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Category: eNews

  • Time to bring progressive law, not ban online games: FICCI Gaming Committee

    Time to bring progressive law, not ban online games: FICCI Gaming Committee

    Mumbai: The FICCI Gaming Committee (FGC) has spoken out against statements made by the chief minister of Tamil Nadu to bring an end to online gaming in the state. The FGC has urged the state government to adopt an enabling gaming policy protecting players while ensuring a secure, responsible gaming environment.

    “The FICCI Gaming Committee is committed to supporting the government in establishing a safe gaming environment. However, we would like to reiterate that blanket bans do not ensure player protection but instead, benefits unscrupulous fly-by-night operators and encourages illicit and underground gaming activities leading to detrimental impacts on the very populations the government seeks to protect,” the industry body said in a statement.

    The committee asserted that the need of the hour is a stable regulatory mechanism capturing clear requirements that protect consumers and operations of lawful operators. It has suggested that the government consider regulating this new form of entertainment thereby addressing several issues such as protecting players by providing access to responsible entertainment choices.

    In February 2021 the state government amended the Tamil Nadu Gaming Act, 1930, banning online games, subsequently the Madras high court struck down the law in August 2021 on the basis of multiple Supreme Court decisions taken in the past. Reiterating the protection afforded under the constitution to games of skill.  

    “While we appreciate the intent of the government to protect the users, a wide-ranging ban seems excessive and disproportionate in meeting its objectives,” said FICCI director general Arun Chawla. “It shall also severely impact these new technology-driven legitimate businesses that are generating much-needed jobs and revenues for the state.”

    “Around 420 million players across the country enjoy online gaming as a form of entertainment. To ensure that these players’ experiences are safe, we request the government consider regulating this industry, which would allow only legitimate, legal operators to operate while adhering to strict protocols,” said E-Gaming Federation CEO and FGC convener Sameer Barde. “At EGF, we have set up a self-regulatory framework in the form of a code of conduct ensuring a safe, transparent, and responsible environment for players by our certified members. We look forward to collaborating with the government and offering our expertise to help the state establish a well-regulated and sustainable industry.”

    “The growth of 27 per cent CAGR generated by the online skill gaming industry in 2020 has made it the fastest-growing segment within the Indian M&E sector,” said All India Gaming Federation CEO and FGC convenor Roland Landers. “The sunrise online skill gaming industry is responsible for facilitating 400+ Start-ups in this sector and attracted 400+ million gamers – young Indians providing them viable alternate job opportunities in Esports and other gaming businesses.”

    “All AIGF stakeholders are governed by the skill games charter that ensures global best practices across responsible gaming and gamer protection. It is in the best interests of all concerned that the State Govt works with the skill gaming industry to build a robust regulatory framework to ensure all stakeholders across the ecosystem benefit economically and socially notably taxation revenues gaming and allowance for Indian registered gaming companies to operate in the state,” he added.

    “India has emerged as the largest Fantasy Sports market in the world with over 13 crore Indian sports fans using fantasy sports,” said Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports CEO and FICCI Gaming Committee convener Anwar Shirpurwala. “Fantasy Sports is contributing significantly to the growth of the sports ecosystem in India and also helping Tamil Nadu’s sports fans meaningfully engage with their favourite sports. Our government’s premier think-tank NITI Aayog has recognised fantasy sports as a sunrise sector. Renowned academic institutions such as IIM Bangalore and MIT have applied scientific methodology and concluded that participating in fantasy sports requires significant skill, even higher than the skill required by a mutual fund manager. In addition, various law commissions including the Uttar Pradesh Law Commission and the Law Commission of India have held that games of skill should be exempt from gambling laws. Various high courts including the Rajasthan high court have said that fantasy sports is online sports and entitled to protection under Article 19(1)(g) of the constitution. The view has been further endorsed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court. Considering the above, the industry looks forward to working with the government of Tamil Nadu to create a safe experience for sports fans and enable responsible growth of the industry through regulation.”

  • LogiNext taps Keyur Shah to lead global marketing

    LogiNext taps Keyur Shah to lead global marketing

    Mumbai: LogiNext, a global technology company that offers a SaaS vehicle routing and last-mile delivery platform, has announced the appointment of Keyur Shah as vice president- marketing.

    The company is looking to chart an aggressive growth trajectory and in his new role, Shah will be responsible for driving strategic marketing initiatives to help support this growth of LogiNext brand and customer base, it said in a statement.

    A seasoned sales and marketing professional, Shah brings on board a wealth of international experience in translating technology into simplified business benefits. Based in Singapore, he has been associated with leading technology companies such as Lumen Technologies andTata Communications, managing marketing and product management functions for them globally. His vast repertoire of international experience in marketing B2B technology products adds immense value to his portfolio.

    “It is a pleasure having Keyur on board with us at LogiNext. A marketing industry veteran with his experience and subject matter expertize, will add tremendous value to the team, and help us in achieving our business goals,”said LogiNext founder and CEO Dhruvil Sanghvi. “The SaaS wave is here to stay, and by 2025, I am optimistic that Indian SaaS revenues would be north of $15 billion. With Keyur coming on board, his expertise in the SaaS space will be a great value addition to LogiNext’s efforts to grow in this space.”

    “The LogiNext team has built a winning product that has made its mark across various industry sectors both in India and globally. This is evident in the customer feedback and also through reviews on various analyst reports and Peer Insight portals,” said Keyur Shah. “I am quite excited and looking forward to new challenges and learning as I work alongside the team to take the LogiNext brand to the next level. I would like to express my gratitude to Dhruvil, for placing his trust in my efforts towards achieving the same.”

  • Starlink India country director Sanjay Bhargava steps down

    Starlink India country director Sanjay Bhargava steps down

    Mumbai: Sanjay Bhargava has stepped down as country director and chairman of the board of satellite broadband company Starlink India. His last working day was 31 December 2021.

    The announcement was made on LinkedIn where he posted, “I have stepped down as country director and chairman of the board of Starlink India for personal reasons… my last working day was December 31, 2021. I will have no comments for individuals and media so please respect my privacy.”

    Starlink is a division of aerospace company SpaceX led by billionaire Elon Musk. The company announced that it would launch its services in India by 2022 pending regulatory approvals.

    Bhargava’s resignation comes weeks after the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) ordered the company to refund the deposits it had collected from Indian customers who had pre-booked a connection. It stated that Starlink was not licensed to offer satellite-based internet services in India and advised consumers to refrain from subscribing to its services until it was granted the requisite permissions.

  • Amazon ropes in Kelly Day to lead international streaming business

    Amazon ropes in Kelly Day to lead international streaming business

    Mumbai: Amazon has appointed Kelly Day in a newly created role as vice president, Prime Video international. She will oversee streaming operations outside the US and report to Prime Video and Amazon Studios senior vice president Mike Hopkins.

    She will begin her new role in January 2022.

    Day was previously at ViacomCBS leading international streaming services and led the global rollout of their premium subscription video-on-demand service Paramount+ in 2021 and the international expansion of their free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) service Pluto TV.

    “Overwhelming day as I announced the end of an amazing chapter at ViacomCBS and the beginning of something new and exciting at Amazon. To my friends and colleagues at VCBS, I am so proud of what we’ve accomplished at Paramount+ and Pluto and forever grateful to have had the opportunity to work with all of you. Looking forward to starting 2022 and joining the incredibly talented team at Amazon Prime Video,” said Kelly on LinkedIn.

    Kelly joined ViacomCBS in 2017 as president of Viacom Digital Studios. She has 25 years of experience in launching digital brands and businesses. She has served on the board of directors of Blue Ant Media and NATPE. She’s also had stints at Discovery Communications and America Online (AOL).

  • All India Radio sets up youth programme #AIRNxt

    All India Radio sets up youth programme #AIRNxt

    Mumbai: All India Radio (AIR) has announced a new programme called #AIRNxt to offer youth a platform to air their voices, as part of the celebrations under ongoing Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

    Starting from 28 November, for the next 52 weeks, AIR stations will allow youngsters from local colleges, universities to take part in programming, allowing them to discuss and curate youth-centric shows, stated AIR in an official statement. About 20,000 youth from 1,000 educational institutions will be participating during the next year from every nook and corner of India through 167 AIR stations, it added.

    “These shows would encourage the youth to speak about the achievements of the country during last 75 years of independence and where do they expect the country to reach in various fields. This way, the youth can air their big dreams and define the future of India,” the statement said.

    “It is the biggest single theme show on All India Radio involving thousands of youth and hundreds of educational institutions across the country. This talent hunt show #AIRNxt will be broadcast in all major Indian languages and dialects,” it further said.

     

  • Former SC judge Ashok Bhushan appointed as NCLAT chairperson

    Former SC judge Ashok Bhushan appointed as NCLAT chairperson

    Mumbai: The central government on Friday appointed retired Supreme Court judge Ashok Bhushan as chairperson of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT).

    The post of NCLAT chairperson has been vacant since March 2020. Justice Bhushan has been given a term of four years or until he attains the age of 70 years, whichever is the earliest.

    He has been associated with several landmark judgments, including Ram Mandir, Covid-19 management, and registration of migrant workers.

    The central government has also approved the appointment of Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar as the president of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for five years or till he attains the age of 67 years, whichever is the earliest.

    Sudhakar was former chief justice of Manipur high court.

  • Média-Participations strengthens executive team with two new appointments

    Média-Participations strengthens executive team with two new appointments

    Mumbai: Média-Participations in France has strengthened the team with the appointment of Laurent Panissier as 3D general supervisor and Xavier Morelli as 2D executive producer for its audiovisual production division.

    Earlier this month, the company had appointed Lila Hannou as director of development and strategy. Managing director Caroline Audebert said it was essential to strengthen and restructure the team to take on the challenges ahead of the studio. “The fact that professionals such as Laurent and Xavier have joined us, after Lila, gives me great confidence in our ability to speed up the studio’s transformation, that we started several months ago, and complete the ambitious productions that we are planning for the coming years,” she added.

    A graduate of the Arts Décoratifs in multimedia and CGI in 2001, Laurent Panissier was previously associated with BUF. He worked in the special effects production team as a graphic artist as well as supervisor, alongside Pierre Buffin and his teams for 10 years. In 2011, he joined Mac Guff Lign as supervisor.

    Xavier Morelli has 25 years of experience in animation production. He began his career as a production assistant in 1996 and joined Ellipse in 1998 as assistant director and production manager. In 2004, he joined Xilam Animation, as assistant director. In 2012, he directed the 3D production of the feature “The Prince” and “The 108 Demons” for Same Player Productions, before joining Futurikon in 2015 where he dealt with the production of the studio’s series. After a period at Bayard animation, he joined Cyber Group Studios as production manager. In 2019, he was production manager at Ankama animations on the feature “Princess Dragon.”

    Média-Participations houses Ellipsanime Productions, Dargaud Media, Dupuis Edition and Audiovisuel and Ellipse Studio.

  • Admix appoints Stefan Adamczyk as VP, global partnerships

    Admix appoints Stefan Adamczyk as VP, global partnerships

    Mumbai: In-play advertising platform Admix has announced the appointment of mobile gaming and media industry expert Stefan Adamczyk as VP of global partnerships.

    In this role, Adamczyk’s primary goal is to expand Admix’s best-in-class global publisher network, further cementing Admix’s position as the leading in-play solution provider for the mobile gaming industry, it said in a statement.

    “Stefan’s appointment comes at a critical time for Admix as we are rapidly scaling up across the globe. His industry-leading experience bolsters our dream team of senior leadership talent, helping us to deliver the infrastructure to effectively monetise 3D worlds,” said Admix CEO Samuel Huber. “As consumers increasingly socialise, play and shop in virtual worlds, this offers unrivalled opportunities for brands and publishers in the formative metaverse.”

    Adamczyk brings with him over two decades of commercial expertise gained at market-leading companies such as AdColony, PHD Media, Lycos, and Media Planning Group. In 2014, he was AdColony’s first EMEA hire, having joined as EMEA advertising director, and later promoted to senior VP – performance after nearly five years.

    “I’m relishing the opportunity to help build the future of mobile gaming monetisation, by bringing new world-class publishers into the fold, and nurturing established client relationships with my talented Admix supply team,” said Adamczyk. “The world of mobile gaming faces a true inflection point, where developers and publishers need not compromise game design based on interruptive legacy monetisation models. I strongly believe in-play is the future of mobile gaming.”

  • Laqshya Event Capital founder Deepak Choudhary joins Live 101 board

    Laqshya Event Capital founder Deepak Choudhary joins Live 101 board

    Mumbai: Homegrown digital platform Live101 has announced Deepak Choudhary as a new addition to its board of directors.

    Choudhary commands over 19 years of experience in the events industry and he is the founder & director of Laqshya Event Capital and EVENTFAQS.

    “Deepak’s extensive experience and expertise in the events industry coupled with his experience as a serial entrepreneur in the F&B and event media space, is sure to add immense value to Live101’s future,” said Live101 co-founder and director Sachin Bhandari. “We look forward to Deepak becoming a part of the Live101 family,” he added.

    Founded in 2017, Live101 is India’s premier, tech-based, on-demand live entertainment platform, that provides artists anywhere, anytime. The digital-only platform was founded with the aim of eliminating middlemen when it comes to hiring artists for live events. It aims at supporting local artists as well as provide entertainers for live-at-home and outdoor events, said the statement.

    “I am extremely humbled to be joining Live101 as a director. Their journey as a company in the entertainment space has been anything but ordinary because they have helped hundreds of artists to connect and explore opportunities to showcase their work,” said Choudhary. “I am eagerly looking forward to my time at Live101 and I hope I can contribute to their ongoing growth story.”

    Choudhary made a foray into the events industry back when it was in its infancy in the early 2000s. From education and the F&B businesses to founding Laqshya Event Capital and EVENTFAQS, and even co-authoring his first-ever book on the Indian live events space “Staged”, he dons multiple hats.

    “Deepak comes with decades of experience in the events space and we are pleased to have him on board,” said Live101 co-founders and directors and sibling duo Harmeet Singh and Manmeet Singh. “We are sure that Live101 will benefit from his depth of knowledge and vast skill set that he has honed over the years as an event industry expert.”

  • Tata Motors becomes title sponsor of Yuvin Valorant Invitational

    Tata Motors becomes title sponsor of Yuvin Valorant Invitational

    Mumbai: Homegrown e-sports organisation Yuvin Esports on Wednesday announced Tata Motors as the title sponsors for the upcoming Yuvin Valorant Invitational (YVI) tournament, scheduled from 2-5 September. The partnership marks the auto major’s foray into the e-sports domain which has seen a rapid rise in the recent past.

    Founded in 2018, Yuvin Esports has been focussing on building and grooming talent from India, South Asia and Southeast Asia for a competitive international arena.

    “The exciting competition will feature India’s top eight Valorant teams battling it out in a single-elimination format,” said the statement. “The teams will be contesting in a best-of-three format while the grand finale will have best-of-five format on 5 September,” it added.

    “Tata Motors has time and again come forward to show its support to all kinds of sports and with this association, we commence our maiden journey into the e-sports arena. The Indian e-sports industry is growing at a very fast pace and is becoming a preferred choice of entertainment of young millennials and Gen Zs,” said Tata Motors, PVBU, head – digital marketing, Nikhil Kurian. “At Tata Motors, we cater to the young and aspirational needs of our customers and electronically played sports are one such promising channel. We look forward to a fruitful association with Yuvin Valorant Invitational and hope to encourage the growth of budding talent in this new age field.”  

    “The brand name and presence like Tata Motors always incites an environment of awe and veneration for all the communities out there irrespective of the medium they are currently in,” said Yuvin Esports Pvt Ltd, CEO & founder, Sharang Naicker. “Tata Group has been supportive of multiple sports for centuries and now everything becoming ‘e’, it is the perfect time for the grand entry into e-sports.”

    The tournament’s engagement with Tata Motors will coincide with the recently launched Tata Tiago NRG. “We are extremely proud and excited that Tata Motors has partnered with us to promote Tiago NRG through a modern medium of e-sports. This is the first of many events we have planned for the massive e-sports enthusiasts’ community,” Naicker further said.

    The YVI tournament will be streamed LIVE on Yuvin Esports’ YouTube channel in English and Hindi.