logo
PlayboxTV to invest nearly ₹25 cr in content arm, eyes ₹100 cr ARR

PlayboxTV to invest nearly ₹25 cr in content arm, eyes ₹100 cr ARR

OTT aggregator platform PlayboxTV has lined up an investment of around Rs 25 crore in the next 18 months to grow its newly-launched vertical-format content segment and expects annual recurring revenue of Rs 100 crore, a top company official said on Tuesday.
The OTT application enhances a customer's experience by listing movies, TV shows and web series from over 30 OTT apps with more than 350 channels across 10 languages.
The platform has made a strategic entry into the fast-growing micro-dramas segment with the launch of vertical content feature PlayShots.
"We have lined up an investment of around Rs 25 crore in the next 18 months to grow the new vertical (PlayShots)," Aamir Mulani, Founder & CEO of PlayboxTV said. The OTT platform expects annual recurring revenue of Rs 100 crore from the vertical, he added.
Available directly within the PlayboxTV app, PlayShots will offer viewers gripping, original Indian stories -- all in under 10 minutes, he said.
Mulani said vertical-format content is the future and PlayShots has embraced the growing trend of vertical viewing and short-form storytelling.
He added that the micro-drama industry is already making waves globally, adding that in China, for instance, the micro-drama market surpassed the traditional film industry in revenue in 2024, generating 50.44 billion yuan (approximately USD 6.9 billion).
Vertical content refers to visual material designed to be viewed in a vertical orientation, particularly suited for smartphones and tablets.
While the Indian entertainment ecosystem is more diverse and culturally layered, industry analysts foresee a significant rise in vertical content consumption, Mulani said.
It may be mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the first World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai recently had noted that India's OTT industry has witnessed tenfold growth in recent years stating that while screen sizes may be shrinking, the scope of content is infinite, with micro screens delivering mega messages.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Karan Johar Said He Doesn't Want To Work With Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise: 'Don't Want Them In My Movies'
Karan Johar Said He Doesn't Want To Work With Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise: 'Don't Want Them In My Movies'

News18

time41 minutes ago

  • News18

Karan Johar Said He Doesn't Want To Work With Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise: 'Don't Want Them In My Movies'

Karan Johar said he has 'no interest' in working with Hollywood actors or making an English language film. Karan Johar is among the biggest filmmakers and producers in India. As such, he has no interest in waiting in Hollywood offices to get his scripts read. In a 2012 conversation with TBIP, Karan Johar said he has no intention of working with Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise or Will Smith. He said that, unlike Hollywood, Indian cinema has a vast audience even in the domestic sense. Karan Johar said, 'We have such a large domestic audience that we have never needed to reach out. I have no interest in whether my film releases anywhere else in the world but India. The diaspora, for sure… But I don't want to work with Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise and Will Smith. I don't want them in my movies." Karan added, 'I don't want to make an English language film. I have no interest in going down and sitting in an office in LA and waiting for an actor to hear my script. I have no interest. If they give me an Oscar in my lifetime, I'll accept it as gladly as I'd accept a National Award from the President. It'd probably mean more to me." The filmmaker said that while he watches the Oscars and enjoys the black-tie event on his television, he will not spend years of his life trying to win it. 'I love the movies I make. I love the world I live in. I love the fact that Hindi cinema is a part of my life. I feel blessed that I'm in this profession," Karan mentioned. He wished that Bollywood never needed to reach out to 'another country" to support its creative endeavours. Although Karan Johar mentioned that he didn't want Will Smith in his films, it is interesting that years later, the actor made a cameo in Student of the Year 2. The film was produced by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions. Meanwhile, Karan Johar recently critiqued Brad Pitt's F1. Karan Johar called F1 a fun watch despite being predictable. He wrote on Instagram, 'Familiar Tropes, predictable beats, one-liners you see coming a mile away and yet. SO MUCH FUN! You can't stop yourself from reaching the edge of your seat or gasping out loud (sic). Brad Pitt seems to have approached the role with a self-reflecting Zen mode movie star swag! So effective and landed every beat!" He said that he found the climax a bit weak, and ended by saying, 'Mildly underwhelmed with the climactic beat BUT don't miss this adrenaline race and rush (sic)."

India makes a push for cheaper foreign loans in yen, rupee
India makes a push for cheaper foreign loans in yen, rupee

Mint

time42 minutes ago

  • Mint

India makes a push for cheaper foreign loans in yen, rupee

India is pressing multilateral development banks (MDBs) to lend more in Japanese yen and Indian rupees in an attempt to reduce borrowing costs and manage exchange rate risks more effectively, two officials aware of the matter said. New Delhi has steadily expanded loans and official development assistance (ODA) in yen to gain from ultra-low interest rates and the rupee's appreciation against the Japanese currency. Many of these loans finance infrastructure and development projects. 'Yen rates remain close to zero, and with the rupee having appreciated significantly against the yen since early 2023, yen borrowings, including through Samurai bonds, have emerged as a compelling option," one of the two officials cited above said, requesting anonymity. Samurai bonds are yen-denominated bonds issued in Japan by foreign entities to raise money. The development assumes significance since MDBs such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) play a central role in global finance, especially in developing economies. These institutions lend in dollar as well as other reserve currencies. ADB, which mainly lends in dollars, has also issued rupee bonds. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) too lends in yen, euro and rupees. The yen is part of IMF's special drawing rights (SDR) basket of currencies, and can be used depending on borrower preference and availability. India is pushing for loans in yen, the second official confirmed, adding "These loans and ODAs are not free, and we pay interest on them. A lot has changed now with India's rise at the global high table, and we are in a better position to negotiate our terms and conditions with the MDBs," said the second person. 'Also, given our past record, India also happens to be very attractive for these lending institutions as well, given our repayment history and the credit profile. We will follow the strategy which is in our best interest," the person added. An ADB spokesperson said the bank has received a handful of requests from India for yen-denominated loans in the last two years, with three such agreements signed in 2023 and 2024. These include the Delhi-Meerut RRTS Tranche 3 (2023), the Nagpur Metro Urban Mobility Project (2024) and the Amaravati Capital City Development Programme (2024). The ADB spokesperson pointed out that despite the rising interest in yen loans, 20 out of 22 sovereign loans signed by ADB in India in 2024 were in dollars. 'ADB's advice to borrowers is to choose the most financially advantageous termsbased on needs and risk exposure of the project and the borrower's overall external debt portfolio," the spokesperson added. Queries emailed to the spokespersons of India's finance ministry, World Bank, AIIB, IMF and Exim Bank remained unanswered. 'India is expected to expand its yen exposure further as part of a calibrated shift to longer-tenure, lower-cost financing to mitigate exchange rate risks. It will also explore greater use of the domestic currency. However, the dollar will remain dominant in the medium term, given its role as the principal global reserve currency," the official cited earlier said. According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data, yen-denominated liabilities rose to 6.2% of India's total external debt at the end of March 2025, up from 5.8% a year earlier. In absolute terms, this equals $45.6 billion out of the total $736.3 billion in external debt at the end of FY25. India's total external debt rose 10% in FY25. The US dollar still dominated India's external borrowings, accounting for 54.2%, followed by the Indian rupee (31.1%), yen (6.2%), SDR (4.6%), and the euro (3.2%). While the appeal of yen financing is clear, economists caution that since India lacks a deep forex market for the yen, most conversions still happen through cross-rates with the dollar or euro rather than direct market-determined rates, adding layers of complexity. 'Rupee-denominated loans are preferable from a stability standpoint. As for yen borrowings, unless a more efficient and transparent yen market develops, the advantages remain limited. In many cases, dollar- or SDR-denominated loans might still be more practical," said Bhanumurthy N.R., director of the Madras School of Economics. India's yen borrowing strategy is gaining traction across both bilateral and multilateral channels. In FY24 alone, India signed yen loan agreements with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) worth over ¥276 billion (around ₹15,600 crore), funding metro rail, logistics, and renewable energy projects. In FY25, JICA followed up with six ODA agreements worth ¥191.7 billion ( ₹11,181 crore) to support urban transport, water infrastructure, environmental protection, and livelihood programmes, including Delhi Metro Phase IV, Chennai's desalination plant, biodiversity projects in Punjab, and an aquaculture initiative in Assam. A separate ¥84.3 billion loan for Mumbai Metro Line 3 took the year's total to ¥276 billion ( ₹15,655 crore). 'India's push to secure more yen- and rupee-denominated loans from MDBs reflects a prudent effort to lower external borrowing costs while reducing exposure to the volatility of major foreign currencies like the US dollar," said Venkatakrishnan Srinivasan, managing partner at Rockfort Fincap Llp, a financial advisory firm. 'From a bond market and risk perspective, rupee-denominated MDB funding is a strong fit. It eliminates currency mismatch, enhances debt predictability, and aligns well with India's broader strategy of deepening its local currency bond ecosystem. Yen-denominated loans, though historically low-cost, now come with added complexity due to heightened forex volatility and an uncertain interest rate trajectory in Japan," he added.

5 districts corner 5L cr realty boom
5 districts corner 5L cr realty boom

Time of India

time42 minutes ago

  • Time of India

5 districts corner 5L cr realty boom

Ahmedabad: Gujarat's real estate sector attracted Rs 5.03 lakh crore in investments since the implementation of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act (RERA) in 2017. However, a lion's share of 94% of this capital is concentrated in just five districts: Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot, largely driven by rapid urbanisation, better infrastructure, and stronger demand for housing and commercial spaces. In contrast, the remaining 28 districts, which house nearly two-thirds (64%) of Gujarat's population, received only 6% of the total investment. Experts, however, have raised concerns over resource concentration and highlighted the need for more equitable infrastructure growth across Gujarat's smaller towns. According to the latest data released by the Gujarat Real Estate Regulatory Authority (GujRERA), these five urban hubs account for 86% of all registered projects and 89% of the total housing units in the state. You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad Ahmedabad alone attracted Rs 2.1 lakh crore, or 42% of the total investment, solidifying its position as the state's real estate capital. It also accounted for 31% of registered projects and 35% of all housing units. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo "Ahmedabad has emerged as one of the fastest-growing cities in India due to rapid infrastructure development and job creation," said Dipak Patel, president of CREDAI Gujarat. "Higher education levels and urban migration are also driving real estate growth in large cities. In smaller towns, plotting schemes are more popular, where individuals build their own homes, and these often don't reflect in RERA data. Also, many small projects in small towns do not get registered with RERA so their actual share may be a bit higher. " However, the skewed development of the state limited to urban centres is fairly visible. Drawing on the 2011 Census data, only 36% of Gujarat's population lives in its top five districts, which account for an overwhelming majority of the state's real estate activity. The remaining 64%, spread across smaller towns and rural regions, has seen just a fraction of the investment and project activity. "All other districts collectively account for 16% of project contribution, 6% of investments, and 11% of units, suggesting a dispersed yet modest contribution from remaining regions," the report states, hinting at a widening regional divide in infrastructure development and economic and commercial activities. Since RERA's implementation, Gujarat saw the registration of 15,260 projects covering a carpet area of 13.11 crore sq m, translating into 18.20 lakh housing units. Of these, over 8,400 projects were completed.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store