Hindi
ZEE5 Original ‘Despatch’ shines at MAMI Film Festival 2024
Mumbai: ZEE5 announced the successful showcase of its original movie Despatch, starring Manoj Bajpayee, at the MAMI Film Festival 2024. The Gala Premiere on 19 October received positive feedback, highlighting the film’s exploration of the darker side of journalism and the ethical challenges reporters face. A panel discussion followed the screening, delving into the filmmaking process and themes like truth, power, and responsibility in media.
Directed by Kanu Behl, Despatch blends suspense with a moral inquiry into media dynamics. Manoj Bajpayee’s portrayal of a crime reporter grappling with professional and personal ethics stands out, supported by performances from Shahana Goswami and Archita Agarwal.
ZEE5 India chief business officer Manish Kalra stated, “We are thrilled by the overwhelming response that Despatch received at the MAMI Film Festival. This success highlights ZEE5’s commitment to bringing original content that not only entertains but also sparks meaningful dialogue. Cinema’s power to connect through compelling storytelling is at the heart of what we do, and Despatch is a perfect example. Manoj Bajpayee’s outstanding performance, combined with Kanu Behl’s direction, has made this project one we’re incredibly proud of. We look forward to bringing this impactful film to a wider audience as we continue to push boundaries in content creation.”
An RSVP spokesperson said, “Despatch is a gripping exploration of the dark side of crime journalism and the moral dilemmas it brings. We are beyond proud of the response it received at the MAMI Festival. Partnering with MAMI has given Despatch the perfect platform to debut, and we are excited for its journey ahead as it reaches a wider audience on ZEE5. We believe this narrative dives deep into the human condition, and we’re thrilled to see it resonate with such a discerning audience.”
Behl said, “Directing Despatch has been an incredible experience, and I am immensely grateful to have had Manoj Bajpayee bring our vision to life with his remarkable performance. His ability to embody the complexities of the character adds incredible depth to the storytelling, allowing audiences to truly connect with the narrative. Screening at the MAMI Festival has been a wonderful opportunity to share this powerful story, and I can’t wait for viewers to experience the movie in its entirety when it premieres on ZEE5.”
The screening of Despatch at MAMI reinforces ZEE5’s position as a platform for diverse, high-quality storytelling that tackles important societal issues. As part of ZEE5’s focus on impactful content, *Despatch* has gained attention for its portrayal of power, information, and ethics in journalism. With its suspenseful plot and Manoj Bajpayee’s strong performance, the film adds to ZEE5’s growing slate of socially relevant original content.
Hindi
India’s telecom subscribers cross 1.32 billion in February 2026
Broadband base swells past 1.06 billion as Jio and Airtel tighten grip on the market.
MUMBAI: India’s telecom sector is ringing in steady growth once again adding millions of new connections every month while the race for broadband supremacy continues to heat up like a fiercely contested cricket match. According to the latest data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on 1 April 2026, the total telephone subscriber base in the country reached 1,321.31 million at the end of February 2026. This marked a net addition of 7.31 million subscribers during the month, translating into a monthly growth rate of 0.56 per cent.
Wireless subscribers (including mobile and Fixed Wireless Access) stood at 1,273.31 million, registering a net addition of 6.97 million and a growth rate of 0.55 per cent. Within this, urban wireless connections grew to 730.75 million (growth 0.70 per cent), while rural wireless subscribers reached 542.56 million (growth 0.35 per cent).
Wireline subscribers, though much smaller in scale, showed slightly faster growth. The total wireline base increased to 47.99 million, with a net addition of 0.34 million and a monthly growth rate of 0.70 per cent. Urban areas continued to dominate wireline connections with a share of 89.41 per cent.
Overall tele-density in India improved to 92.66 per cent. Urban tele-density stood at 150.68 per cent, while rural tele-density edged up to 60.02 per cent.
The broadband subscriber base crossed a significant milestone, reaching 1,059.05 million at the end of February 2026. This reflected a healthy net addition of 6.33 million subscribers and a monthly growth rate of 0.60 per cent from January’s figure of 1,052.72 million.
Segment-wise, mobile wireless access continued to drive the majority of growth with 996.52 million subscribers. Fixed Wireless Access (including 5G FWA) added 16.51 million, while wired broadband stood at 46.02 million.
Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. maintained its commanding lead with 519.64 million broadband subscribers. Bharti Airtel Ltd. followed with 364.14 million, Vodafone Idea Ltd. with 129.36 million, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. with 28.70 million, and Atria Convergence Technologies Ltd. with 2.38 million.
Together, these top five players command a massive 98.60 per cent share of the total broadband market.
In the wireless (mobile) segment, private operators continued to dominate with 92.59 per cent market share, leaving public sector undertakings (BSNL and MTNL) with just 7.41 per cent.
Out of the total 1,257.29 million wireless (mobile) subscribers, 1,177.60 million were active on the peak Visitor Location Register (VLR) date, representing an impressive 93.66 per cent activity rate. Bharti Airtel led in this metric with 99.42 per cent of its subscribers active.
Meanwhile, 14.47 million subscribers submitted requests for Mobile Number Portability (MNP) in February, indicating healthy competition and customer churn across zones.
While urban areas still lead in absolute numbers, rural connectivity is slowly catching up. Rural wireless tele-density stood at 59.46 per cent, compared with the much higher urban figure of 142.32 per cent.
Fixed Wireless Access using 5G technology also showed promising traction, growing to 11.93 million subscribers. Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel are the primary players driving this segment.
The data paints a picture of a maturing yet still rapidly expanding telecom ecosystem. With total telephone subscribers now well past the 1.32 billion mark and broadband users comfortably above 1.06 billion, India continues to solidify its position as one of the world’s largest and most dynamic digital markets.
From bustling city streets to remote villages, more Indians are staying connected than ever before proving that when it comes to telecom, the country’s appetite for growth shows no signs of hanging up anytime soon.
