Category: eNews

  • Moneycontrol launches Moneycontrol Transact for Mutual Fund Investors

    Moneycontrol launches Moneycontrol Transact for Mutual Fund Investors

    MUMBAI: Moneycontrol, India’s leading financial platform from Network18 Digital has amplified its proposition by introducing a new app on Mutual Funds called- ‘Moneycontrol Transact’. The innovative app enables the users to understand and undertake all the MF activities comprising making investments, viewing recommendations and analyzing markets/investments on-the-go. Moneycontrol Transact comes with a personalized feature which recommends suitable mutual funds to users based on the multiple parameters.

    Through various user selected specifications, the app examines how much the user wants to invest, what is the investment horizon, current financial conditions and responsibilities of the user. The custom recommendations suggest inputs based on investor’s age and their risk-taking abilities.

    Personalized recommendations on the app are powered by CRISIL Research, known for their expertise in MF sphere. Moneycontrol Transact offers a curated list of funds from 39 fund houses and will be available for users to select their preferred asset class, time horizon and their investment focus. In order to get updates on-the-go, users can easily navigate on top performing funds across all categories and utilize all the features for free.

    For the digital-savvy generation, Moneycontrol Transact makes it easy for them to register, invest, submit and complete all the necessary procedures conveniently without getting into any paperwork hassle. A detailed portfolio analysis can be accessed 24×7 by the users across beginners and experts, including their investment records, attained profits/ losses and exhaustive study about their mutual fund activities to give them a collective view across different holdings.

    At the launch, Gautam Shelar Business Head for moneycontrol, said, “Based on extensive user research and feedback we have received from our moneycontrol user community, we have launched the first iteration of the moneycontrol transact app. After the launch of our premium paid offering Moneycontrol Plus, our strategic alliance with CRISIL, an industry stalwart in this domain, we will further diversify our business from an ad driven model. We are looking to tap the cross section of millions of mutual fund investors in India, a large part of whom are already loyal moneycontrol users. We have been pioneers in providing best in class information to our users and now in order to execute the transactions/ activities seamlessly on Moneycontrol Transact, the information can be combined with recommendations to deliver superior perspectives and insights to our users.”

    On the new launch, Avinash Mudaliar, Chief product officer of Network18 says, “We are extending the Moneycontrol brand to a transaction platform for a better service to our existing users, who have trusted us for almost 2 decades for all their financial needs and information before investing. Mutual fund awareness is growing and investments by retail investors have seen tremendous growth of 1.6 Lakh Crore in past 12 months. We have developed a product which can handhold new investors of mutual funds while also satiate the requirements of more seasoned investors who want to get insights into their investments. New users will find a product that is simple and elegant to use and will also be able to invest in mutual funds quickly yet confidently, backed by moneycontrol and CRISIL’s recommendations. At the same time, advanced users will be engaged by the consolidated as well as granular views of their investments. We are looking to continuously evolve and add more value driven features for our users.” 

  • NSE celebrates its 25th anniversary by launching ‘Prosperity Day’

    NSE celebrates its 25th anniversary by launching ‘Prosperity Day’

    MUMBAI: Celebrating 25 years in existence, National Stock Exchange of India (NSE), India’s leading stock exchange has initiated  ‘Prosperity Day’ to celebrate the successes of the trading community and initiate a dialogue with prospective investors. NSE has also revamped their logo to symbolise the marigold flower and signify prosperity for all. To commemorate the occasion, CNBC-TV18, India’s leading business news channel shall have an informative segment on financial prosperity addressed by Manisha Gupta, Editor – Commodities & Currencies, CNBC-TV18 on the 25th every month up to March 2019.

    The new identity of the brand was envisioned keeping in mind its multidimensional nature. As enablers of growth and prosperity, the logo is a modern representation of a blooming marigold, while the multiple colours seen reflect the multi-faceted nature of the business. Since its inception, NSE has played a key role in connecting India with itself and integrating the nation with other world markets, to the point where today it is the country’s biggest stock exchange and one of the largest exchanges globally. It continues to propel development while always placing purpose before profit and including more people in the nation’s growth story. The NSE has also been instrumental in reshaping the financial landscape of the country by helping Indians invest in the stock market thereby also aiding entrepreneurs raise capital. As NSE celebrates its Silver Jubilee, they step into a new era and the focus of their initiative powered with CNBC-TV18 is now on holistic prosperity for all.

    Speaking about the initiative, Vikram Limaye, MD & CEO, NSE said, “As we celebrate 25 years of NSE, we found it imperative to focus on holistic prosperity for all, not just our stakeholders but the economy at large. With CNBC-TV18 on board, we hope to reach out to a larger set of audience and achieve the goals that we have set for ourselves.”

    Manisha Gupta, Editor – Commodities & Currencies, CNBC-TV18 commented, “As a brand, CNBC-TV18 has always worked towards empowering our viewers with knowledge and information on diverse spheres be it on topics related to the corporate world, financial markets or investments and other various industry verticals. We look forward to working with NSE on their new initiative and improve the financial literacy of the nation and help them make informed and responsible financial decisions.”

    As a constant factor in the prosperous/prosperity narrative of the nation and its citizens, NSE is committed to helping India achieve its calling – to become one of the world’s largest economy and aims to facilitate the transition of India from its $2.5 trillion economy to that of $5 trillion.

  • Anil Kumble picks his Greatest Indian Test Team on CricketNext

    Anil Kumble picks his Greatest Indian Test Team on CricketNext

    MUMBAI: CricketNext announced a new campaign – Jumbo’s Army – with its newly appointed ambassador, Anil Kumble. The contest will pick eleven winners who would stand a chance to fly down to New Zealand to watch the India – New Zealand’s T20 match. To win the contest cricket enthusiasts are required to download the app and pick a team of Indian Test players who made their debut in or after 1990, when Kumble first played for India. Kumble has been designated as the captain of the team so the contestants have to pick 10 other players from this pool. Winners will be chosen from among those who are able to correctly guess Anil Kumble’s dream team or come closest to it. The contest will be live till end of December, 2018.

    Talking about the contest, Network 18 Digital – CEO, Manish Maheshwari, said, “Our defining ethos at CricketNext is Where Fans Rule – our endeavor is to always put the fan at the center of what we do which is reflected in the idea for this campaign. This initiative also allows fans to display their knowledge of the game and encourages them to step into the shoes of one of India’s all-time greats – Anil Kumble. We are sure that this opportunity to witness the Indian team live in action would really excite fans across the country”

    Gaurav Kalra, the Group Editor – Sports, Network18 said, “We are very excited about this initiative. Anil Kumble is perhaps amongst the most astute, deep -thinking cricketers that the game has ever seen. His team selections would surely reflect his deep understanding of the game – we are all excited to determine if he has included a surprise or two.”

    Speaking on the campaign, legendary player, Anil Kumble, said, “I had a great time selecting my dream team. Given the passion with which fans follow cricket in the country, I am very excited about what fans will submit and if they are able to correctly guess my dream team.”

    CricketNext prides itself in offering the sharpest opinions, incisive analysis, as well as a unique perspective, brought forth by a team of veteran cricket writers and analysts, including Ayaz Memon, Prem Panicker, Siddhartha Vaidyanathan, Amit Varma, and several others. The app features news, photos, videos, podcasts, quizzes, polls, live blogs, interactive graphs and player & team profiles. A distinctive feature about the App is the fact that it has cricketing stats on every international played since 1877.

  • Nyoooz among 10 Indian digital media cos. to get Google funding

    Nyoooz among 10 Indian digital media cos. to get Google funding

    NEW DELHI: Noida-based digital news startup Nyoooz is among 10 media outlets from India that have been selected for receiving YouTube innovation funding as part of the Google News Initiative (GNI) to help digital newsrooms and publishers strengthen online video capabilities and experiment with new formats for video journalism.

    Apart from Nyoooz, founded and headed by former TV journalist-turned-entrepreneur Alok Verma, the other Indian news organisations are Asianet News Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, Bharatiya Digital Party (BhaDiPa), FACTLY, Gaon Connection, India Today Group, Live Data Visualisation Pvt Ltd, NDTV, NYOOOZ, ShepHertz and Video Volunteers.

    These companies form a group of 87 media outlets selected from 23 countries, wire news agency IANS reported.

    According to a blog spot on Tuesday by Timothy Katz, director of news partnerships, YouTube, the announcement “reinforces our commitment to supporting a strong future for news video”.

    As part of the launch of Google News Initiative in March, YouTube committed $25 million funding to support globally the future of news.

    “Hailing from 23 countries around the world, they represent a diverse array of broadcasters, traditional and digital publishers, local media, agencies and creators, but all share a commitment to quality journalism and a spirit of innovation,” Katz added.

    Many of the projects selected for the innovation funding are focused on expanding newsroom video operations and trying out new ways of reporting news through video — from reaching younger audiences online to exploring live and fact-checking formats.

    Other projects look at the sustainability of news organisations, including work on new business models and programmes to support a healthy news ecosystem.

    “Over the coming months, we’ll be sharing insights gained from the projects and giving newsrooms the opportunity to benefit from the learnings,” Katz explained.

    Nyoooz is a digital news media outlet started by a former journalist in the same way as former NDTV anchor Pankaj Pachauri ventured into GoNews, India’s first mobile app-based news channel. Serial entrepreneur and investor Srikant Sastri too had invested in Nyoooz realizing the potential.

  • Apple iPhone XS Max and Audi RS5 Win Big at News18.Com Tech And Auto Awards 2018

    Apple iPhone XS Max and Audi RS5 Win Big at News18.Com Tech And Auto Awards 2018

    National, December 17, 2018: News18.com, one of India’s top breaking news websites, today held the second edition of India’s only Tech and Auto Awards amidst the presence of industry veterans. The awards ceremony celebrated and honoured Technology and Automotive products and innovations that have set the bar high in the respective sectors. Apple iPhone XS Max was adjudged the Smartphone of the Year whereas Audi RS5 was announced as the Design of the Year. The event was attended by dignitaries like Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways and Manoj Sinha, Minister of Communications who also presented few awards to the winners in different categories.

    Commenting on the occasion, Manish Maheshwari, CEO, Network18 Digital said, “Over the years technology has redefined mobility and changed our lives and at News18.com, we see technology and automobile as an extension of each other. After the spectacular success of the first edition of the awards last year, we are back with the second edition where we aim to grow bigger and better as we celebrate the best of technology and automobile innovations in 2018. We would like to thank all our partners and brands who were associated with us in this journey.” 

    Honorable Minister Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India said, “Automobile industry is very important for the country as this is the industry which is going to create a lot of employment potential. At the same time, our export for automobile spare parts and car is going to increase. As far as transport ministry is concerned, we are very much committed for the policy that is import substitute, cost effective, pollution free and indigenous. We are giving priority for the development of bio fuels, electric, ethanol, methanol, biodiesel, bio CNG and we have a lot of successful experiments.”  

    Selected by a Jury that included veterans from the auto and tech industry, the awards night witnessed brands like Maruti, Honda, Ford, Volvo, Hyundai, Audi, Mercedes and others go head-to-head for coveted awards like Hatchback of the Year, Sedan of the Year and more. While Tech brands like Apple, OnePlus, Samsung, Google Pixel, Xiaomi, Oppo and others were seen fighting it out for awards in the Smartphone of the Year, Design of the Year and other categories.

    The keynote speaker for the awards Mamatha Chamarthi, Chief Digital Officer, ZF Friedrichshafen AG spoke at length about digital taking the driver’s seat and digitization’s disruptive impact on automotive industry.

    Talking about the awards, Subhajit Sengupta, Editor – Technology, Auto and special projects, News18.com said, “Tech and auto are the two verticals which are being followed as well as loved by the masses. With this award, our aim was to reach out to those who believe in taking informed decisions before opting for any kind of technology. This is the second edition of the award and we, with utmost dedication, brought forward the top technologies in both the categories keeping in mind our consumers.”

    The Tech & Auto Awards 2018 brought the best of Technology and Automobile industry on the same platform and were trending on #TechAndAutoAwards18.

    Winners of Tech & Auto Awards 2018:

  • Moneycontrol’s podcast tops the iTunes’s ‘Most Downloaded News Shows of 2018’ chart

    Moneycontrol’s podcast tops the iTunes’s ‘Most Downloaded News Shows of 2018’ chart

    MUMBAI: Moneycontrol, India’s leading financial destination, is set to end the year on a high note. Their podcast, launched earlier this year, has bagged the coveted #1 spot for Most Downloaded News Shows of 2018 on Apple iTunes. To top it off, their webcomic on Elon Musk earned a special mention in the Tesla news section of Evannex’s blog. As the year comes to an end, moneycontrol has dispersed content in multiple formats this year, including text, video-on-demand, live streaming and photo-story formats, comics and audio, and received a positive response.

    With five podcasts being published on a daily basis, moneycontrol’s reach and brand recognition enabled it to deliver more than 75,000 hits in a little over a month of publishing, no small feat indeed. From news and market updates and business storytelling, it is truly reaching out to the new-age audience in an accessible manner not seen before. The Podcast section has five diverse shows, from the pre-market opening podcast titled ‘A morning walk down Dalal Street’ to ‘Stock Picks of the Day’ and the post-market ‘An evening walk down Dalal Street’ podcast update. There is also an ‘Editor’s Pick of the Day’ that covers and reflects on the leading story of the day and ‘Digging Deeper with moneycontrol’ that covers the essence and history of Indian business and finance through a unique storytelling format.

    Given the massive community of listeners, podcasts serve as a valuable format that makes consumption of news convenient to the audience. Being the present leader of the ‘Most Downloaded News Shows of 2018’ list on Apple iTunes is surely a testament to the quality and diversity of topics that is covered on their podcasts. With the help of AudioBoom as the distribution partner, the riveting podcasts are available on Apple podcasts, Cashbox, Deezer, Saavn, Spotify, TuneIn and Google Play podcasts as well as other audio-based platforms in addition to moneycontrol’s platforms.

    In addition to their podcasts, moneycontrol’s webcomics have also been very well received by their viewers as they are easy-to-consume and are less time intensive. With a series of graphic novels on a host of interesting topics, such as the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal, Mumbai Dabbawalas, Kishore Biyani and Indra Nooyi, they have managed to reach out to a wider set of audience. Their edition on Elon Musk was even mentioned in the Tesla news section of Evannex, the specialists in aftermarket accessories for the Tesla Model S. The webcomics also cover the business aspect of various established companies such as Amul, Netflix, NIRMA et al.

    Gautam Shelar, Business Head at moneycontrol remarks, “Innovation in today's modern age is absolutely critical in order to stay ahead of the game. Given the creative talent housed at Network18, this is a new approach to storytelling that we believe will engage millennial audiences and impart valuable knowledge to them. The content formats such as podcasts and webcomics have huge potential to grow owing to the consumption patterns of millennials.”

    Commenting on the success of the webcomics, Avinash Mudaliar, Head of Product at Network18 says “Given the changing behavior of news consumption, it is absolutely imperative for us to engage our audience in ways that are fresh and immersive. We are exploring innovative ways to make news interesting for the readers while maintaining the quality and depth of the content. One such way is to narrate the story in the form of pictures and that’s how the idea of moneycontrol webcomic germinated.”

    As a brand, moneycontrol has always endeavored to adopt new and innovative mediums to reach their audience, and the podcast and webcomics are just the latest feathers in their cap.  With the rise in demand for alternate formats, moneycontrol has successfully utilized its in-house expertise and capabilities for breakthrough journalism & storytelling by entering the sphere of captivating podcasts and webcomics.

  • Moneycontrol and IAMAI conclude the 4th edition of Digital Marketers’ Awards on a high note

    Moneycontrol and IAMAI conclude the 4th edition of Digital Marketers’ Awards on a high note

    MUMBAI: moneycontrol, India’s No.1 leading financial and business media platform along with Internet and Mobile Association for India (IAMAI) hosted the fourth edition of the Digital Marketers' Awards (DMA). The awards were conceived with an aim to recognize the the spectacular ideas and brilliant minds of the brand custodians, elite marketers and creative honchos who have made outstanding contribution towards groundbreaking advancements and rose above their peers.

    Setting the wheels in motion for the evening, the event commenced with an engaging panel discussion between Gautam Shelar, Business Head, Moneycontrol, Suman Srivastava, Founder & Innovation Artist, Marketing Unplugged, Shamsuddin Jasani, Group MD, Isobar, South Asia, Adhil Shetty, CEO, BankBazaar.com moderated by Anant Rangaswami, Editor of MELT on WION, advisor to Unmetric ‘Digital transformation through new innovations: A complete road map’. This was followed by a keynote address by Himanshu Vyapak, Deputy CEO, Reliance Nippon Life Asset Management Limited (RNLAM). 

    This year, the awards honored path-breaking marketers across banking, digital business, FMCG & consumer durables, automobiles, healthcare, travel, insurance, IT, retail, personal finance & investments, real estate, Most Popular CMO of the Year as well as Best Digital Personality of the Year. The prestigious  jury panel chaired by CVL Srinivas, Country Manager, WPP India, comprising of esteemed members like Amit Sharma, Senior VP and Head – Digital & Ecommerce, Max Life Insurance, Prasun Basu, President, South Asia, The Nielsen Company, Anuradha Narasimhan, Consultant, Scripbox.com, Rohit Raj, Co-Founder, Chief Creative Officer, The Glitch, Dolly Jha, Executive Director, Nielson India, Chaaya Baradhwaj, Founder & Managing Director, BC Web Wise and Suman Srivastava, Foundation and Innovation Artist, Marketing Unplugged helped arrive at the big winners of 2018.

    The digital sphere has grown exponentially and the event payed a fitting tribute to the force behind the domain’s unprecedented expansion. Amidst the presence of other luminaries, renown actor Varun Dhawan was also awarded “Best Digital Personality of the Year” to acknowledge the widening digital influence he possesses. 

    Commenting on this edition of the awards property, Mr. Manish Maheshwari, CEO, Network18 Digital said: “Digital Marketing has become one of the most integral and effectual tools today. India is become a vital instrument in driving the world economy, and the digital industry has an undeniable role to play. As we move forward in era of the 4th industrial revolution, disruptive technology have become the way forward. With this edition we aimed to not just celebrate the medium but also those bigwigs who have utilised innovative and creative digital tools to get through to their target audience. As the leading digital platform for financial information, it is befitting for moneycontrol and IAMAI to come together and undertake such an initiative to applaud the pioneers of the industry.”

    Gautam Shelar, Business Head, moneycontrol remarked, “The Indian digital landscape houses some exceptional minds that have played a key role in its expansion. There has been an augmented growth in the digital sphere, which has fuelled the level of competition in the industry through differentiated offerings. As one of the early pioneers in the digital industry, we wanted to honour the game changers in the Digital Marketing industry by highlighting the strongest performers of the year. With time, the awards have evolved into one of the most premium platforms that brings together the ingenious minds of the industry who have achieved great heights by adopting effective digital strategies.”

  • Anil Kumble to be Brand Ambassador of CricketNext

    Anil Kumble to be Brand Ambassador of CricketNext

    MUMBAI: News18’s CricketNext.com has appointed former India captain and head coach Anil Kumble as its brand ambassador. Popularly known as ‘Jumbo’, Kumble is one of the most respected figures in the world game. He will bring his unique perspective in the form of video analysis, expert columns and fan interactions for their audience on the platform. Kumble’s association begins with a special show airing on CNN-News 18 at 11:30am on Saturday (December 1) to preview India’s all-important tour of Australia.

    The complete show will immediately be available on CricketNext for the audience to view online and repeats on Sunday (December 2) at 11:30pm on CNN-News 18.

    One of the greatest cricketers of all time, Kumble is among a select group of players to have rubbed shoulders with three generations of cricketers since his debut in 1990 until his retirement in 2008. Kumble holds the record for the most wicket taken by an Indian in Tests (619) and ODIs 337. He is also only one of two bowlers in history to have claimed all 10 wickets in a Test innings, a feat he achieved against Pakistan in New Delhi in 1999.

    The digital platform’s existing pool of world-class cricket analysts has been amplified with Anil Kumble being on board to share his expert views on the sport. Through the association, the platform intends to enhance its bouquet of quality, original and exclusive content featuring a cricket legend, for its audience.

    Talking about the association, Gaurav Kalra, Group Editor (Sports) – Network18 said, “Anil Kumble is one of the most respected figures in the world cricket. Apart from his outstanding achievements as a player, he is one of the most erudite and thoughtful cricketers of our time with a deep understanding of the game. I am thrilled that Anil will be sharing his thoughts and analysis on the burning issues in the game, across formats, on CricketNext. I am sure our audience will be eagerly awaiting his inputs and in-depth insights on the sport.”

    Kumble’s association coincides with the introduction of the all-new CricketNext app, now available for download. It has a revamped interface, with a dashboard-style, visual live match scorecard featured on the home screen. Apart from live scores, ball by ball commentary and fixtures, the app has a brand new, in-depth statistics section, powered by 141 years of cricket data. Users can start by exploring one of the curated lists of statistics, and then dig deeper into cricket history by filtering the results to find exactly what they’re looking for.

    The app has every past, present and upcoming series, going all the way back to the first Ashes played in 1877. Users can explore matches in detail; summary, quick scorecard, full scorecard, pitch report, squad lists, top performers of each team, head to head analysis, SWOT analysis, as well as batting, bowling and fielding stats. Going beyond the numbers, users can explore the match through interactive graphs.

    CricketNext prides itself in offering the sharpest opinion, incisive analysis, as well as a unique perspective, brought to you by a team of veteran cricket writers and analysts, including Ayaz Memon, Prem Panicker, Siddhartha Vaidyanathan, Amit Varma and several others. The app features news, photos, videos, podcasts, quizzes, polls, live blogs, and player and team profiles.

  • Firstpost elevates Munaf Merchant to National Head – Sales, Firstpost News Cluster

    Firstpost elevates Munaf Merchant to National Head – Sales, Firstpost News Cluster

    National, 4 December 2018: Firstpost, India’s leading digital news platform has announced the elevation of Munaf Merchant to National Head – Sales, Firstpost News Cluster at Network18 Digital. Munaf will be responsible for developing effective marketing strategies and leading the team towards achieving a high-performance sales environment for Firstpost and Tech2. 
    Having been associated with Firstpost for over five years now, Munaf possesses an experience of close to ten years in marketing and sales. He has meticulously climbed the ranks with his dedication and commitment to work. His pro-activeness, exemplary decision-making prowess and absolute dedication, ensures that Firstpost always achieves its revenue targets. Munaf’s expertise has garnered client appreciation and has resulted in renewal of business deals repeatedly. In addition to this, he has a proven track record in building and growing properties from scratch, such as Firstpost’s 9 Months – the ground-breaking show on parenting and childcare which is now in its third season. 

    Sharing his views on the announcement, Azim Lalani, Business Head, English General News cluster, Network18 Digital said, “Firstpost has consistently led the way in offering innovative and path-breaking content for its readers across segments like politics, sports, business, technology and entertainment. Having grown significantly since its inception, we are creating a stronger digital presence in the sphere of original content with shows like 9 Months, WhatTheApp and Social Media Star. Munaf has brought to the table excellent marketing capabilities in the last few years and we are sure that he will apply the same level of perseverance and determination in his new responsibility of undertaking the national portfolio in sales for Firstpost and Tech2.” 

    Prior to joining Firstpost, Munaf worked with India Today in Marketing & Sales where he was responsible for generating revenues for India Today megabrand magazines, which included India Today English, India Today Hindi and India Today Tamil among others. 

    Commenting on being elevated Munaf said, “I am delighted to be entrusted with the new position. It is the perfect platform to further channelize the abilities and creativity of the team and ensure delivering excellent offerings to all our readers and clients. With the digital sphere growing rapidly, we plan to strategically strive and lead the online news space with effective partnerships that benefit all our stakeholders, including our consumers, at large.”

  • Network18 Digital launches news service on WhatsApp in 9 Indic languages

    Network18 Digital launches news service on WhatsApp in 9 Indic languages

    MUMBAI: Network18 Digital has launched Indic language news service on WhatsApp to reach the masses ahead of the world’s largest democratic elections. This service will be available to users across CNBC-TV18, moneycontrol, CricketNext, Firstpost English, Firstpost Hindi, Tech2, in.com, News18 English, News18 Hindi, News18 Tamil, News18 Telugu, News18 Malayalam, and News18 Kannada. The digital arm of Network18 has over 100 million monthly active visitors.

    Network18 digital CEO Manish Maheshwari said, “We strive to delight our audiences by delivering credible news, insightful opinions and engaging conversations through innovative product experience resulting in strong loyalty and high stickiness. In an era of fake news, this is one more arrow in our quiver to ensure our audiences are catered to at their convenience with credible and relevant news of their choice. We wanted to harness the Whatsapp platform which currently has 200+ million monthly active users in India."

    The beginning of this initiative was during moneycontrol’s coverage of the Union Budget session in Parliament. On January 31st, 2018, moneycontrol launched its first service, offering audiences a chance to get the latest news and views on the Budget directly from moneycontrol onto WhatsApp. This initial pilot was a huge success, proving to be popular with large numbers of audiences as well as showcasing record highs in engagement by these subscribed users on the platform. This germinated into a network-level offering, with capabilities explored for more powerful features such as Indic languages support on the platform.

    Network18 digital CPO Avinash Mudaliar said, “This offering is another attempt to enhance ease of use, access, and engagement when it comes to reaching our readers at their point of convenience and consumption. We want to be where the users spend their most time. Our research shows that with more accessible data, even our regional content readers are consuming content on Whatsapp. Connecting through Whatsapp is thus the logical choice of distribution.  We will experiment with different content formats, closely analyse the responses from users and see what works best with our Whatsapp subscribers”.

    Network18’s Whatsapp channels are the trusted news sources on the Whatsapp platform. Network18 has been strengthening its regional offerings with user-friendly features e.g. progressive web apps (PWAs) and has now been the pioneer in launching regional news through Whatsapp for the same audience. It is continuing to build other innovative features on Whatsapp which will roll out in the coming months.

    Users can subscribe to their publisher of choice, either from their desktop or mobile websites. In the case of News18 Indian languages properties, users can receive content in the language of their choice across 9 Indian languages in addition to English and Hindi.