Latest news with #Lalani
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Zee Entertainment Partners With Bullet for Indian Micro-Drama App
Zee Entertainment Enterprises is betting big on micro-dramas as the next frontier in Indian digital entertainment, revealing a strategic equity partnership with startup Bullet to launch a micro-drama application. The Mumbai-based media giant will invest in and acquire a stake in Bullet, which has been co-founded by serial entrepreneurs Azim Lalani and Saurabh Kushwah. The new platform will be integrated within Zee's ZEE5 ecosystem, giving it immediate access to the streaming service's established user base. More from Variety 'Naruto' Storms Into Indian Cinemas With First-Ever Theatrical Release, Trailer Unveiled (EXCLUSIVE) Roy Kapur Films, Digital Platform Pratilipi Partner to Bring Indian Stories to Screen, Beginning With Courtroom Drama 'Charitraheen' (EXCLUSIVE) Australia-India Financing Venture Southern Sitara Bows at Cannes Market With Cross-Cultural Slate (EXCLUSIVE) Bullet is designed around short-duration vertical format episodes that target younger audiences with 'fast-paced, creator-driven content.' The platform aims to deliver what Lalani calls 'masala-paced plots and emotional punch, tailored for binge-watching in short bursts.' India is relatively new to the micro-drama trend compared to neighbor China, where revenue from the format was $6.9 billion, exceeding local box office for the first time, per DataEye statistics. Multiple projections point to the market size for micro-dramas rising to $14 billion by 2028 in China alone. Zee's strategic move comes as Indian audiences increasingly gravitate toward bite-sized content consumption, particularly on mobile devices. The company sees the partnership as part of its broader transformation into what it calls a 'Content & Technology powerhouse.' 'As the digital ecosystem grows exponentially, we are constantly identifying several value-accretive opportunities to drive scale,' said a Zee spokesperson. 'Our strategic partnership with Bullet aims to build a competitive advantage for the future by identifying innovative formats and scaling them through our platforms to drive stronger monetization.' The Bullet app will leverage several features including AI-powered personalization and content pricing, gamification layers designed to boost user retention through reward mechanisms, and creator-generated content pipelines that allow independent creators and studios to monetize their work. Both Bullet co-founders bring significant media industry experience to the venture. Lalani has over 25 years in the industry, having held leadership positions at Network18, TV9, and Indian Express. Kushwah, a media-tech entrepreneur with 18 years of experience, has worked across Zee Entertainment, Times of India, Network18, and ABP News. Both were founding members of Fanory, a creator monetization startup backed by marquee investors. 'Having witnessed multiple content revolutions over the past two decades, I believe we are now at the cusp of the next big shift,' Lalani said. 'There has been an influx of short-form content consumption over the last few years, and with the launch of Bullet, we aim to combine the novelty of the format with fast-paced captivating stories for users.' Kushwah added: 'The convergence of creators, technology, and storytelling is reshaping digital entertainment. At Bullet, we are building a platform that not only entertains but also enables. With gamified layers, AI-backed content ops, and a creator-first ecosystem, we're shaping the future of micro-drama in India – and beyond.' The app will be available across multiple languages, tapping into Zee's extensive content engine and language repertoire. This multi-lingual approach aligns with the growing demand for regional content across India's diverse market. Best of Variety 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Animated Program — Can Netflix Score Big With 'Arcane,' 'Devil May Cry' and the Final Season of 'Big Mouth?'
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Database for disasters? Texas bill aims to up emergency preparedness in senior living
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Through summer heat and winter storms in recent years, state lawmakers have often weighed how to best keep older Texans safe during power outages. Devastation during Hurricane Beryl in 2024 revived the push for more backup power generation and other emergency preparedness efforts. Dr. Suleman Lalani, D-Sugar Land, said his constituents reported 'heartbreaking' stories about older people 'left completely alone' in independent senior living facilities and complexes during the summer storm. BACKGROUND: Push to require backup generators at senior living facilities after Texas winter storm 'Abandoned by property managers, and the families feeling misled or betrayed,' he told lawmakers on the House Human Services Committee this week. 'Imagine an elderly grandmother on a fixed income, trapped alone on the fourth floor of a building because the elevators no longer worked.' The committee heard testimony on Tuesday about Lalani's proposal to create a statewide database of emergency preparedness plans for senior living complexes. He said he is particularly concerned with independent senior living facilities, which are not regulated by the state in the same way as nursing homes or assisted living but often market to people ages 55 or 65 and older. Protecting seniors in storms: Texas lawmakers eye emergency preparedness after Beryl In an interview last fall about the proposed legislation, now known as HB 863, Lalani told KXAN he believes a database of these health and safety plans could help state and local first responders or emergency management agencies better coordinate their response to these facilities during disasters. 'We are talking about seniors that have disabilities. They have challenges; they have chronic illnesses. We had people with amputations stuck on the third floor. We had people with memory impairment,' he told KXAN at the time. MORE: How many Texas senior living facilities have backup power? HHSC reveals survey results Carmen Tilton, the Vice President of Public Policy at the Texas Assisted Living Association, testified against the bill this week. She said the bill, as written, directs landlords to do more than they legally can or should. She pointed to parts of the Texas Property Code, that regulates landlord-tenant relationships, and said if landlords are providing a certain level of care to older tenants, they would essentially need to be licensed as a long-term care facility and regulated further by the state. 'This is a significant shift in how the Texas legislature has traditionally viewed the relationship between a landlord and a tenant. The expectation in an independent living facility is that the resident is 'independent.' In that independence, it is expected that a resident would manage their own personal needs, even during an emergency event,' she said. PREVIOUS: Some Austin nursing homes, assisted living facilities still without power She also noted concerns about a provision in the bill that would also require these independent facilities to have an emergency generator or another source of backup power. For years, KXAN investigators have followed efforts to require more backup power at places where older people live. Some types of facilities are already required to have a certain amount of backup generation in at least parts of the building, but many previous efforts to increase or expand these requirements have failed. Opponents of these efforts, including Tilton and the association, argue the move is cost-prohibitive and not practical for many smaller homes. In 2022, Tilton told KXAN investigators, 'You can't just put forth this mandate and expect everybody to make it, particularly when some of our providers in rural and underserved communities are just barely hanging on.' RELATED: After Hurricane Beryl, Texas lawmakers push for generators at senior living facilities She reiterated those concerns in Tuesday's hearing about the impact of increased regulation on an already strained supply of facilities to care for Texas' growing older population. Tilton and a representative from LeadingAge both applauded parts of the bill that aimed to improve communication and assistance to these types of locations during disasters. They said their organizations would be open to working with Lalani. The bill's author insisted the state could not 'do nothing.' 'HB 863 is not just a wish or a want. It is a desperate need,' he said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
