iWorld
When AI met Arjun, Mahabharat gets an epic tech twist
MUMBAI: Some battles never end, they just get a software update. Collective Media Network’s Historyverse has dropped the trailer for Mahabharat enabled by AI, a retelling of India’s most enduring epic where myth meets machine. Set to premiere on Waves OTT on 25 October 2025, followed by a Doordarshan telecast every Sunday at 11 am from 2 November, the series promises to blend nostalgia with next-gen storytelling.
The trailer feels like déjà vu dressed in digital armour, familiar faces of dharma and destiny, rendered with the power of artificial intelligence. Behind the screens, a team of writers, researchers, technicians, and engineers at Collective Artists Network’s Galleri5 have built this brave new Kurukshetra pixel by pixel, turning age-old verses into a visual feast that bridges the past and the future.
“For many of us, watching the Mahabharat on TV was part of our childhood, those Sunday mornings meant something special,” said Collective Artists Network founder & group CEO Vijay Subramaniam. “With Mahabharat enabled by AI, we wanted to bring that memory back, but make it feel fresh, relevant, and made for this time. It’s emotional, it’s big, and it’s built with care.”
At the heart of this digital dharma lies a collaboration between Collective Media Network and Prasar Bharati, a pairing that merges old-school television tradition with cutting-edge creativity. Prasar Bharati CEO Gaurav Dwivedi noted, “This is exactly the kind of innovation that keeps our cultural legacy alive for generations to come. It’s exciting to see how technology can reawaken stories that unite people.”
For viewers, the AI-driven Mahabharat is less of a reboot and more of a renaissance, a chance to relive the grandeur, the moral conflict, and the emotion that once glued an entire nation to its TV screens. Only this time, Bhishma’s armour gleams with digital precision, Krishna’s wisdom echoes through neural networks, and the battle for truth plays out in ultra-HD.
As Historyverse puts it, the project isn’t just a show; it’s a statement that even in a world ruled by algorithms, the human heart still craves stories of courage, loyalty, and fate. So come October, when conch shells sound and pixels clash, audiences will witness an epic reborn not rewritten, just re-coded.
iWorld
OneOTT partners with UP govt for Project GANGA broadband rollout
Initiative to connect 2M plus households, empower 8,000–10,000 entrepreneurs in 2–3 years.
MUMBAI: Uttar Pradesh just got a digital Ganga flow because when broadband meets ambition, even villages start streaming faster than city traffic. OneOTT Intertainment Ltd. (OIL), the broadband arm of Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS) under the Hinduja Group, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the State Transformation Commission (STC), Government of Uttar Pradesh, for Project GANGA (Government Assisted Network for Growth & Advancement).
The MoU, signed on 7 March 2026 in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Finance & Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna, aims to empower 8,000–10,000 local entrepreneurs at the Nyaya Panchayat level as independent Digital Service Providers (DSPs). A significant number of these DSPs are expected to be women. The initiative will deliver high-speed broadband to over 2 million households in the next 2–3 years and create direct and indirect employment for more than 100,000 individuals.
Project GANGA will support government priorities in digital education, healthcare and public services while enabling MSMEs and enterprises with reliable connectivity. DSPs will receive structured training, financing assistance, network build-out support and technology enablement.
STC CEO Manoj Kumar Singh said, “Project GANGA is a significant step toward expanding inclusive digital infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh. By empowering local entrepreneurs, the program will strengthen service delivery and ensure affordable digital access for underserved communities.”
OIL, MD & CEO and HGS whole-time director Vynsley Fernandes added, “This initiative reflects our long-term commitment to enabling digital access and economic opportunity at scale. Project GANGA is structured as a multi-year program focused on entrepreneur onboarding, network deployment and workforce development.”
OIL brings execution strength backed by HGS and NXTDIGITAL’s national footprint, which already connects over 5 million homes across more than 4,500 pin codes in 1,500 cities and towns through 15,000 plus franchise partners and over 2 lakh kilometres of fibre infrastructure. The ecosystem will support broadband, IPTV, OTT, CCTV, satellite internet and cybersecurity solutions for households, businesses and public institutions.
In a state racing toward digital inclusion, Project GANGA isn’t just laying cables, it’s laying the foundation for millions to connect, learn, heal and earn, one Nyaya Panchayat at a time.
