Ykone Founder Olivier Billon and BarCode Founder Rahul Khanna outline the formation of One, a unified ecosystem combining influencer strategy, creative production, and global execution with Mirror Mirror Founder Juliette Lambert
Category: Business
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Building an industry ready workforce emerges as a priority at VGRC hosted by Marwadi University, says PM Shri Narendra Modi
Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi addresses the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference at Marwadi University as Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel, Mr Mukesh Ambani, Mr Ketan Marwadi, and Mr Jitu Bhai Chandarana highlight investment commitments, skill development, and regional growth
Mumbai, 12 January 2026: Organized by the Government of Gujarat, the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference commenced its first day at Marwadi University, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, and institutional representatives to discuss regional growth and investment opportunities.
Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated 13 new smart industrial estates and a medical devices park at the conference. Addressing the gathering, Shri Narendra Modi underlined the importance of building an industry ready workforce and assured investors of Gujarat’s robust education and skill development ecosystem, positioning the state as a strong destination for long term investment.Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel highlighted regional empowerment as a key pillar of India’s broader development agenda. He emphasized the role of regional growth in strengthening national economic progress and creating sustainable opportunities across sectors.
Major investment announcements during the day reinforced Gujarat’s growth outlook. The Adani Group committed an investment of ₹1.5 lakh crore in Kutch over the next five years. Reliance Industries announced plans to invest ₹7 lakh crore during the same period, with a focus on large scale employment generation and livelihood creation. Mr Mukesh Ambani also outlined plans for the development of an integrated clean energy ecosystem at Jamnagar, described as the world’s largest. He further shared the vision of establishing Jamnagar as India’s largest AI ready centre, aimed at enabling affordable access to artificial intelligence for citizens across the country.Speaking at the event, Mr Ketan Marwadi, President, Marwadi University, said it was a proud moment for the institution to host the conference. He noted that academic institutions play a critical role in strengthening regional ecosystems by nurturing skilled talent, fostering innovation, and aligning education with industry and investment needs to support India’s long term economic growth. He added that the conference reflects a collective commitment toward innovation, sustainability, and quality investments.
Mr Jitu Bhai Chandarana, Vice Chairman and Co Founder, Marwadi University, said the conference serves as an important platform for driving investment led growth in the Kutch and Saurashtra regions. He stated that hosting the event reflects Gujarat’s strong governance, industry friendly environment, and long term vision for prosperity, while reaffirming the institution’s focus on education, innovation, and entrepreneurship to support sustainable employment.Aligned with the “Vocal for Local” ethos, the conference brought together policymakers, thought leaders, and investors from across India to explore the unique potential of the Kutch and Saurashtra region, known for its maritime heritage, industrial base, and strong MSME networks. The event also witnessed global participation, reinforcing Gujarat’s international investment outreach.
In line with the visions of Viksit Bharat 2047 and Viksit Gujarat 2047, the first day featured focused discussions on sustainability, ports and logistics, agro and food processing, textiles, fisheries, minerals, and energy, setting the tone for region led and inclusive economic development.At Prittle PrattleNews, featuring you virtuously, we celebrate the commitment and innovation. Led by Editor-in-Chief Smruti Bhalerao, our platform is dedicated to sharing impactful stories that inspire change and create awareness. Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube for more stories that matter.
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Indian OTT growth entered a more measured phase in 2025, according to ChanaJor Founder Pratap Jain
The ChanaJor Founder explains how restraint in spending, sharper audience relevance, and rooted Hindi storytelling shaped platform strategies across the industry
After a period of rapid expansion and experimentation, the Indian OTT industry in 2025 began to slow down and reassess its long term direction. Platforms across the ecosystem shifted focus toward sustainability, carefully examining costs, audience retention, and content performance in an increasingly competitive environment.
Sharing his perspective on the year, Pratap Jain, Founder and CEO of ChanaJor, said the industry moved away from scale driven ambition toward sharper business thinking. “2025 emerged as a year of course correction for the Indian OTT industry. The focus moved away from aggressive expansion towards building sustainable businesses, with platforms becoming far more mindful of costs, audience retention, and content performance.”Jain noted that the shift signalled a more mature phase for the sector. Instead of competing on volume, platforms began prioritising clear positioning and loyal viewership. “Rather than chasing scale blindly, the industry began valuing clear positioning and loyal viewership, signalling a shift where discipline mattered more than hype,” he said, adding that conversations increasingly centred on understanding audiences rather than launching the highest number of shows.
This change in outlook also influenced ChanaJor’s internal decisions throughout the year. From both business and content perspectives, the platform focused on making deliberate choices. “For us, 2025 was about investing smarter in content. Instead of increasing volume, we focused on stories that genuinely connect with our Hindi speaking audience,” Jain said. He added that content performance guided distribution and monetisation decisions, with greater emphasis on what viewers were actually completing.Language focus remained central to ChanaJor’s strategy. Jain said the platform’s Hindi only positioning became a key advantage in 2025, particularly in reaching audiences beyond metro markets. “Hindi content allowed us to reach audiences across Tier 2, Tier 3, and emerging markets where relatability matters more than scale,” he said, noting that depth within Hindi storytelling continues to be the platform’s long term priority.
Marketing approaches across the OTT space also became more efficiency led during the year. Jain observed that spends were largely performance driven, centred on digital discovery, platform integrations, and content led promotion. Looking ahead, he expects a gradual shift toward stronger brand building alongside performance discipline as platforms mature and trust and recall gain importance.As the industry enters 2026, Jain said clearer identity driven communication will be a priority for ChanaJor. Rather than promoting every release aggressively, the focus will be on strengthening what the platform represents. He added that consistency in messaging will matter more than frequency.
Outlining trends likely to define the coming year, Jain pointed to increased emphasis on viewer retention and engagement, the rise of short and micro format storytelling, and platforms building strong cultural and language identities. According to him, OTT platforms that remain focused, understand their audiences, and tell honest stories will be best positioned for sustained growth in 2026.At Prittle PrattleNews, featuring you virtuously, we celebrate the commitment and innovation. Led by Editor-in-Chief Smruti Bhalerao, our platform is dedicated to sharing impactful stories that inspire change and create awareness. Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube for more stories that matter.
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From Certification to Nomination: How ‘Skill the Nation’ Took Shape Inside Government Circles
President Droupadi Murmu supports the SOAR initiative as Jayant Chaudhary and multiple MPs complete formal AI certification.
The ‘Skill the Nation’ challenge took shape within government circles this week as senior leadership participation moved beyond endorsement into direct learning and peer nomination. The sequence began with the Hon’ble President of India, Droupadi Murmu, extending support to the SOAR AI learning programme, followed by ministers, Members of Parliament, and students completing formal certification.
The initiative is anchored in SOAR, short for Skilling for AI Readiness, a programme under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship delivered through the Skill India Digital Hub. Introduced in July 2025, the course has been positioned as a foundational AI awareness module, designed for learners across age groups and professional backgrounds. Over the past six months, more than 1.59 lakh individuals have enrolled, with thousands completing certification.A visible shift occurred as Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education, completed the SOAR ‘AI to be Aware’ module himself. Following certification, he nominated three individuals to continue the learning chain: Nara Lokesh, Minister for Information Technology, Electronics and Communications, Government of Andhra Pradesh; Gaurav Dwivedi, Chief Executive Officer of Prasar Bharati; and Nitin Narang, President of the All India Chess Federation.
According to the ministry, the intent of the challenge is to normalise AI literacy across institutions by treating learning as a shared responsibility rather than a specialised skill set. The SOAR curriculum focuses on basic AI concepts, ethical considerations, and real-world application awareness, without requiring prior technical training.The initiative has also seen participation from the legislative branch. Fifteen Members of Parliament across the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have completed the SOAR module, signalling cross-party engagement with AI literacy at a time when technology policy and governance increasingly intersect.
Alongside policymakers, students have been formally included in the certification process. A group of 17 students from PM SHRI Schools, Kendriya Vidyalayas, and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas across multiple states received AI course certificates in the presence of the President. The inclusion of school-level learners places early AI exposure within the framework of structured, government-backed education.By linking certification to nomination rather than one-time participation, the ‘Skill the Nation’ effort has taken on a cascading structure. Leadership involvement has positioned AI learning as an active process within governance rather than a distant policy goal, setting a precedent where public office holders participate alongside citizens in foundational digital education.
At Prittle PrattleNews, featuring you virtuously, we celebrate the commitment and innovation. Led by Editor-in-Chief Smruti Bhalerao, our platform is dedicated to sharing impactful stories that inspire change and create awareness. Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube for more stories that matter.