (DMs) are open
● Followers can reply privately via DM or quickly react with an emoji, and continue the conversation privately in DMs
● Replies and reactions will appear in DMs along with the fleet they are responding to
People can also report a fleet using the ‘…’ menu
Twitter group product manager Mo Al Adham said, “Twitter is where people go to see and talk about what’s happening. We want people to be able to have conversations on Twitter in different ways, with less pressure and more control. That’s why we’re testing a way to share their fleeting thoughts.”
Since starting to test fleets in Brazil, Twitter has seen people become more comfortable sharing what’s on their minds. People who don’t usually tweet are starting more conversations and sending both fleets and tweets. When people send a fleet, they often share a number of thoughts rapidly.
Fleets will be available for everyone in India on Twitter for iOS and Android in the coming days in updated app versions.
iWorld
Streaming boom crosses 200 million as India shifts to sustainable growth
From content bets to CTV rise, industry leaders map streaming’s next phase
MUMBAI: India’s streaming story has entered a new chapter, and this time it is less about land grab and more about staying power. At a panel on the evolving streaming economy, industry leaders agreed that with subscriptions crossing 200 million and revenues surging, the focus has decisively shifted to sustainable growth, smarter content bets and sharper partnerships.
Moderator EY partner Raghav Anand, set the tone by pointing to the sharp jump in paid subscriptions, driven by a mix of sports, bundling and improved distribution. The result is a fast-maturing ecosystem where subscription revenues are beginning to complement, and in some cases rival, advertising-led growth.
For Amazon Prime Video Svod business India director & head Shilangi Mukherji, the past decade has been about balancing choice with clarity. “It’s not an either-or market anymore,” she noted. “There is space for everything, from television to ad-supported streaming to subscriptions. The real win is when they all grow together.”
At the heart of this growth lies a simple trio: selection, value and convenience. Content remains king, but not in isolation. Platforms are now curating vast libraries that blend originals, rentals, and third-party services, all under one roof. The aim is to create an ecosystem where viewers do not need to hop between apps to find what they want.
Content itself is also evolving. Mukherji highlighted that nearly half of Prime Video’s viewership comes from outside a show’s home region, underlining the collapse of traditional language silos. Stories are no longer “regional” but increasingly pan-Indian, with talent and narratives travelling seamlessly across states.
Franchise-building has become another cornerstone, with a majority of shows designed for multiple seasons. The goal is not just to attract viewers but to keep them coming back, turning series into long-term cultural touchpoints rather than one-off hits.
On the production side, Hungama Digital Media managing director & CEO Neeraj Roy, described an industry that is both resilient and recalibrating. While the pandemic accelerated content consumption and discovery, it also reset market dynamics. Pre-sales have softened, satellite revenues have tightened, and the easy money phase of digital deals has cooled.
“The honeymoon is over,” Roy said candidly. “Now, content has to prove itself. If it works at the box office or with audiences, everything else follows.”
This shift, he argued, is pushing creators towards greater discipline. Fewer projects are being made, but with sharper focus on quality and audience appeal. At the same time, global exposure to diverse content, from Korean dramas to Malayalam cinema, has raised the bar for storytelling across the board.
Another quiet transformation is unfolding in how content is consumed. While mobile remains the primary gateway, especially for payments and discovery, connected TVs are fast becoming the preferred screen for long-form viewing. Mukherji described this not as a battle of devices but as a “force multiplier”, with platforms tailoring plans for mobile-only users, living room viewers and multi-device households alike.
The monetisation playbook is also widening. Beyond subscriptions and ads, platforms are experimenting with rentals, bundled offerings and commerce integrations, building layered revenue streams that cater to different stages of the consumer journey.
Looking ahead, both panellists pointed to global ambition as the next frontier. Mukherji emphasised taking Indian stories to the world through deeper localisation, calling content India’s soft power. Roy, meanwhile, stressed the need for investment in infrastructure, skills and, crucially, transparent data systems to guide creators with better insights.
If the first phase of India’s streaming boom was about scale, the next will be about substance. And as the industry settles into this new rhythm, one thing is clear: the real streaming wars may be over, but the race to win viewers’ time has only just begun.
