by Editor | Aug 24, 2024 | News, Technology
Over-the-top (OTT) platforms have gained prominence among the Indian audience in recent years. According to the latest ORMAX OTT Audience report, India has 54.73 crore OTT users, a growth of 13.8% compared to 2023 and a 55% rise since 2021. India’s OTT penetration stands at 38% of the country’s population. As per IBEF, the revenue for the Indian OTT market by players like Amazon, Netflix, and Hotstar is projected to grow from $1.8 billion in 2022 to $3.5 billion by 2027. OTT platforms allow users to broadcast various media content over the internet, like movies, web series, documentaries, and reality TV, through various devices by merely being connected to the internet and circumventing traditional cable and satellite television providers.
The web series Tandav released on Amazon Prime in 2021 sparked controversy for hurting religious sentiments, and the incident emphasised the demand for censoring content released on OTT platforms. Due to the growing popularity of these platforms, concerns about showing inappropriate content combined with the lack of regulation within the existing broadcasting-specific laws, the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (“OTTRules”) were introduced in 2021. These rules fell within the Information Technology Act of 2020.
by Editor | Aug 24, 2024 | News, Politics
Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday alleged that the Maharashtra government used its “favourite petitioner” to approach the court to stop the bandh called by the Maha Vikas Aghadi against the Badlapur sexual assault.
Talking to reporters, Raut said the bandh called by MVA partners was going to be 100 per cent successful and it would not have portended positively for the BJP-led Mahayuti government.
The Bombay High Court on Friday restrained political parties or individuals from proceeding with a Maharashtra bandh on August 24 or any future date over the Badlapur school sexual assault incident.
“The government made its favourite petitioner file a petition in the court against the bandh,” Raut said.
He was referring to activist and lawyer Gunaratna Sadavarte, who approached the court against the bandh.
“Where is democracy in the country if our voices are going to be suppressed? The bandh was a manifestation of the anger in the minds of people,” he said. It will be the responsibility of the court and the petitioner if there are any such cases in the future, he said.
by Editor | Aug 24, 2024 | Business, Economy, News
Mumbai: Buoyed by positive US economic data and other global cues, the Indian stock markets continued their recovery rally this week. With the US government now confirming a rate cut (most likely in September), domestic markets are anticipated to respond positively to the development on Monday.
With Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell saying that “the time has come” for a monetary policy adjustment, US markets rallied on Friday, with the S&P 500 index posting gains that took it closer to a fresh record high.
A rate cut of up to 25 bps in September will be taken positively by the market in the short-term, according to market watchers. Further trend will depend on the optimistic view of the central banks that the accommodative policy will be sustained, guiding further cuts in the coming policies.
Indian sectors that might benefit from a Fed rate cut are IT, BFSI, auto and realty. Overall, said experts, the rate cuts will be welcomed positively by the Indian markets as the RBI is following the US Federal Reserve’s lead when it comes to interest rates.
For Indian markets this week, positive global sentiment from ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, along with a decline in crude prices, contributed to the rally.
However, inflationary pressure in Japan and the appreciation of the Yen tempered the market’s gains at the end.
by Editor | Aug 24, 2024 | Business, News, Technology
New Delhi: Tamil Nadu-based startup Space Zone, in collaboration with the Martin Group on Saturday successfully launched India’s first reusable hybrid rocket ‘RHUMI-1’.
RHUMI-1, carrying 3 Cube satellites and 50 PICO satellites was launched to a suborbital trajectory from the TTDC Ground in Thiruvidandhai, ECR, Chennai using a mobile launcher, the company said.
The satellites aim to collect data for research purposes on global warming and climate change.
Equipped with a generic-fuel-based hybrid motor and electrically triggered parachute deployer, the rocket is 100 per cent pyrotechnic-free and 0 per cent TNT.
“The demand for small satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) is increasing in India,” said Anand Megalingam, founder and CEO of Space Zone, in a company blog post, before the launch.
This, he said, prompted “the company to focus on capturing the small satellite market while employing a Hybrid Propulsion system to ensure cost-effectiveness”.
Mission RHUMI was led by Dr. Mylswamy Annadurai, The Moon Man of India, Former Director ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), and Megalingam as its Mission Director.
Other key features of RHUMI-1 include its angle, which can be fine-tuned from 0 to 120 degrees, allowing precise trajectory control.
The company also built an innovative, cost-effective, and eco-friendly descent mechanism that will ensure the safe recovery of rocket components.
by Editor | Aug 24, 2024 | Uncategorized
New Delhi: The creative industry in India now stands at $30 billion, responsible for the employment of nearly 8 per cent of the country’s working population, Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said.
Minister Puri stressed that with creative exports increasing by 20 per cent last year alone, generating over $11 billion, “the industry is expected to see remarkable growth in the coming years”.
Speaking at the launch of the ‘All India Initiative on Creative Economy (AIICE)’ initiative in the national capital, the minister congratulated the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) for conceptualising a forum where creative industries could collaborate on various matters related to the sector.
According to the minister, an increasing number of Indians, especially youth, believe creative industries to be more appealing while also offering career security.
He stressed that this was an incentivising factor in boosting our creative exports, acknowledging the role of Bollywood and other local film industries in the creative economy of India.
“India has become the ‘Content Capital of the World’. In 2023, there were more than 100 million content creators in India,” the minister informed.
