iWorld
Viacom18’s Voot ranked among 2016’s best apps on Google Play
MUMBAI: In its year of launch, Viacom18’s video-on demand platform, Voot has made it to the prestigious -Best Apps of the year 2016 India list on Google Play. Some of the other top apps which made it to the list are Google Allo, Google Duo, Prisma, Dubsmash, Ted, etc.
Every year Google releases a list of best performing applications, games, movies, TV shows, and books on Google Play across the globe. Voot has won under Top Trending Apps and Most Entertaining Apps in the country across categories. In fact, VOOT is the only video-on demand app to have made it to this coveted list and one of the only two apps to feature in two categories.
“To be selected in the list of top trending and most entertaining apps for 2016 by Google Play is a huge honor.It cements our belief that compelling content packaged into a great user experience makes for a winning product, one that is appreciated by consumers and acknowledged by the industry. Having made it to this prestigious list in our maiden year now sets a high benchmark for us,” said Viacom18 Digital Ventures COO Gaurav Gandhi.
Voot was launched earlier this year and currently has over 30,000 hours of content and plans to add between over 12000 hours of content each year. The ad-supported VOD service, besides being the singular destination for the Viacom 18 network content, also has a big focus ondigital Originals, exclusive unseen content around the network’srealityshows as well as the largest repository for premium kids’ content in India.
Within just six months from launch, Voot has already garnered more than 16 million downloads, over 15 million monthly active users with monthly watch time of over 1.3 billion minutes.
Gaming
Formula 1 and Mumbai Falcons launch India’s first official F1 sim racing championship
Nationwide competition creates pathway from virtual racing to pro motorsport
MUMBAI: Formula 1 has teamed up with Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited to launch India’s first officially sanctioned F1 sim racing competition, marking a new step in the country’s growing motorsport ecosystem.
The championship, titled F1 Sim Racing India Open 2026, will offer a structured national platform for sim racers, with participants competing on the official F1 25 across multiple stages. The competition will begin with online qualifiers, followed by city-based simulator rounds, before culminating in a national final in Mumbai this November.
Open to players across PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox, registrations for the event will begin on 30 April via the Mumbai Falcons app. The format mirrors real-world racing, featuring official circuits, team liveries and competitive structures aligned with the global series.
Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan said the initiative arrives at a time when interest in the sport is surging in India, adding that a structured sim racing platform could help identify and nurture the next generation of talent.
Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited managing director Ameet Gadhoke noted that the championship aligns with the team’s long-term goal of building a strong motorsport pipeline in the country and placing Indian talent on the global stage.
The launch also reflects broader momentum in esports, especially after its recognition under India’s Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025. By bridging gaming and real-world racing, the initiative aims to offer aspiring drivers a credible entry point into professional motorsport.
With interest in Formula 1 steadily rising and conversations around its return to India gaining pace, the new championship could become a proving ground for future racing stars.
