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Sun to distribute Disney channels
MUMBAI: In a major development, the Walt Disney channels have decided to move out of Star Den‘s distribution network. The bouquet of three channels will be handled by Sun Distribution Services, the recently floated distribution arm of Sun TV Group, from 1 April.
This will be the first time that Sun will get to distribute channels outside its network, creating a bouquet that would have appeal outside the southern language TV audiences.
Indiantelevision.com was the first to report that Sun TV Network would enter into the distribution of television channels business, along the lines of Star Den, Zee Turner and MSM Disocvery.
As part of this plan, Sun has signed a multi-year distribution agreement with The Walt Disney Company to distribute Disney Channel, Disney XD and Hungama TV across multiple platforms, including cable TV, DTH and IPTV, in India.
Says The Walt Disney Company India MD Mahesh Samat, “We are delighted to partner with Sun Distribution Services, to further strengthen the reach and relevance of Disney in India. Our agreement further consolidates the strong position of Disney Channel, Disney XD and Hungama TV across multiple platforms in the country and provides kids and families increased access to content anywhere and anytime.”
Sun Distribution Services, a division of Sun Network Group‘s Kal Comm Pvt Ltd, will target several independent channels like Sahara One.
Says Sun Distribution Services COO Tony D‘Silva, “The Sun Network commands a strong consumer loyalty from TV viewers across India and this entry of the Disney channel network will help make us a more comprehensive and entertaining package of offerings with content that appeals to kids and families. This is a significant milestone for Sun Distribution Services towards creating an alliance of strong television stations catering to different audiences and geographies.”
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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.
