iWorld
Vi kicks off online gaming tournament for IPL 2021 viewers
KOLKATA: With India Premier League (IPL) kicking in, the tournament’s associate media sponsor Vi has rolled out an engaging initiative based on the popular game concept Play Along’ i.e. play while you watch the live T20 league. One can play solo or with friends every day during the upcoming matches spread over 52 days, and add some fun and excitement with loads of rewards. Vi is offering its customers an opportunity to participate in the Vi Dekho bhi, Khelo bhi, Jeeto bhi online gaming initiative and win daily prizes as well as a bumper tournament prize, from 9 April to 30 May 2021.
This announcement comes close on the heels of Vi’s partnership with Disney+ Hotstar, giving the telecom operator’s customers the opportunity to watch the IPL T20 games live from their mobile phones, from anywhere.
All Vi customers (pre-paid and postpaid) can register and play the game. It will need one time registration from the Vi App home page. There will be four stages for each game, pre-match, play along, strategic time-out, and power play. There will be daily challenges based on the day’s match. Each participant can earn booster points by inviting friends or recharge / bill payment through the Vi app. There are daily prizes for top scorers of the match, bumper prizes for top scorers of the tournament and mega prizes basis draw of lots for those who have scored a certain minimum points.
As a separate initiative, Vi has invited customers to play the ‘Vi Fan of the Match’ contest during match breaks and win exciting rewards, including iPhones. ‘Vi Fan of the Match’ can be played on the telco’s official Facebook and Instagram page, and on Twitter during every match break. Participants will have to answer simple questions pertaining to the live match being played. There will be a total of 20 questions for each match. The gifts on offer for those giving the maximum correct answers:
o Surprise Vouchers on every ad break.
o iPhones to be won at the end of every match – 60 matches, 60 winners, 60 iPhones.
o Bumper prize at the end of the season.
Additionally, the names and photos of each daily winner will be put up on Vi’s social media pages.
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.
