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Singapore starts 3D TV trial
MUMBAI: With the television technology event BroadcastAsia currently on, Singapore is gearing up to exploit the opportunities in a rapidly-transforming media landscape with initiatives that seed the development and delivery of next-generation consumer applications, services and experiences.
The Media Development Authority (MDA) has announced that these include the start of 3D TV trial across multiple platforms and the award of funding to innovative industry projects that are expected to change the way media and entertainment are consumed in future.
In addition, plans are underway to develop a prototype of the future Mediapolis@one-north. Known as Mediapolis Phase, the 16,000 square metre interim space, expected to be ready for occupancy by first quarter of 2011, will cater primarily to the incubation of start-ups as well as test-bedding and prototyping of new, innovative concepts in the various media sectors including interactive digital media, film and broadcast.
Launch of 3D TV trial : Stereoscopic 3D is set to migrate from the cinemas to homes with the start of a one-year 3D TV trial by the Media Development Authority of Singapore. The trial kicks off on terrestrial TV, cable TV and Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) in partnership with MediaCorp, Starhub and SingTel and involves the 3D recording of the National Day Parade. In addition to the broadcasters, other technology partners participating in the trial include Panasonic, Ross Video, Evertz, XpanD and Multimedia Maestro.
The trial enables the partners to test their transmission signals on different platforms, and address technical challenges in the delivery of 3D content to homes, whilst allowing service providers to explore viable business opportunities as they harness 3D technology to provide consumers with wider choices and better quality.
Apart from leading the trial with the partners, MDA will also launch a S$5 million fund to facilitate the trial and drive the development of content, talent and media services in the area of 3D. Depending on the progress of the trial, the broadcasters may choose to extend the trial to include consumers.
MDA CEO Dr Christopher Chia says, “The success of 3D movies and advances in digital technology has sparked strong interest in 3D developments worldwide. Our strategy has been to boost the development of stereoscopic 3D content, applications and services and build an industry of 3D production experts to meet future demand. Today, Singapore is one of the first territories in the world with one-stop, end-to-end production and post-production capabilities in theatrical stereoscopic 3D.
“With the 3D TV trial laying the groundwork to bring 3D experience to homes, Singapore is once again harnessing the latest digital technology to develop and deploy cutting-edge media services.”
Ramping up innovation in Interactive Digital Media: Industry players will be awarded S$10.5 million for some 23 projects that are expected to propel the local interactive digital media (IDM) sector to the next level and change how we consume content in the near future.
Selected from 156 proposals through the Future of Media Calls for Proposals last year, these projects are expected to commit close to $50 million of total investment in Singapore and create 200 new jobs over the next 2 years.
The Future of Media initiative envisions to catalyse growth in the IDM sector by clustering our industry to create leading positions in targeted areas to leverage on each other to create a collective vision and strength to shape the media landscape.
Through this initiative, MDA has also marshalled five groups of partner networks bringing together more than 160 companies including large media companies and start-ups to collaborate on the projects and explore strategies on how best to expand their footprints into high growth regions in Asia such as China.
Interestingly, the Future of Media initiative has spurred digital media companies to move beyond the media sector and develop projects to embed IDM into other sectors of the economy such as healthcare and education. For example, ST Electronics will be creating virtual 3D environments for stroke patient rehabilitation and cognitive study of dementia patients while the Singapore Centre for Chinese Language is working with publishing partners such as Pearson and Wholetree to roll out interactive media applications to facilitate Chinese language learning. Such positive outcome will further enhance and consolidate Singapore’s position as the preferred place for research and development in IDM.
Singapore strengthens ties with international partners:
Building on the strong bilateral relationship Singapore has with Korea, MDA will be signing a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation for a Safer Broadcasting and Communications Environment with the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) on 15 June.
As Korea’s media arbitration commission, the KCSC plays a key role in determining public value and fairness of broadcast and Internet content in Korea. The MoU will serve as an important platform for both sides for greater exchange of information on matters of mutual interest and to develop cooperative mechanisms and best practices relating to media content regulation especially in this increasingly converging world where lines between broadcasting and communications are increasingly blurred.
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Inshorts Group chief Deepit Purkayastha joins IAB video council for Southeast Asia and India
The co-founder and chief executive of the short-form content platform has been inducted into the IAB SEA+India Video Council, giving India a stronger voice in shaping digital video frameworks
NOIDA: India has long been the world’s most chaotic, multilingual and mobile-first digital market. Now, one of its most prominent short-video executives is getting a seat at the table where the rules are written.
Deepit Purkayastha, co-founder and chief executive of Inshorts Group, has been selected as a member of the IAB SEA+India Video Council for 2026. Run by the Interactive Advertising Bureau, the council brings together senior leaders from Southeast Asia and India to shape standards, best practices and measurement frameworks for the fast-evolving video and digital advertising ecosystem.
The timing is pointed. According to the IAMAI-Kantar Internet in India Report 2025, over 588 million Indians are now consuming short-video content, with growth increasingly driven by rural and non-metro audiences. India’s active internet user base has crossed 950 million, with 57 per cent of users now coming from rural markets. Yet the frameworks that govern how video consumption is measured and monetised were largely designed for single-language, Western markets and have struggled to keep pace with the scale, diversity and complexity of India’s digital landscape.
Purkayastha is no stranger to these debates. He already serves on the AI Council at Marketing and Media Alliance India and as co-chair of the Digital Entertainment Committee at the Internet and Mobile Association of India. His induction into the IAB SEA+India Video Council extends that influence into the global video standards arena.
Inshorts Group sits squarely at the intersection of these forces. Its flagship product, Inshorts, India’s highest-rated short news app, reaches 12 million active users with 60-word news summaries. Its sister platform, Public App, reaches 80 million monthly active users across more than 700 districts and 12 languages, serving communities that most global platforms barely register.
Purkayastha said the opportunity was about building something more representative. “India today sits at the centre of the global video ecosystem, but the frameworks that define how value is created and measured have not always kept pace with the realities of our market,” he said. “Being part of the IAB SEA+India Video Council is an opportunity to contribute to a more representative and future-ready approach, one that accounts for diversity in language, context, and user intent.”
As a council member, Purkayastha will contribute to shaping regional standards across video advertising, measurement and platform governance, with a focus on frameworks that are native to India’s multilingual, mobile-first ecosystem rather than imported from global benchmarks designed elsewhere.
For years, India has been content to play by rules written for other markets. Purkayastha’s induction is a signal that it is done waiting to be consulted and ready to start writing them.
