Reeloid Founder Rohit Guptaa Calls for Microdrama Policy Framework at CII Big Picture Summit 2026

 As India's entertainment industry explores new ways of reaching smartphone-first audiences, Rohit Guptaa, Founder and CEO of Reeloid Media, has called for a dedicated policy framework recognising vertical microdramas as a distinct segment of the country's expanding digital content economy.

Swati Bhat

Speaking during an interactive session at the CII Big Picture Summit 2026, held in Mumbai on October 15–16, Guptaa raised concerns about industry recognition, intellectual property protection and sustainable revenue opportunities for independent creators.

According to Reeloid Media's account of the discussion, Guptaa addressed C. Senthil Rajan, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, highlighting the need for policies that acknowledge the emerging format and create a more supportive environment for digital-first production companies.

Why India's Microdrama Policy Framework Matters

Unlike conventional social media reels, vertical microdramas are scripted, episodic productions developed specifically for smartphone viewing. Their shorter running times, character-driven narratives and continuing storylines offer audiences an alternative to traditional television and long-form OTT entertainment.

However, as the format develops into a commercial entertainment category, questions surrounding content ownership, licensing, investment and creator compensation are becoming increasingly relevant.

Guptaa's intervention centred on three areas: formal recognition of vertical microdramas within the broader media ecosystem, institutional and financial support for independent storytellers, and stronger mechanisms for protecting digital rights while enabling monetisation. "Microdramas are not just quick entertainment; they are a completely new narrative medium built around how modern audiences interact with screens," Guptaa said in a statement shared by Reeloid Media.

His proposal also called for a framework that could help Indian creators and emerging entertainment startups compete in international markets.

A Growing Entertainment Format With New Commercial Challenges

The discussion comes as India's microdrama business attracts increasing industry attention. Research published by Redseer Strategy Consultants in September 2026 indicates that microdramas have begun establishing a paying audience, while advertising-supported viewing and micropayments could become important revenue opportunities alongside subscriptions.

Yet audience growth alone does not guarantee sustainable returns for production houses. For independent filmmakers, the ability to retain intellectual property, negotiate transparent licensing arrangements and earn consistent revenue may prove equally important. The wider policy conversation at the CII Big Picture Summit reflected several of these concerns. At the event, Information and Broadcasting Secretary Chanchal Kumar emphasised the importance of original intellectual property, sustainable business models and the development of globally competitive Indian media companies. Seen in that context, Guptaa's appeal draws attention to a particular segment of the creative economy that is developing alongside established film, television and OTT businesses.

Reeloid's Vision for Mobile-First Storytelling

Reeloid Media operates in the vertical entertainment space, developing and distributing short episodic stories designed for mobile screens. Founded by filmmaker and technology entrepreneur Rohit Guptaa, the platform aims to connect independent storytellers with audiences seeking fiction in compact, accessible formats. For Reeloid, the policy conversation extends beyond its own business model. Clearer industry recognition and rights-management practices could potentially help writers, actors, technicians and small production companies participate more effectively in the growing microdrama ecosystem.

The discussion at CII Big Picture Summit 2026 underscores an emerging question for India's entertainment industry: as storytelling formats evolve, how should the systems supporting creators, investment and content ownership evolve with them? While Mr.Gupta's proposals remain industry recommendations rather than announced government measures, they contribute to a broader conversation about how India can convert digital creativity into sustainable intellectual property and internationally competitive entertainment businesses.

#entertainment #metatainment #reeloid#ott

Tesla Unveils New Roadster with Thruster-Assisted Stunts, but the Real Test Lies Ahead

Revealed at a SpaceX testing facility in McGregor, Texas, on October 15, 2026, the redesigned vehicle marks a new chapter in one of the electric-vehicle industry's most protracted product programmes.

Swati Bhat

Tesla has given its long-awaited next-generation Roadster a dramatic public unveiling, presenting an electric sports car whose most striking proposition extends beyond conventional performance: the ability to use a combination of aerodynamic suction and compressed-gas thrusters to execute brief airborne manoeuvres. Revealed at a SpaceX testing facility in McGregor, Texas, on October 15, 2026, the redesigned vehicle marks a new chapter in one of the electric-vehicle industry's most protracted product programmes. Yet the spectacle also raises a more consequential question: how much of this extraordinary engineering can ultimately be translated into a commercially viable, road-legal car?

The unveiling, led by Tesla chief executive Elon Musk, featured a driverless demonstration in which the vehicle launched over a line of cars, manoeuvred through the air and landed with assistance from its thruster system. The demonstration was designed to showcase technology that reaches well beyond the familiar vocabulary of acceleration, handling and range. However, Tesla's presentation should be understood as a prototype reveal rather than the beginning of customer deliveries. The company has indicated that production is not expected to commence until 2028, while a final retail price has not been announced.

Source: Associated Press

An Electric Supercar Reimagined Around Aerospace Engineering

The new Roadster represents a substantial departure from the concept Tesla first introduced in November 2017. Its revised exterior adopts a sharper, wedge-shaped profile, concealed front lighting, a full-width rear light bar and a prominent active rear wing. The overall design is more angular than the original concept, with visual cues that place the vehicle closer to the contemporary electric hypercar than to a conventional grand-touring sports car.

The more consequential changes, however, lie beneath the bodywork. According to reporting by WIRED, Tesla vehicle engineering chief Lars Moravy described a configuration combining two electric motors, rear-wheel drive and output exceeding 1,341 horsepower. The company has also presented a range exceeding 300 miles as a target, alongside a proposed rapid-charging capability. These figures should be treated as manufacturer-reported specifications rather than independently validated production-car performance.

Tesla's revised engineering approach appears to prioritise extraordinary acceleration and traction over the traditional balance of comfort, practicality and everyday usability. That distinction matters: the Roadster is being positioned as a technological flagship, not simply another addition to the company's mainstream electric-vehicle line-up.

How the Roadster's Thrusters and Suction System Work

The vehicle's most unusual feature is the integration of two distinct technologies. An underbody suction system uses electrically powered fans to draw air from beneath the car, increasing its grip on a surface. Tesla demonstrated this principle by showing the prototype travelling up a ramp and briefly moving upside down. The system is intended to generate additional traction in situations where conventional aerodynamic downforce alone may be insufficient.

The second component draws on aerospace technology associated with SpaceX. Cold-gas thrusters use pressurised gas discharged through nozzles to generate thrust without combustion. During the demonstration, these thrusters helped control the car's airborne movement and descent.

The distinction is important. The Roadster was not shown sustaining powered flight like an aircraft. Rather, Tesla demonstrated short, controlled airborne manoeuvres using stored gas and specialised hardware. Translating such a system into a repeatable, safe and practical road-going product will require more than an impressive demonstration.

Tesla's ambition is clear: to explore the outer limits of what an electric performance vehicle can do when automotive engineering intersects with aerospace systems. Whether that ambition produces a broadly usable feature set or remains largely confined to an exclusive, specialised configuration is still an open question.

Performance Claims Meet the Reality of Production

Tesla has promoted acceleration from zero to 60 mph in less than one second for the thruster-equipped configuration. The figure is extraordinary even within the hypercar segment, where electric drivetrains have already challenged the performance benchmarks established by combustion engines.

Nevertheless, a headline acceleration number does not, by itself, establish the vehicle's overall performance credentials. Final production specifications, independent testing, repeatability under real-world conditions and the distinction between individual variants will determine how the Roadster ultimately compares with established performance cars.

The same scrutiny applies to the proposed airborne capability. The technology adds complexity, introduces additional hardware and creates questions about operational safety, maintenance and regulatory approval. A demonstration can establish that a prototype has performed a particular manoeuvre under controlled conditions; it cannot automatically establish that the same capability will be available, legal or practical on public roads.

The Associated Press has reported that legal and regulatory obstacles remain significant, particularly for a vehicle designed to perform manoeuvres that ordinary road regulations were never intended to accommodate. The extent to which Tesla will separate road-legal configurations from more experimental versions remains important to the product's eventual positioning.

A 2028 Production Target After Years of Delays

The Roadster's history makes the production timeline especially consequential. Tesla first presented the second-generation model in 2017 and originally indicated that deliveries would begin in 2020. That target passed without the vehicle entering production, and subsequent timelines were repeatedly revised.

The latest unveiling therefore represents a visible advance in the programme, but not its commercial completion. Tesla has indicated that production is expected to begin in 2028. Until manufacturing specifications, delivery schedules and final pricing are confirmed, prospective buyers have limited grounds for treating the demonstration vehicle as representative of a finished, immediately available product.

The distinction also affects how the Roadster should be evaluated as a business proposition. A high-profile flagship can generate attention, reinforce a manufacturer's engineering credentials and sustain interest in its wider technology portfolio. Converting that attention into customer deliveries, however, requires manufacturing readiness, product validation and a credible path to regulatory compliance.

What the Roadster Signals for Tesla

The Roadster arrives at a time when Tesla's broader ambitions extend beyond electric cars into autonomy, robotics and artificial intelligence. Against that backdrop, the vehicle serves a different purpose from a mass-market model: it is an opportunity to demonstrate engineering ambition at the limits of performance and to create a product that can command attention through technological novelty.

Its eventual significance will depend on execution. If Tesla can bring the car to production with performance that withstands independent scrutiny, the Roadster could become a distinctive expression of the company's engineering capabilities. If the most dramatic features prove difficult to homologate, manufacture or use outside controlled demonstrations, its commercial identity may rest more heavily on conventional electric-supercar performance.

For now, the Roadster is best understood as a compelling but unfinished proposition. Its unveiling has expanded the possibilities Tesla is willing to explore, but the more demanding milestone lies ahead: transforming an extraordinary prototype into a dependable product that customers can actually own and drive.

#luxe #lifestyle #metatainment #tesla #roadstar #launch #supercar #2027

Abundantia Entertainment Marks 13 Years, Sets Next Growth Chapter With aiON and Expanded Content Slate

Vikram Malhotra-led studio builds on Daldal, Subedaar and Maa Behen as it expands across films, streaming and AI-powered entertainment

Swati Bhat

Mumbai, September 29, 2026: Abundantia Entertainment has completed 13 years in the Indian entertainment business, marking the milestone with an expanded content pipeline and a growing push into artificial intelligence through its creative division, aiON.

Founded by Vikram Malhotra in 2013, Abundantia has built its identity around creator-led storytelling across theatrical cinema and streaming. Its catalogue spans films including Baby, Airlift, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Ram Setu and Sukhee, alongside streaming titles such as Shakuntala Devi, Sherni, Jalsa, the Chhorii franchise and Breathe. The anniversary comes after an active 2026 for the studio, led by Daldal, Subedaar and Maa Behen. Prime Video confirms Daldal, headlined by Bhumi Pednekar, as a 2026 crime drama, while Subedaar, directed by Suresh Triveni and starring Anil Kapoor, is also part of the studio’s 2026 Prime Video slate.

Abundantia Entertainment says Daldal remained No. 1 in India on Prime Video for four consecutive weeks and entered the platform’s Top 10 across several international markets. The company has also described Subedaar as Prime Video India’s most-watched Hindi original film.

Meanwhile, Netflix’s Maa Behen, directed by Suresh Triveni and featuring Madhuri Dixit, Triptii Dimri, Dharna Durga and Ravi Kishan, extended the studio’s 2026 run. Netflix describes the film as a crime-comedy built around a dysfunctional mother and her two daughters who unexpectedly find themselves dealing with a dead body and the escalating consequences around it.

From Storytelling Studio to Technology-Enabled Entertainment Company

The more consequential part of Abundantia’s 13-year milestone may lie not in looking back at its catalogue, but in how the company intends to build its next one.

Through aiON, its dedicated AI-powered creative division, Abundantia is exploring generative AI across different stages of the entertainment value chain including audience understanding, development, production, marketing and distribution.

Its stated philosophy, “Human First, AI Empowered,” positions AI as an enabling technology for creators rather than a replacement for creative authorship. Among the projects being developed under the initiative is Chiranjeevi Hanuman: The Eternal. Abundantia has also announced plans for hybrid films and a partnership with InVideo aimed at developing AI-powered films over the next two years.

For an Indian entertainment industry increasingly negotiating the implications of generative AI, Abundantia’s approach signals an attempt to integrate the technology at a studio level rather than restrict its use to isolated production or promotional applications. At the same time, the company says it is increasing investment in consumer intelligence examining how audiences discover stories, what they choose to watch and the factors that drive engagement.

Vikram Malhotra: ‘It Feels Like We Are Only Getting Started’

Reflecting on the milestone, Abundantia Entertainment Founder and CEO Vikram Malhotra said the principles behind the company have remained consistent even as formats, platforms and audience behaviour have evolved. “Thirteen years ago, we started Abundantia with the belief that great entertainment begins with understanding the audience and then giving exceptional storytellers the freedom and resources to delight them. That belief has only become stronger with time,” Mr.Malhotra stated.

Calling 2026 a standout year for the studio, he added that Abundantia’s focus continues to centre on “disruptive stories, empowered creators, customer obsession, embracing change and an unwavering focus on creating value.”

AI, however, represents a significant new chapter. “Our approach is clear: Human First, AI Empowered. Technology should amplify human imagination, enable creators to do things that were previously impossible and help us understand and serve audiences better,” Mr.Malhotra said. “Thirteen years in, I feel we have built a solid foundation. But in many ways, it feels like we are only getting started.”

Family Business, Sundar Poonam and Angre Lead the Next Slate

Abundantia’s next phase will span theatrical films, streaming titles, series, franchises and AI-enabled projects. Among its major upcoming productions is Family Business, a multi-season Netflix drama directed by Hansal Mehta and starring Anil Kapoor and Vijay Varma. The studio is also developing Sundar Poonam for Prime Video, directed by Pulkit and starring Sanya Malhotra, while its theatrical ambitions include Angre, based on the life of Sarkhel Kanhojiraje Angre and being developed with National Award-winning filmmaker Rajesh Mapuskar.

Another project in development is Jai Santoshi Mata: Sukh Sampatti Daata. Abundantia says its wider development pipeline also involves filmmakers including Suresh Triveni, Rajesh Krishnan, Vishal Furia, Mayank Sharma, Bhav Dhulia, Palash Vaswani, Madhumita S and Anuj Dhawan.

As Abundantia enters its 14th year, its evolution reflects a wider shift underway in Indian entertainment: studios are no longer competing solely on individual films or series, but increasingly on intellectual property, creator relationships, audience intelligence, technology and the ability to build stories across platforms.

For Abundantia Entertainment, the next test will be whether its long-standing creator-first philosophy can successfully coexist with its increasingly technology-enabled approach and whether “Human First, AI Empowered” can translate from a studio philosophy into a distinctive new generation of entertainment.

#entertainment #metatainment #AI #OTT #AbundantiaEntertainment #VikramMalhotra