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Digital content, smart marketing needed for digitisation to succeed

Published

13 years ago

December 15, 2012

MUMBAI: For digitisation to succeed, technology and content have to be matched. Digital content needs to be there. Television sets should be in high definition. Server based channels can be a source of revenue for MSOs and cable operators in a digital world.

These points were made at a session during the Telecom Lead B2B Summit on Broadcast digitisation: Challenges and opportunities. The session in question was how cable, DTH players and TV channels can monetize by utilising customer demands and technologies.

Assocham national council chairperson on media and entertainment Sujata Dev made the point that technology and content have to be matched in a digital world. Producing content in digital will grow. She expects rural India to lead the digital push.

"Acceleration will happen here. The 80:20 principle applies here. 80 per cent of viewership will go to 20 per cent of channels. The smaller channels will need differentiated content to survive."

She noted that for money earners in the family and for the youth the television set is just one media avenue to consume content. They use many devices and the television set is just one device. That is why broadcasters are trying to see how their content can travel across devices. "That is why producing content in digital is important. It is also important to note that the consumers expectations will rise along with subscription fees growth. People buy content not technology."

She also noted that marketing of content will be important. Earlier it was the distributors who were doing this. Now channels will be able to communicate directly with the viewers. The distribution chain is taking a new trend. Ratings is another area whose dynamics will change. Homes will have set top boxes which can act as peoplemeters reducing the issue of inadequate sampling. She also touched on the broadband issue noting the Bharat Broadband Network initiative to connect 700,000 villages. "This will help erase the digital divide."She also noted that telecom companies could get into media given that there is no cross-ownership rules for media.

Indusindia Media and Communication senior VP Subhashish Mazumdar spoke about the different levels at which cable operatiors can gain more revenue from a digital economy. The first avenue is charging more for more channels. Instead of only getting 100 channels the consumers can now get 300. He also praised HBO for launching ad free chanels saying that this is what is needed. "This is good. You monetize the audiebnce in a segmented manner. Server based channels can unlock value. For instance around 600 movies are not seen theatrically. Some of it is regional content. This can be exploited right now. Broadcasters have archival content which can also be used. The good thing is that the consumer has a choice of whether or not to take it. It is not being pushed down his/her throat."

He also spoke of broadband as being a further step to unlock revenue. This would moving away from Docsis ADSL to G pon. "The operator will be in a position to charge more for advanced technology. Cable operators and MSOs can generate revenue in a step wise manner." VOIP is another part of the revenue stream./ This is because VOIP networks can be linked.

At the same time MSO branding will be important. Right now people are aware of who their MSO is but they are not ware of the various services that digital cable can offer. This is where efforts have to be made by the players and by the industry. "There is low level branding in existence in terms of who the MSO is. But top of the mind branding is important. People need to know what services are being offered." The good news for him is that in a digital world due to the subscriber management system an operator can know where customers are located and offer services accordingly.

HSBC Securities and Capital Markets associate director telecom and media Rajiv Sharma also made a point about broadband saying that MSOs wil have to convince LCOs about it. They need to understand that they can make money beyond just television. "MSOs will have to invest in network infrastructure. It can be customized. It is a capex model. Margins can be high as there is no broadcast fee to be paid. MSOs have a better ability to raise funds as foreign investors prefer two way networks and a consumer facing business."

Related Topics:digital content smart marketing

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Moltbook, the AI-only social network, sparks hype, doubt and fear

Published

2 weeks ago

February 3, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

CALIFORNIA: Moltbook, a Reddit-style social platform built exclusively for artificial intelligence agents, has emerged as the latest obsession in Silicon Valley, drawing intense attention for its explosive growth and surreal bot-driven interactions.

The platform hosts more than 100 communities where AI agents post, argue and joke about topics ranging from governance theory to esoteric “crayfish debugging” concepts. Within days of launch, Moltbook recorded tens of thousands of posts, nearly 200,000 comments and more than 1 million human visitors observing the activity.

Yet the numbers and the autonomy are under scrutiny, as per media reports. A security researcher has suggested as many as 500,000 accounts may trace back to a single address, raising doubts about Moltbook’s membership claims. Many posts could also be the result of humans instructing their AI tools to publish content, rather than bots acting independently.

The platform runs on agentic AI, powered by an open-source tool called OpenClaw, formerly known as Moltbot. Unlike chatbots such as ChatGPT or Gemini, these agents are designed to perform tasks on users’ devices, from sending messages to managing calendars, with minimal human input. Once authorised, they can interact freely on Moltbook.

Some tech figures have hailed the platform as a glimpse of a post-human internet. Head of crypto custody firm BitGo Bill Lees, called it evidence that “we’re in the singularity”.

Academics are less convinced. Petar Radanliev, an AI and cybersecurity expert at the University of Oxford, said the idea of agents acting independently was “misleading”, describing Moltbook instead as automated coordination within human-set constraints. Columbia Business School assistant professor David Holtz, dismissed the spectacle as “thousands of bots yelling into the void and repeating themselves”.

Beyond hype, security worries loom large. ESET global cybersecurity advisor Jake Moore, warned that granting AI agents access to emails, private messages and files risks prioritising efficiency over privacy. Andrew Rogoyski of the University of Surrey said high-level system access could lead to serious damage, from erased data to compromised company accounts.

Even OpenClaw’s founder Peter Steinberger, has felt the darker side of attention, with scammers hijacking his old social media handles after the platform’s rebrand.

For now, Moltbook remains a strange digital zoo: part experiment, part spectacle, where AI agents banter about philosophy, productivity and, occasionally, their fondness for their human operators.

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Apple appoints Avtar Ram Singh as head of international marketing

Published

2 weeks ago

February 2, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

CALIFORNIA: Apple has handed a bigger global brief to a long-time insider. Avtar Ram Singh has taken over as head of international marketing for the App Store, Apple Arcade and the Apple Games app, deepening his remit across one of the company’s fastest-growing businesses.

“I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as head of international marketing, App Store, Apple Arcade and Games App at Apple,” Singh said while announcing the move.

The promotion crowns nearly seven years at Apple, where Singh has led services marketing across Southeast Asia and India and previously served as head of marketing for Southeast Asia content and services, business lead for Apple Podcasts in the region and interim marketing lead for the App Store internationally.

His new portfolio spans three pillars of Apple’s services push. The App Store, which Apple positions as a safe and trusted discovery platform, now attracts more than 850 million average weekly users globally. Since 2008, developers have earned over $550 billion on the platform.

Apple Arcade, the company’s gaming subscription service, offers unlimited access to a catalogue ranging from brain teasers to big-name franchises. The recent addition of Sid Meier’s Civilization VII Arcade Edition brings a AAA PC title to iPhone, iPad and Mac from 5 February.

Then there is the Apple Games app, unveiled at WWDC as a unified destination for games from the App Store and Arcade. It aggregates titles in one place, surfaces personalised recommendations, tracks events and achievements, and lets users compete with friends or connect controllers for a console-like experience.

Singh arrives with a hybrid background in strategy, data and creativity. His career spans digital and social media marketing, business intelligence, content, editorial and analytics across culturally diverse markets. He has worked on brands including P&G, Accor, Audi, UBS, Nikon, Samsung, Sony, Pizza Hut, HBO and Singapore Airlines-linked businesses such as Scoot.

Before Apple, Singh led strategy at Falcon Agency, focusing on performance marketing and ROI-driven digital frameworks. He earlier ran the social practice at Publicis Singapore, where he oversaw operations, business development and regional social strategy for multinational clients. His career also includes roles at Ogilvy-linked Circus Social, Rocket Internet ventures Lazada and Zalora, and research firm IDC in Bangkok, where he analysed technology markets and won early awards for collaboration and client retention.

At Apple, he has been close to several service launches and expansions, including Apple Fitness+ in Singapore, Apple Creator Studio, global podcast subscriptions and new App Store marketing tools.

The timing is notable. Apple’s services business has posted record years, and gaming is becoming a sharper battleground as platforms chase engagement and recurring revenue. Singh’s brief sits at the intersection of content, community and commerce.

In a market where attention is scarce and loyalty scarcer, Apple is betting that sharper storytelling and smarter marketing can keep users inside its ecosystem. Singh now holds the megaphone. The real test will be how loudly the world listens.

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Cloud nine in the capital Bharathcloud plugs Delhi into its AI plans

Published

2 weeks ago

January 30, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Bharathcloud is bringing its cloud closer to power. The Hyderabad-based sovereign AI cloud services provider has opened its Delhi office, marking its formal entry into North India and setting the stage for its next phase of growth.

The expansion comes as India’s digital transformation fuels rising demand for AI-ready cloud infrastructure, driven by wider adoption of artificial intelligence, machine learning, the Internet of Things and data-heavy applications. With the new office, Bharathcloud plans to onboard more than 100 employees in 2026, strengthening its workforce to support customers across government, enterprises, MSMEs and social sectors.

The Delhi presence is expected to sharpen the company’s engagement with organisations seeking secure, scalable and cost-efficient cloud platforms that comply with India’s data sovereignty requirements. It also positions Bharathcloud closer to policy, public sector and enterprise decision-makers in the region.

Founded in Hyderabad, Bharathcloud offers AI-ready cloud infrastructure including Kubernetes-as-a-Service, zero-trust security architecture and multi-level data protection frameworks. Its platform supports AI and ML workloads, blockchain application migration from hyperscalers and distributed data management, with an emphasis on reliability, low latency and operational continuity.

“With the Delhi expansion, we are positioning Bharathcloud to engage more closely with AI-driven enterprises and technology hubs in North India,” said Bharathcloud co-founder Rahul Takallapally. He added that the move would help nurture local cloud and AI talent while accelerating the adoption of secure and resilient AI infrastructure across sectors.

The company currently operates in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow and Chennai, employing over 200 people and serving more than 1,500 clients across manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, IT and media. Aligned with national initiatives such as Digital India and Make in India, Bharathcloud continues to focus on building indigenous AI-cloud infrastructure to support data localisation and the country’s growing appetite for next-generation digital solutions.

With its Delhi office now live, the company is signalling a clear intent: to make sovereign, AI-ready cloud infrastructure not just an alternative, but a mainstream choice for India’s north as well as its tech capitals.