iWorld
YuppTV announces launch of Aastha channel
MUMBAI: To meet the demand for spiritual and devotional viewers of the country YuppTV on 3 March announces the launch of spiritual – cultural channel Aastha TV to showcase Indian spirituality for the Asian Indian community spread across the globe. The channel will be available worldwide with the exception of the USA, UK and Canada.
Owned by Vedic Broadcasting Limited (VBL), Aastha TV telecasts religious discourses by saints and gurus; socio-cultural ceremonies and religious events, devotional music, programs based on pilgrimages, traditional festivals, meditation techniques, Astrology, Yoga, Ayurveda and educational programs based on ancient Vedic sciences.
Announcing the launch, YuppTV CEO Uday Reddy said, “We are pleased to take Aastha TV to YuppTV customers across the world in keeping with our commitment to offering some of the most diverse content to viewers. As a channel that provides individuals across ages the perfect platform to connect with a culture and spirituality that is their own and which they adore, we believe our viewers will both appreciate and benefit from the launch of Aastha TV.”
Vedic Broadcasting Limited CEO Pramod Joshi stated, “We are delighted to announce the launch of Aastha TV on YuppTV platform. Aastha has been at the forefront in providing content which fulfils the spiritual needs of the Asian Indian community spread across the globe. They can now benefit from the channel’s offerings through multiple internet enabled devices. Our association gives Aastha a wider global reach and will help people living away to connect to their homeland.”
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.
