Nukta delivers digital news on the dot
A new venture in Dubai is set to reshape news delivery in South Asia, combining expert journalists with cutting-edge technology. We dive into the tech details with Nukta CTO Sohail Noor.
In an age when traditional journalism is undergoing seismic shifts, veteran journalist Kamran Khan has launched Nukta, a digital content platform that aims to reshape news consumption in South Asia. With more than 42 years of experience in the Pakistani media industry and affiliations with the Washington Post and the Sunday Times, he brings a wealth of expertise to this ambitious venture. His vision is to leverage digital innovation and create a platform that caters to the needs of modern audiences.
Nukta officially launched its 24/7 digital content app late last year, a significant step forward in the evolution of digital journalism. The platform, accessible on Android and iOS, offers multilingual content in English, Urdu and Hindi, with Arabic soon to follow.
'With a global team of top-tier digital media professionals spanning 10 countries, Nukta is among the latest entrants in South Asia's evolving digital media landscape,' claims Khan. The platform has correspondents stationed in cities including Dubai, Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Delhi, Istanbul and Washington, DC, ensuring a diverse perspective on regional and international affairs.
Nukta covers a wide spectrum of topics such as current affairs, business, lifestyle, technology, entertainment, health and sports. The editorial team includes respected names in journalism such as Jahanzaib Haque, a key figure in Pakistani digital media; Faisal Aziz Khan, a veteran of Reuters and TRT World; and Amber Rahim Shamsi, a former BBC journalist and Director of the Centre for Excellence in Journalism (CEJ) at the IBA. 'Our South Asian perspective brings fresh insights to global audiences while championing journalistic integrity,' says Khan.
Beyond its editorial strength, Nukta's success is built on a foundation of advanced technology, helmed by CTO Sohail Noor. Its facilities in Dubai and Pakistan include five high-tech studios, control rooms and a newsroom powered by CMS by RebelMouse. The entire technical infrastructure was designed and integrated by systems integrator Wave Media.
'This project stands out from traditional set-ups, showcasing Wave Media's ability to engineer diverse and adaptable solutions,' states Zaid Wattar, MD of Wave Media. 'As a versatile systems integrator, we design and implement technology for a wide range of applications, and this project reinforces our expertise in handling complex, unique deployments.'
The platform employs Avid MediaCentral to facilitate seamless collaboration, allowing teams across multiple locations to collaborate efficiently. The system enables real-time collaboration and secure on-premise data storage in Dubai and Karachi, with high-speed VPN networks facilitating automatic synchronisation.
'Our newsroom features an INFiLED hi-res professional videowall for comprehensive monitoring, while 4K UHD PTZ cameras with auto-tracking AI technology enhance production capabilities. The infrastructure incorporates Ross Ultrix Hyperconverged Routing and Carbonite ULTRA for advanced video switching and signal processing,' explains Noor.
Although it currently uses HD video bandwidth, Nukta's systems are fully prepared for an upgrade to high-bandwidth NDI for 4K. The newsroom's design prioritises scalability, accommodating additional users, storage archives and editorial expansion as the platform grows. Extensive training was provided to Nukta's in-house team, with direct vendor sessions from Avid, Ross Video and INFiLED ensuring the team could harness the full potential of these technologies.
Unlike traditional TV broadcast environments, Nukta had to overcome unique challenges in building a digital-first platform. The conventional broadcast model relies on incoming data being fed to a transmission control room, then broadcast via satellite to a wide audience. In contrast, Nukta operates within a non-linear digital workflow, where data is transformed into multiple formats to suit different platforms. A video segment might not be released in its original form but instead repurposed into GIFs or images for the website, app and social media. Similarly, a raw text feed from the editorial team may be adapted into an animated infographic with frame rates optimised for all device types.
To tackle these challenges, CTO Sohail Noor collaborated with Avid and Ross Video. 'The integration ensured that Nukta's newsroom was designed to meet the needs of a dynamic, digital-first journalism ecosystem.'
Nukta's business model is designed to ensure long-term sustainability in a digital landscape in which monetisation remains a challenge. The platform operates an in-house brand studio that serves as a go-to resource for platforms and organisations looking to create whitelabel content. It also offers a range of digital advertising solutions that can be leveraged across its website, mobile app and social media platforms.
With South Asia and the Middle East home to over two billion people, many of them digital natives, the demand for online content is growing exponentially. This presents an opportunity for Nukta to capture and engage audiences through digital-first storytelling tailored for social platforms. The platform's future growth plans include expansion into Saudi Arabia and North America, solidifying its presence in the global digital media landscape.
Looking ahead, Khan sees this as just the beginning of Nukta's journey, envisioning it as a powerhouse for investigative journalism, delivering impactful stories that inform and inspire action. As Dubai continues to establish itself as a global media hub, Nukta is uniquely positioned to capture the region's growth while providing high-quality journalism to audiences worldwide.
With a combination of strong editorial content, advanced technology and a strategic business approach, Nukta aims to set a new benchmark for digital journalism in South Asia and beyond.
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