iWorld
Vibrant Indian policy-making will ensure non-discrimination: Netflix APAC MD
NEW DELHI: Netflix is not only upbeat on the Indian market, but feels the vibrancy in policy-making process here will ensure non-discriminatory access to the Internet for all.
Pointing out that India is a place where many innovations are being witnessed, Netflix APAC managing director Yu-Chuang Kuek said that regulatory organisations (like TRAI) should take a wholistic view on issues like net neutrality and nuance the policies in such a way so as “not to stifle innovations.”
Speaking as a panellist at a session on `The Future of Entertainment’ at ORF-organised `CyFy 2016: Digital Asia Scripting the New Governance Order’ here on Thursday, Kuek suggested Indian policy-makers should flesh out a policy after looking at all issues.
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the broadcast and telecoms regulator, is in the process of coming out with a set of guidelines for OTT services and net neutrality issue after lengthy debates with stakeholders. A section of the entertainment and telecoms industry in India has been lobbying hard to regulate mushrooming OTT services that have been claiming a growing subscriber base despite challenges of inadequate bandwidth and high cost of data.
As to whether challenges of possible over-regulation (by TRAI), slow internet speed and high cost of data could pose a problem for the growth of OTT services like Netflix in India, Kuek emphasised that he’s much “heartened” by the ongoing “vibrant discussion” on net neutrality.
He, along with another panellists, went on to clarify that regulations need to be “principled and technology-based” without “overreaching” as restrictive regulations were not good for the industry as a whole.
Holding forth on Asian and global trends, the Singapore-based Kuek said that “entertainment and video consumption online is irreversible” and it becomes the “first point of contact for Internet adoption.” He added: “There has been an annual growth of 22 per cent in data consumption in Asia.”
According to another panellist, Santa Clara University Associate Professor of Communication Rohit Chopra, the lines between entertainment and news have blurred (in the US) and the second wave of Internet has caused India to “jumpstart” to this trend.
iWorld
Netflix cuts jobs in product division amid restructuring
Layoffs hit creative studio unit as leadership and strategy shifts unfold.
MUMBAI: The streaming wars may be fought on screen, but the latest plot twist is unfolding behind the scenes. Netflix has reportedly begun laying off several dozen employees from its product division as part of an internal reorganisation, according to a report by Variety. The cuts are believed to have primarily affected the company’s creative studio unit, which works on marketing assets such as in app trailers, promotional visuals and live experience content for the streaming platform.
The company has not disclosed the exact number of employees impacted.
According to the report, the layoffs were not tied to employee performance. Instead, the restructuring eliminated certain roles while other employees were reassigned to different teams within the organisation.
The roles affected are understood to include designers, producers and creative specialists responsible for marketing and brand experience initiatives.
The job cuts come as Netflix adjusts its leadership structure and reshapes its product and creative teams. Last month, Elizabeth Stone was promoted from chief technology officer to chief product and technology officer, giving her oversight of product, engineering and data operations across the company.
Earlier, in December 2025, Netflix also appointed Martin Rose as head of creative for global brand and partnerships, a move seen as part of a broader restructuring of the company’s brand and product functions.
Despite the layoffs, Netflix remains one of the largest employers in the streaming sector. The company is estimated to employ around 16,000 people globally, with roughly 70 percent of its workforce based in the United States and Canada. In 2023, the company reported approximately 13,000 employees, indicating that its headcount had grown significantly before the latest restructuring.
The workforce changes arrive at a time when Netflix is navigating a shifting financial and strategic landscape in the global entertainment industry.
The streaming giant recently secured $2.8 billion in additional cash after receiving a breakup fee from Paramount Skydance following its withdrawal from a deal involving Warner Bros. Discovery.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Netflix co chief executive Ted Sarandos explained that the company had evaluated multiple scenarios during the negotiations but chose not to match the competing offer once it learned that a higher bid had been submitted.
Netflix had capped its offer at $27.75 per share and ultimately stepped back rather than pursue Paramount’s $111 billion acquisition deal, which included a personal guarantee.
Sarandos also cautioned that the financing structure behind the Paramount Skydance transaction could have ripple effects across the entertainment industry.
According to him, the debt heavy deal could trigger significant cost cutting, with David Ellison, chief executive of Paramount Skydance, expected to eliminate about $16 billion in costs and potentially cut thousands of jobs as part of the integration process.
For Netflix, the current restructuring appears to be part of a broader attempt to streamline operations while continuing to invest in product, technology and global content even as the streaming industry enters a new phase of consolidation and financial discipline.
