Category: eNews

  • Reliance Industries shareholders welcomes Isha, Anant and Akash Ambani to the board

    Reliance Industries shareholders welcomes Isha, Anant and Akash Ambani to the board

    Mumbai: Reliance Industries shareholders have approved the appointment of new leaders – Isha, Akash and Anant Ambani on the company’s board as non-executive directors.

    Shareholders have approved the appointment of Isha Ambani to the company’s board with 98.21 per cent votes cast in its favour, while Akash Ambani’s nomination garnered 98.06 per cent of the vote.

    Anant Ambani’s appointment to the company’s board received 92.75 per cent votes in favour.

    Isha Ambani was appointed the leader of Reliance Retail in August 2022, while Akash Ambani became chairman of Reliance Jio in June last year. Anant Ambani was appointed as the leader of the company’s energy vertical in August 2022.

    Reliance Industries chairman & managing director Mukesh Ambani will continue at the helm for another five years, as he had announced during the AGM.

  • SML Digital to launch ‘The Secretariat’

    SML Digital to launch ‘The Secretariat’

    Mumbai: SML Digital Media Pvt. Ltd., will soon launch “The Secretariat”, a niche portal focused on demystifying governance and government policy that are key to understanding the rapid transformation in the world’s fifth largest economy, India.

    Veteran journalist and former Press Trust of India editor Rajesh Mahapatra will lead the venture as its editor-in-chief. The portal is expected to go live on 1 November.

    The Secretariat is a non-partisan platform that will track and explain policies that impact a range of economic, social, environmental and digital domains. It adopts a dive-deep approach to unpacking and studying policy and policy-making, while also aiming to provide a platform for stakeholders to find meaningful solutions.

    “We will focus on five key themes – Digitalising Economy, Sustainability, Future of Work, Urbanising India and Geo-economics,” said SML Digital Media Pvt. Ltd. director Kajal Vadodaria.

    “The functioning of the government and bureaucracy at the Centre and the states will also be a focus of our coverage, besides tracking the people and processes behind policy-making,” she added.

    In its effort to deepen and democratise the discourse on public policy, The Secretariat will collaborate with research institutions and disseminate the outcomes of their research to a wider audience.

    “The Secretariat will offer a distinctive universe of content that is not merely informative but also deeply insightful and demonstrably intelligent so that our consumers  – whether knowledge-seekers or investors looking to understand India – can make informed choices,” said Mahapatra, who has extensively written and reported on India’s economic transformation over the past three decades.

    “Digital audiences are coming of age. The demand for niche, quality content is growing. The Secretariat seeks to respond to this growing need,” said Mahapatra who had previously steered digital transformation efforts at the Hindustan Times as its chief content officer.

    “On the content front, we will take a less-is-more approach – making our stories stand out for high-impact analysis, expansive reportage and exclusive insights,” Mahapatra said. “We will have a stylish, contemporary voice, committed to views, counter views and opinion and not doctrinaire.”

    The Secretariat will follow a Freemium model. While the bulk of the content will be behind a paywall, a curated set of policy news can be accessed.

    “At SML Digital, we have built a robust tech and product team over the past year to ensure The Secretariat deploys the best-in-class techniques of digital story-telling, including AI, and offers such compelling content that our audiences will be happy to pay,” Vadodaria said.  

  • ManoramaOnline now with a trendy and contemporary look

    ManoramaOnline now with a trendy and contemporary look

    Mumbai: ManoramaOnline, the digital arm of Malayala Manorama newspaper that provides news to Malayalis all over the world, is now sporting a new look.  

    The new design, created using the latest technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), will help ManoramaOnline offer a comprehensive reading experience.

    The ‘Latest News’ will have daily developments in detail. The ‘Big Story’ section on top of the website will carry exclusive stories and important news, while the ‘Premium’ section will carry in-depth stories.

    In the ‘Trending News’ section, artificial intelligence will select stories based on the individual preferences of readers. The photographs of all major news breaks will be displayed on the homepage banner, along with live updates, providing all the relevant information at a glance.  

    A wide variety of in-depth news is the hallmark of ManoramaOnline. The new design will have various sections in a cluster format. The ‘Cinema’ and ‘Music’ sections in the previous website will now come under the ‘Entertainment’ section, whereas the ‘Lifestyle’ cluster will have contents that earlier went under ‘Travel, ‘Food’, ‘Auto’, ‘Literature’ and ‘Homestyle’ sections.

    Each cluster has a unique design that gels with the content it provides.

    The fresh-look ManoramaOnline has added new sections such as ‘Fact Check’ and ‘Youth & Kids’ with a focus on GenNext.

    The existing ‘Hyperlocal’ and ‘Business’ sections, too, have migrated to the new layout.

    ManoramaOnline is now tapping the immense possibilities of multimedia to provide audio and video content, besides text.

    Galleries will showcase the day’s major developments in photographs, and visual stories that communicate the developments in images, cartoons, and infographics.

    The new design allows readers to select a preferred mode for ‘Read’, ‘Light’, and ‘Dark’ to make reading easy for the eyes. Improved loading speed coupled with a trendy design will provide the readers of ManoramaOnline with a novel experience. 

  • RED FM introduces 14 seasons of Its longest running IP Red Raas

    RED FM introduces 14 seasons of Its longest running IP Red Raas

    Mumbai: 93.5 RED FM, India’s leading private radio and entertainment network is delighted to announce the 14 celebrations of its iconic, Red Raas. The event aims to celebrate the nine auspicious days of Navratri from 15 to 23 October at Green Place, Ahmedabad.

    In 2009, Red FM hosted its inaugural on-ground garba event in the city of Ahmedabad. This year, Red FM is celebrating the 14 editions of Red Raas, promising participants a vibrant nine days of music, dance, and cultural splendour. As of now, the team has produced around 100 original music tracks under the Red Raas banner. Upholding the tradition of presenting new tracks every year, Red FM is releasing ‘Aave Jo Rasiyo Rang Ma’ penned by Bhargav Purohit, composed by the dynamic duo Bhargav-Kedar and brought to life by the melodious Janvi Shrimanker, known for her Bollywood track ‘Dholida’. This song is a recreation medley of iconic Garba tracks, featuring prominent Gujarati singers like Aditya Gadhvi, Bhumi Trivedi, Kirtidan Gadhvi, Osman Mir, and many more.

    RED FM and Magic FM Director & COO Nisha Narayanan stated “What began as a humble initiative to infuse contemporary flavours into traditional Garba music has developed into a journey of 14 years, producing almost 100 original tracks. Red Raas, our longest-running IP has become a trend-setting custodian of tradition, resurrecting the folklore by weaving folk with the newest trends and making it cool for youngsters. To make future generations a part of our cultural fabric, we embark on this journey to present a blend of tradition and modernity while paying homage to the rich Garba heritage of Gujarat. We are hopeful that you will join us in embracing the spirit of Navratri and celebrate all things music and garba.”

    The event is set to deliver a blend of music, culinary delights, and entertainment spanning the entire nine days of Navratri.

  • Bipin R Pandit’s Khumaar Musical Nite returns on 4 November

    Bipin R Pandit’s Khumaar Musical Nite returns on 4 November

    Mumbai: Khumaar the famous and much-awaited Musical Nite organised by Bipin R Pandit for the past 18 years in succession (barring the covid period) is all set to happen on Saturday, 4 November 2023 at St. Andrews Auditorium Bandra.

    This year Khumaar will be presented in a new avtaar as songs that will be rendered will be from the year 1990 onwards. Thus, you will have popular numbers of Sonu Nigam, Udit Narayan, Shaan, Kumar Sanu, Alka Yagnik, Anuradha Paudwal. There will be a special Sufi segment as well.

    Khumaar founder and owner Bipin R Pandit stated, “As an organizer and performer it is a great feeling that my show for all 18 years has been houseful two to three weeks ahead of the event date at times even one month before. I am extremely happy that most of the industry Stalwarts from the Media, Advertising and Marketing world have confirmed their presence.

    It has always been my endeavor to scout and select talent meticulously over a period of one year from all over India. Thus, what you get to see on the event day is the very best available. Besides the established stars, I am getting one singer from Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Malegaon Nashik.

    This show will be in celebration of my completion of 25 years with the Advertising Club and 18 years of Khumaar. It will not be inappropriate to state that this is the perfect launch for the festive season of Diwali that follows. There is a musical Dhamaka in the offering.”

  • PROEN elevates digital experiences across Thailand

    PROEN elevates digital experiences across Thailand

    Mumbai: PROEN Corp Public Company Limited (PROEN), a leading provider of Internet, data, ICT, and business telecom services across Thailand, has deployed Qwilt and Cisco’s Open Edge Content Delivery Network (CDN) solution to improve the quality and delivery capacity of digital content and applications. In doing so, it becomes an active participant in the content delivery value chain by partnering with content publishers and enterprise customers across Thailand to deliver streaming media and data efficiently and rapidly.

    The deployment sees PROEN embed Qwilt’s Open Caching-based architecture deeply into its network edge, enabling the delivery of increased data volumes across its network and improving the quality of experience for end users throughout Thailand. The partnership equips PROEN with next-generation content delivery infrastructure and provides open APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) to content publishers looking to deliver content with the highest quality. With full-country coverage, the deployment will include activating Open Caching services at multiple distributed PROEN sites across Thailand.

    PROEN chief commercial officer Naris Ratyiam said, “Our partnership with Qwilt and Cisco is an exciting step in our mission to strengthen our network and deliver superior experiences to our customers. By building Qwilt’s Open Edge solution into our infrastructure, we’re creating an open and unified content delivery solution that will bring numerous benefits to content publishers when they utilize the service, including current PROEN partners such as MCOT, Channel 3, and Buga Boo. This deployment enables us to tackle the rapidly growing demands for live streaming, video-on-demand, and application services head-on while ensuring these experiences are delivered consistently in the highest quality.”

    Cisco vice president Theodore Tzevelekis said, “By deploying our joint Open Edge solution with Qwilt, PROEN gains access to a platform that meets the needs for high-quality streaming experiences while opening the door to exciting future edge computing use cases. We’re delighted to have PROEN on board and excited to help deliver exceptional digital experiences for its customers in Thailand.”

    “We’re delighted to welcome PROEN as the latest service provider to join our Open Edge movement. Each new deployment expands our global, all-edge network and gives us the opportunity to play a significant role in helping enhance the seamless delivery of digital services to many millions of consumers,” said Qwilt CEO Alon Maor. “Embedded at the edge of PROEN’s network, closest to users, our Open Edge CDN goes beyond offering traditional CDN functionality – it ensures users across Thailand experience the highest quality and fastest delivery, whether they’re consuming streaming video, playing online games, or downloading massive files. This strategic deployment reflects PROEN’s commitment to providing cutting-edge solutions to its valued customers and reinforces its position as one of Thailand’s leading service providers.”

    Today, 150+ service providers have partnered with Qwilt to enable the Open Edge in their networks, together serving over one billion unique subscribers globally. They include Verizon in North America; TIM Brazil and Telecom Argentina in Latin America; Airtel in India; J:COM in Asia-Pacific; BT in the UK; and Telefónica and Vodafone in EMEA.

  • Four out of every five readers look for festive offers in the newspaper

    Four out of every five readers look for festive offers in the newspaper

    Mumbai: In the age of digital, consumers still look to The Times of India group publications for brand and sale offers re-iterating the fact that the print medium is still the best for discovery. And the festive season is no exception. With the stock markets at all-time high and many categories seeing healthy growth, brands are banking on the festive season to achieve their best performance of the year.

    In its third edition, “Times Wishlist” was back this year asking the most important questions for the festive season. “Times Wishlist” is a one-of-a-kind campaign that asks consumers questions about their purchasing behaviour during the festive period.

    This year was our most comprehensive analysis yet, with questions about not just what they want to buy but when they buy, where, and what sources influence their decisions. Emerging as the most popular choice, four out of five readers turn to newspapers for festive deals and offers and three in four prefer to shop in physical stores.

    A whopping 56 per cent of readers are looking to buy consumer durables this year, while 48 per cent are in the market for mobile phones. 33 per cent of people looking to buy mobile phones, intend to spend over Rs. 40,000 on the same. More than half of the readers who want to buy a car are planning to spend more than Rs. 20 lakhs.

    There is also a lot of excitement around the regional festivals, with around 69 per cent of readers in Kolkata looking forward to Durga Puja making festive purchases, while over 35 per cent in Ahmedabad will be shopping during Navratri.

    It is now up to the brands to use these valuable insights to make their move, as there is a captive audience waiting.

     

  • Jagran New Media launches Rocketship Films for enhanced audiovisual storytelling

    Jagran New Media launches Rocketship Films for enhanced audiovisual storytelling

    Mumbai: Jagran New Media, the digital wing of Jagran Prakashan Ltd, is proud to announce the launch of its in-house audio-visual production venture, Rocketship Films. This launch marks a significant milestone for the company’s growth towards creating new avenues for new-age innovative storytelling in an audio-visual format and content production, solidifying Jagran New Media’s stature in the publishing industry.

    The new production house marks the intersection of creativity with commerce and will focus on content that inspires, educates & provokes thought. The in-house production venture is a solution to the ever-changing content consumption of the new-age digital-savvy audiences. This venture specialises in crafting compelling audio-visual narratives, video production/post-production, voiceover narrations, animations, creative solutions, new-age animations, and much more.

    On the launch, Bharat Gupta, CEO of Jagran New Media, said, “India’s internet audience is undergoing a transformative change with a meteoric rise in video consumption. The launch of Rocketship Films aligns perfectly with our expansion plans, elevates business growth, and engages wider audiences simultaneously. Some of our earlier work makes us confident that our brilliant team will bridge market gaps with compelling audio-visual narratives, solidifying our path to scalable and sustainable creative success.”

    Commenting on the launch, Jagran New Media COO Gaurav Arora said, “Owing to the in-depth understanding of the publishing industry & having worked with a diverse set of brands over the years, we’re confident that the launch of Rocketship Films will seamlessly bridge the gap between the ever-evolving audience sensibilities & the clients’ need to reach their audiences with emerging content formats. As part of our four revenue pillars, including inventory, syndication, production house, and subscription, the new venture reinforces the third pillar and builds upon our vision. With this expansion, these revenue pillars will collectively contribute to the sustained growth and reach diverse audiences with well-timed content across the various digital properties of Jagran New Media, continuing our legacy to produce factual, credible &

    engaging content. Rocketship Films has already produced some thumb-stopping content, so take a minute to check out the website!”

    He added, “Our team of experienced creative professionals is equipped to craft narratives that resonate with our audience and inspire action. We are quite exhilarated to set new benchmarks in creating result-driven storytelling for brands through various collaborations. We are confident that Rocketship Films will foster a profound and enduring connection with our clients.”

    The production house will assist brands with its plethora of services to create relevant and meaningful content that drives brand loyalty, customer engagement, and retention. Handled by the best and most experienced minds from the advertising & creative industries, Rocketship Films aligns with Jagran New Media’s mission of delivering relevant, engaging, and insightful content to its vast digital audience. Rocketship Films is already gaining value through association with several renowned brands like Dabur, ITC, Hyundai, LinkedIn, Pulsar, etc., and is assured to rewrite the branded storytelling playbook with capabilities across video production, ideation & scripting, creative consultation, visual effects animation, and more.

     

  • NKN Media to honour Indian Entrepreneurs in UAE with Icons of the UAE Awards

    NKN Media to honour Indian Entrepreneurs in UAE with Icons of the UAE Awards

    Mumbai:  NKN Media is hosting an award ceremony, Icons of the UAE Awards, to celebrate the success stories of Indian business leaders in the UAE. The ceremony will take place at Taj Exotica, The Palm, Dubai on the 27 September. India’s leading media house India Today Group is a media partner for this prestigious event.

    Boasting 16 icons from different industries, the event will be graced by the presence of Honourable Dr Shashi Tharoor, a prominent Indian politician, diplomat, and acclaimed author. He is a luminary known for contributing to human rights, education, and environmental advocacy.

    NKN Media CEO Abdul Majid Khan expressed his enthusiasm about the event, stating, “The Icons of the UAE Awards is a testament to these entrepreneurs’ unyielding spirit and resilience. Their fervour for business and success has created a lasting impact on the community, showing everyone that the sky is the limit. Additionally, we are proud to announce a special award for the rising Emirati Businessman of the Year, which recognises the exceptional contributions of a local entrepreneur.”  

    The ceremony will be broadcast on India’s leading news channels namely Aaj Tak and India Today TV. Aiming to celebrate visionary leaders and recognise their remarkable impact on UAE’s business landscape and community, viewers can also watch engaging 30-minute episodes highlighting the Icons’ inspiring journeys and accomplishments.  

    Renowned actors and influencers, including Vivek Oberoi and Salman Yusuff Khan have shared exclusive video messages with their dedicated fan base, eagerly anticipating their presence at the ceremony. Furthermore, India’s leading news anchors from Aaj Tak and India Today TV including Anjana Om Kashyap, Rajdeep Sardesai, Sweta Singh and Nabila Jamal shall make the event memorable. 

  • Tips Industries ropes in Hari Nair as its new CEO

    Tips Industries ropes in Hari Nair as its new CEO

    Mumbai: Tips Industries Limited (“TIPS”), a public-listed music-company, has appointed Hari Nair as the company’s new chief executive officer. Nair brings in 25 years of overall experience, of which the last two decades were spent in the music ecosystem. With this appointment, TIPS aims to strengthen its core leadership team, as well as focus on driving revenues further, be it through increasing its music distribution capabilities or expanding into new domains of music monetization. Nair will be responsible for leading the company into its next phase of growth, amidst the fast-changing digital trends and a vibrant content ecosystem in India’s entertainment industry.

    On this appointment, Tips managing director –Industries Limited Kumar Taurani commented, “We are extremely delighted to appoint Hari as our chief executive officer. Hari has 360-degree experience of music ecosystem – starting from music distribution companies like Soundbuzz & Mauj Mobile, to heading digital business for a global music company Sony Music India, and then leading performance rights organization PPL India’s digital transformation. With an experienced hand like Hari being added to our core teams, combined with our strength in music content creation and acquisition, we aim to achieve higher revenues and continue to deliver value for our shareholders”.

    Speaking on his new role, Nair said, “I am absolutely delighted to become a part of the TIPS team. It is an honour for me to lead an organization with a quality music catalogue and focused content acquisition strategy, which is known for its longevity in the music industry and continues to steadily grow its market share. TIPS continues to deftly navigate through India’s ever-evolving digital landscape, thanks to the promoters’ experience, and a clear vision. The company’s brilliant track record of profitable growth speaks volumes about its management’s endeavour to maximize shareholder returns. As the company stands at a pivotal juncture in its journey, I am humbled and equally excited to be a part of this aggressive journey. I would like to extend my utmost gratitude to Kumar Taurani and the board members, for showing faith in my candidature to lead this company.”

    Joining ByteDance in 2019, Nair led the South Asia region for music partnerships and licensing for all ByteDance which gave him a multi-regional exposure in ByteDance ecosystem, launching their music streaming service Resso first in India, and the overall experience with apps like TikTok, Helo, Capcut, etc. Further, Nair was entrusted with a larger multi-region role (Middle East, Africa, Turkey and South Asia) for Artist Services division at TikTok, where he was primarily responsible for launching SoundOn (music distribution service), driving the business P & L for the region and also ensuring support for local artist / music labels. His music journey started with Asia’s first online music store “Soundbuzz”, which was acquired by Motorola. Prior to his long innings in the music arena, Nair also worked in the IT services industry.