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Tata Communications trials video distribution with Formula one using global fibre network
MUMBAI: Tata Communications successfully showcased its next generation capability for video distribution by relaying content from the 2013 Formula one Singtel Singapore Grand Prix directly to Formula One management’s Biggin Hill headquarters in the UK.
The live video feed was sent using Tata Communications’ video connect service on its wholly-owned fibre network in what was Tata Communications’ first live video contribution demonstration for Formula One management and a group of leading broadcasters.
The capability demonstration included the supply of JPEG 2000 quality video live from the race circuit as well as multiple programme feeds – all made possible due to the use of its fibre network and media management services.
Tata Communications F1 business managing director Mehul Kapadia said, “When Tata Communications signed the deal to become the official connectivity provider of Formula one last year we knew we were starting an exciting journey with the sport. This video capability demonstration was an important milestone as it allowed us to showcase our capabilities in the delivery of content of the highest quality video feeds over fibre, and give a glimpse into the potential future of sports broadcasting.”
Using fibre, broadcasters have the opportunity to manage content in ways not possible via satellite – giving them options on what video feeds they share with the viewer for consumption.
When the partnership with Tata Communications was announced, a Formula one management spokesperson stated that the deal was “the most significant moment for F1 since the advent of satellites.”
After Friday’s capability demonstration, Formula one management chief technical officer John Morrison said: “We are constantly looking at how we improve the delivery and number of options for our media partners, and ultimately the end consumer. This game changing trial from Tata Communications around the capability of its world-class connectivity infrastructure allows us to evaluate new means of delivering the immersive live race experience around the world. FOM is already using connectivity provided by Tata Communications to facilitate a radical rethink of our live event coverage by remoting an increasing number of associated activities to our remote operations centre at Biggin Hill.”
Consumer demand for quality, live content across different platforms is now the norm and with the emergence of bandwidth-hungry production workflows such as Ultra HD, quick turnarounds and availability of content across multiple platforms is becoming a hygiene factor for content owners. Tata Communications’ portfolio of media services and its leading fibre network helps media companies streamline its workflows to enable better collaboration, without large investments in hardware.
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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.
