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UCWeb: Damon Xi will now head India & Indonesia
NEW DELHI: Damon Xi as Head of UCWeb India and Indonesia office and will be in charge of the UCWeb ecosystem along with content cooperation within the markets in these countries,
Prior to this, Damon was general manager of UCWeb India, leading strategic alliance and business development for the company in India, according to Alibaba Mobile Business Group, part of Alibaba Digital Media and Entertainment.
In a significant restructuring announced last month, Alibaba Digital Media and Entertainment Group elevated Jack Huang to President of Alibaba Mobile Business Group and Young Li as Head of International Business Department at Alibaba Mobile Business Group.
UCWeb’s flagship product UC Browser is the number one platform in India and Indonesia with over 50% market share, ahead of Google Chrome and Opera. UC Browser is also the sixth most downloaded application on Android platform in India and has crossed 100 million active monthly users.
India and Indonesia have become most important overseas markets for UCWeb. Over the last 6 years, UCWeb has transformed itself from being the largest mobile browser to a leading content distribution platform in India through the launch and integration of UC News. UC News is a big-data powered content distributor, serving as a one-stop destination for trending and curated news content. It has featured channels on general news, cricket, technology, entertainment, movies, lifestyle, health, and humour. UC News has crossed 100 Million Monthly Active Users (MAUs), rapidly growing in India & Indonesia market since its launch in June 2016.
In January, Alibaba announced a Rs. 2 billion investment to build UCWeb in India and Indonesia over the next two years, by tapping into the potential of user-generated content. UCWeb’s strength in technology is helping UC News process millions of data request and content of massive origins everyday with the help of its 3 big data clusters set-up in India. The UC We-Media program where people get an opportunity to create, to write, share thoughts and engage with their followers on UC News is set to expand to 30,000 contributors by the end of 2017, producing over 10,000 pieces of content daily.
Alibaba Digital Media and Entertainment reported a 271 per cent jump, year-on-year, for the fiscal year ended 31 March 2017 with significant contributions from mobile internet services revenue from UCWeb businesses, including mobile search and news feeds, as well as apps and game publishing across China as well as key global markets like India and Indonesia.
eNews
Piyush Thakur steps down as Inshorts’ chief revenue officer
Former vice president and cro says exit marks a new chapter after close to a decade of building revenue and partnerships at Inshorts Group.
NOIDA: Piyush Thakur has stepped away from Inshorts Group after nearly 10 years with the company, marking the end of a long tenure that culminated in his role as chief revenue officer.
In a farewell note, Thakur said he was “turning a new page” after almost a decade at Inshorts, calling it one of the hardest professional decisions he has made. He added that his exit was not driven by uncertainty about the future, but by reflection on a long association with the company.
Thakur joined Inshorts in October 2016 as vice president and spent around seven years in the role before being elevated to chief revenue officer in April 2024, a position he held until April 2026.
He said his tenure was defined by “thousands of mornings, late nights, product debates and breakthrough moments”, as the company evolved into a large-scale digital news platform used by millions.
In his note, Thakur emphasised that Inshorts’ growth was a collective effort across teams, adding that engineers, designers, sales teams and customer support staff all contributed to building the platform. He said the company’s success was not the result of individuals but of “everyone who stayed, passed through, and left their mark”.
Before Inshorts, Thakur worked across several digital media and business development roles. At ESPN, he served as senior regional manager from October 2015 to October 2016, focusing on growth initiatives, strategic opportunities and video distribution.
At Times Internet, he worked for nearly three years, including as head of business development from April 2015 to September 2015 and chief manager from January 2013 to March 2015. His responsibilities included monetisation of mobile platforms, managing media and developer partnerships, and driving revenue across digital properties such as The Times of India and The Economic Times.
Earlier, he worked at Brandmovers as head of business development from June 2012 to June 2013, handling digital, mobile and social media marketing solutions, client development and strategic consulting. During this period, he also worked on advertising revenue, brand strategy and CRM-based solutions.
At Inshorts, Thakur’s role focused on revenue strategy, mobile and media partnerships, and growth initiatives across platforms. His profile highlights experience in mobile product management, digital business models, partner ecosystems and revenue expansion in high-growth environments.
