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Category: iWorld

  • LIV Sports to bring UFC 189 action as Chad Mendes takes on Conor McGregor

    LIV Sports to bring UFC 189 action as Chad Mendes takes on Conor McGregor

    MUMBAI: Will the luck of the Irish hold against Mendes or would Latino heat be too much to handle for McGregor? That is the question every UFC fan is asking. The answers will be found on LIV Sports, Multi Screen Media (MSM)’s premier digital sports destination, on Sunday, 12 July at 07:30 am.

     

    Watch the two featherweight fighters; the No.2 American Chad Mendes and the No. 3 Irishman McGregor go head-to-head in an exciting round of fights in UFC 189LIVEon the LIV Sports website and app. The ultimate digital sports destination will also allow viewers to indulge in a high-quality interactive user experience with on-demand video content.

     

    The fight will feature an interesting clash of styles which viewers can immerse in real time online on www.LivSports.in  and on the LIV Sports Mobile App available on iOS and Android. Mendes is known for his grappling and takedown moves, whereas McGregor is a striker who relies on his quick kicks and powerful punches. With both contestants undergoing grueling training regimes to be in peak physical condition, the Mendes-McGregor fight promises to be a smash hit with the audience. The temperatures are already soaring between the two camps, with taunts, videos and comments all over the web adding spice to the already rich flavour of the fight. 

  • Flipkart to take app route; says 70-75 % of its total traffic comes from mobile app

    Flipkart to take app route; says 70-75 % of its total traffic comes from mobile app

    MUMBAI: After taking the only app route with e-tailing platform Myntra, the Bansals are now gearing to make even Flipkart an only app platform by September, 2015.  

     

    Online shopaholics will now have to squeeze in the Flipkart app somewhere in their congested phone memory if they want to use attractive discounts and shop from the rapidly growing venture. Customers will only be able to shop from the app as is the case now with Myntra. It must be noted that post going only app way Myntra has witnessed a 10 per cent drop in sales.

     

    In a statement Flipkart spokesperson asserted, “India is gradually transitioning from a mobile first to a mobile only country. At Flipkart, we have been following a mobile first approach and 70-75 per cent of our total traffic is already coming from our mobile app. We are constantly experimenting with various aspects of our service to create the best shopping experience for our users on our app. Meanwhile, we continue to offer both desktop as well as mobile option for our customers.”

     

    Mobile is driving the internet penetration in India and till December 2014, India had 173 million mobile phone internet users. The figure witnessed a growth of 33 per cent if compared to the 2013 analysis and is expected to grow by CAGR 21 per cent from 2014 to 2019. 

     

    The key factors that will drive the growth of mobile are:

     

    .  Increasing investments by telecom operators in data infrastructure.

    .  Push for favourable regulations from industry bodies.

    .  Falling handset prices.

    .  Economic growth of the country and financial stability of middleclass.

    .  Increase in mobile screen sizes and quality of display.

    .  Improving quality of curated online content.

     

    As per Google play store analysis, Indians keep social media in the top spot in their priority list followed by shopping platforms, when it comes to downloading of apps. With over one billion downloads, Whatsapp leads the tally of most downloaded free apps followed by Facebook messenger. Flipkart is currently placed on the fifth slot, with over 10 million downloads on Android. Its US based competitor Amazon India holds the 13th spot.

     

    In terms of web search google.co.in tops the list of most visited websites in India followed by facebook.com. Flipkart which is speculated to take its website off holds the fifth place over Amazon.in which is placed seventh. They are the only two shopping websites to have a presence in the list of top 10 website searches in India.

     

    At this point of time, India approximately has over 300 million internet users out of which 66 per cent come from Desktop PCs and Laptops, 55 per cent comes from mobile phones (it is estimated to grow by CAGR 21 per cent), and 11 per cent from Tablets.

     

    Android dominates the mobile platform with mammoth 91 per cent market share, iOS holds 2 per cent share where as Windows occupies 6 per cent of the marketplace.

     

    An e-commerce expert said, “The number of smartphones is already higher than number of computers, moreover people spend more time on mobile phone compared to PCs and laptops. Besides that, from an app, wide variety of consumer insights can be acquired which can emerge as an effective factor when it comes to marketing. So there are a lot of factors which signifies the positives of apps and why players are taking the only app route.”

     

    According to the expert, it could be to subtly force consumers to download the app. “It could be that once they reach their target they might have both: the app and the website. They have already experienced it with Myntra. They certainly have a plan which might result in a temporary drop of their sales but in the long run will be efficiently effective.”

     

    India is the fastest growing smartphone market. It currently has over 200 million online shoppers dominated by travel category. The number is expected to witness huge growth as various players are starting different interactive initiatives to popularise the medium in rural India.

     

    Key challenges for Flipkart if they go only app way:

     

    .   Making consumers download the app.

    .   Not letting customers shift to competitors.

    .   Having adequate backend facilities to ensure smooth running of the app.

    .   Making proper use of the acquired consumer insights.

     

    The only app route can also open up opportunities for joint marketing and monetization avenues between the venture and telcos. What remains to be seen is if the only app formula will bring in another source of revenue for the venture. 

  • IIFA 2015 takes world by storm on social media

    IIFA 2015 takes world by storm on social media

    MUMBAI: Social media is being used extensively to popularise shows these days and an example of this was the recently aired IIFA 2015. While #IIFA2015 trended at number one in India, on the day of its telecast on Colors, it also was among the top 10 trends internationally.

     

    This year’s campaign saw a plethora of innovative mediums that kept consumers engaged and enthralled by the excitement and glamour of the IIFA Weekend. On twitter, fans and stars tweeted constantly about their favourite moments of the show.

     

    Fans got a chance to be part of the Green Carpet at IIFA with Facebook video lounge where they could ask their favourite stars a question. With the ingenious use of Facebook API, a touch screen experience was created for celebrities to answer the questions. Each celebrity picked a question by tapping on one of the five profile photos of their fans. Not just this, #Fame beamed close to 200 hours of live content spanning three days. Celebrities lost their hold on gravity with Instagrams Gravity Booth.

     

    Wizcraft International director Sabbas Joseph said, “Social media is a revolution in technology that allows us to interface with events across the world as an almost first-hand experience. It is this pinnacle of interaction that we have tried to achieve through our social media campaign this year and I think we have successfully achieved this goal.”

  • Rakhi Sawant takes on Arnab Goswami, Lalit Modi while getting bajaoed on #fame

    Rakhi Sawant takes on Arnab Goswami, Lalit Modi while getting bajaoed on #fame

    MUMBAI:  The outspoken and blunt Rakhi Sawant is back with her bold statements on #famebollywood. The queen of controversies takes on the tweets about her on social media and stylishly replies to a few chosen ones.

     

    She is funny, vulnerable and absolutely endearing as she gets #Bajaoed!  The actress outdoes herself each time she opens her mouth. This time her target is the Bollywood’s sultry siren, Sunny Leone. She also takes on Arnab Goswami when she is told ‘Rakhi is the replacement of Arnab Goswami in the entertainment world.’ Rakhi’s hilarious response when she is asked about her ‘genetic connection with Lalit Modi’. All this and more will leave the viewers in surprise!

     

    Not known to mince her words, she reacts to the tweets; ‘Rakhi’s comparison with the Delhi Government that does nothing… Rakhi being called the Pamela Anderson of Bollywood and advised to start a show named ‘Bai-watch’ and Rakhi’s born to expose cleavage!

     

    Watch Rakhi Sawant lashing out on the nastiest, funniest and craziest things you’ve read about her on social media. So whether it’s about her plastic face to her infamous kiss with Mika Singh, she is upfront and takes a dig on all of them.

  • Chef Sanjeev Kapoor talks food with fans on Twitter with #SanjeevKapoorsRecipes

    Chef Sanjeev Kapoor talks food with fans on Twitter with #SanjeevKapoorsRecipes

    MUMBAI: On 8 July, 2015, between 11 am and 12 noon, celebrated chef Sanjeev Kapoor will reach out to fans on Twitter, powered by Hungama, India’s largest digital service. The celebrity chef will chat with fans while using #SanjeevKapoorsRecipes. With this, Chef Sanjeev Kapoor becomes the first Indian chef to do a Twitter activity to answer all his fans’ questions on food, cooking, tricks to preserve various ingredients and insight into recipes of various cuisines and regions. 

     

    Chef Sanjeev Kapoor has over 100,000 followers on Twitter from across the globe, he will not only chat about food but also his official recipes app called SANJEEV KAPOOR’s RECIPES available on Android, iOS and Windows. With this activity, the Master Chef judge aims to help his fans to resolve any issues they may have with cooking.

     

    The Sanjeev Kapoor’s Recipes App offers a wide range of features developed by Hungama Digital Media Entertainmen. Users can access detailed recipes with pictures, there are special, personal notes by Sanjeev Kapoor along with some awesome features like ‘In Your Fridge’ which offers a brilliant solution to everyday dilemma of what to cook? All you need to do is enter ingredients in your fridge and see the magical search results. There’s another feature called ‘Shopping List’ that helps keep a check on marking the missing items in your kitchen as you read a recipe on the app; pull out the list when one is at the supermarket or mail it to yourself. The app can also help locate the nearest Sanjeev Kapoor restaurant with the ‘Restaurant Locator’ feature.

     

    Sanjeev Kapoor said, “I have always believed that food brings us close, helps build communities and strengthen families. A discussion about food is as exciting and enjoyable as having food. Let’s catch up and talk about something that we all love – FOOD. I am looking forward to interacting with foodies from across the world.”

     

    Speaking on the occasion Neeraj Roy, MD & CEO of Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, said, “We are happy to associate with renowned chef Sanjeev Kapoor and his endeavors to promote the Sanjeev Kapoor Recipes app. His chat over Twitter with fans will circulate around the recipes he has created and re-created over the span of his entire career. We hope that with this activity Sanjeev Kapoor’s fans from across the globe will get a chance to interact with him.”

  • Saavn raises $100 mn; to move into video

    Saavn raises $100 mn; to move into video

    MUMBAI: Move over hotstar.com. Competition is coming your way. Earlier, this year, the Neeraj Roy led music streamer Hungama.com raised around $100 million to expand its service into video delivery to its subscribers. Then Hooq.com announced its foray into the over the top (OTT) market. Now it’s the turn of New York headquartered Saavn to announce that it is going to move into delivering video content to its subscribers. The company late last night confirmed that it had managed to raise $100 million in a Series C round led by Tiger Global.

     

    Among investors who also took part in the round figure: existing investors Bertelsmann India Investments, Steadview Capital, Liberty Media, and Mousse Partners, and new ones such as Qulvest, hedge funds from Hong Kong and a number of strategic individuals. Avendus Capital in Mumbai and LionTree Advisors advised on the deal. The $100 million fund raise values Saavn.com which started in 2007 at $300-400 million.

     

    Saavn CEO Rishi Malhotra revealed that the service is adding a million monthly average users (MAU), with a total of around 14 million MAU currently and hopes to cross 20 million MAUs by end this year.

     

    The company is banking on the mobile users to take up its music and video streaming service in a bigger way.  Malhotra told techcrunch.com that almost 90 per cent of its subscribers are on mobile and have been averse to paying and hence Saavn has been focusing on an ad-supported model for its music streaming service so far.

     

    A part of the $100 million it raised will be used to scale up its music streaming service which has a catalogue of 2 million plus songs, mostly from Bollywood. It wants to expand its sales force.

     

    “The real purpose of this raise is to continue developing our product, acquiring a larger user base, and investing in the right components that make a healthy media company,” Malhotra told techcrunch.

     

    “We want to become an entertainment ecosystem for mobile,” he continued. “That means new audio products and also video, absolutely. The exciting thing about the [Indian] market that we can be part Spotify, part Pandora, and part Netflix.”

     

    The company has signed on Bollywood heart throb Ranbir Kapoor to promote Saavn in prime time commercials on mainline Hindi general entertainment channels in India.

     

  • OML launches talent search for India’s next comedy star

    OML launches talent search for India’s next comedy star

    MUMBAI: The search for the next big guns of comedy on YouTube in India has begun, with OML announcing the first ever web hunt for the kings and queens of comedy through ‘The Comedy Hunt on YouTube.’

     

    Presented by Quikr, powered by Micromax, and co-sponsored by 5 Star, Garnier Men and Royal Challenge Sports Drink, the three-month-long contest began on 6 July, 2015. Over the next three weeks ending on 26 July, anyone interested in cutting their teeth as Indian’s next top online comedian can apply by creating a funny video, uploading it to their own YouTube channel, and then submitting the video URL at www.youtube.com/thecomedyhunt.

     

    ‘The Comedy Hunt’ will be a digital search for budding talent, which is backed by popular comedians on YouTube in India. Comic stars such as All India Bakchod, Kanan Gill, Jose, SnG Comedy, East India Comedy, Abish Mathew, Aditi Mittal and Shudh Desi Endings will shortlist top participants and work with them to help sharpen their skills before they’re put through seven weeks of challenge rounds.

     

    These YouTube creators will also act as judges and pick the top finalists from these challenge rounds. The top five finalists will then be on stage and display their videos live alongside the mentors in front of an audience.

     

    OML director Ajay Nair said, “There is huge appetite among younger audiences to consume content that’s not formulaic and that has been traditionally served by television. This initiative is a platform to find and reward creators across various comedic forms- not just stand-up or sketches. It’s an exciting time to create humorous content and with this hunt, we want to accelerate that process”

     

    “YouTube has always worked with fresh and innovative comedy talent, and creators like AIB and TVF are helping make comedy one of the fastest growing content verticals on the platform today. We are sponsoring this first of its kind initiative , which will help us continue to support new comedians across the country as they build their brands as entertainers and find global audiences for their talents through YouTube,” added YouTube Partnerships, Asia-Pacific regional director Ajay Vidyasagar.

     

    AIB’s Ashish Shakya said, “We’re kicked to be a part of the ‘Comedy Hunt’. It’s an exciting time to be a digital content creator in India and we’re happy to help in pushing new comic talent centre stage. Also, people are tired of seeing our ugly faces and the scene could always use new blood.”

     

    Quikr founder and CEO Pranay Chulet informed, “We are delighted to sponsor the first ever ‘Comedy Hunt on YouTube.’ Quikr is a young Indian company and it is a natural fit for us to encourage the next generation of talent in India. Comedy is one of India’s fastest developing entertainment genres in India and at Quikr, we love the kind of dynamic, fast paced experience it offers. We wish all the participants the best of luck.”

     

    Micromax CMO Shubhajit Sen opined, “Micromax is a young brand, never content with the world as we find it – always wanting to improve it with innovative, disruptive solutions. We hope to see the same irreverent, disruptive and insightful wit from the young and talented participants. Micromax is proud to power the laughter at the inaugural ‘Comedy Hunt’ on YouTube.”

  • Printvenue completes three years; celebrates with ‘Triple the Joy’ campaign

    Printvenue completes three years; celebrates with ‘Triple the Joy’ campaign

    MUMBAI: Online printing portal Printvenue is celebrating its third anniversary with ‘Triple the Joy’ campaign. The company, as part of its third anniversary will offer special discounts along with cashback offers and wallet cashback to customers with MobiKwik as its wallet partner.

     

    The company has carved a phenomenal growth trajectory for itself in the last three years. With only five business-oriented products and a team of 12 initially, it now features more than 700 items across various categories, with a team of 100+ members. Printvenue has recorded 25X times overall growth since its inception, be it in terms of products, designs, services or employees. It has further managed to spread its wings in the international shores of Singapore and Australia.

     

    Printvenue intends to achieve 20 per cent share in the Rs 3000 crore online printing segment. Apart from this, it also aims to add more than 1,000 products to its categories. This will help Printvenue in providing more options to its customers and the ease of personalisation at a click.

  • “We will enhance internet penetration from 300 mil to 500 mil within 2.5 years:” Ravi Shankar Prasad

    “We will enhance internet penetration from 300 mil to 500 mil within 2.5 years:” Ravi Shankar Prasad

    MUMBAI: India today launched four world class broadband products by Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT). With this, the country has come at par with all other developed countries in the world in respect of quality telecommunication services and effective penetration of advanced broadband based services.

     

    Union Minister for communication and IT, Ravi Shankar Prasad while launching the new products indigenously developed by C-DOT stated that the NDA Government is committed to bring all 2.5 lakh villages under broadband services and enhance internet penetration from 300 million to 500 million within two and half years. 

     

    Prasad launched the products in the presence of his Kenyan counterpart, cabinet secretary, ICT in a function organised at C-DOT campus, New Delhi. Prasad further stated that the new products have been launched with an aim to provide an advanced digital infrastructure for ‘Digital India’ Initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

     

    He further stated that ‘Digital India’ initiative is bound to bring governance available in the palm of every Indian. It is more for the poor, underprivileged and the marginal people like masons and carpenters etc.

     

    Prasad stressed on the fact that, ‘Digital India’ is a transformational programme and a dream to bring a positive change. The initiative would also go a long way in digital empowerment of the people of India. The initiative launched by Modi would make India developed, globally credible, affluent and would further sync with Make in India and Skill India programme.

     

    Prasad elaborated the importance of skill development and said that there are ample opportunities of earning in mobile maintenance profession as the number of mobile sets are surging day by day. 

    He also appreciated the role of C-DOT in transforming the telecommunication scenario in the country, especially in the rural India. C-DOT has rendered significant contribution in providing broadband coverage across the nation. He also appreciated the products developed by C-DOT and stated that the long distance Wi-Fi is going to solve the problem of distance, whereas Solar powered Wi-Fi would do away the dependence on the power availability.

     

    He stated that the Next Generation Network technology is quite important for the service providers for converging landline/ mobile/ data network. MTNL and BSNL users are going to be benefitted as they would be able to transform their landline network into the most advanced network. He called upon C-DOT to come out with more advanced innovative products in order to ensure foolproof telecom services, apart from lending a hand in ensuring digital literacy across the country in respective local languages.

     

    The Union Minister further stated that digital connectivity leads to good governance and the C-DOT products are great, innovative and dependable, but he would be happier if the products are savvy and are used by more people.

     

    He exhorted the private sector to go for C-DOT products on large scale as these have been developed after a sustained research and analysis for which the Government invested a substantial amount keeping in view the need to match with the fast changing world. 

     

    The next generation land line network would not only revolutionise the basic telephony but would upgrade the entire landline services. He added that presently all gram panchayats are connected with broadband, the government is committed to connect all gram panchayats in the country with broadband. 

    C-DOT executive director Vipin Tyagi said that its efforts are in the way of taking dream of Digital India further as he delivered his welcome address.

     

    He also stated that the C-DOT has been innovating with an aim to empower the weaker strata of the society and developing indigenous products to facilitate continuous telecom up-gradation. He said that technology is big enabler and broadband is big leveler. Roti, Kapda, Makan and Broadband are the basic needs of the human being. 

  • Kyazoonga plans big to capitalize the $10 billion e-ticketing market

    Kyazoonga plans big to capitalize the $10 billion e-ticketing market

    MUMBAI: After missing out on Rio 2016 Olympics ticketing by a whisker, India budded international ticketing giant Kyazoonga has invested over Rs 100 crore to sign a multi-year deal with the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), the official T20 championship in West Indies. Kyazoonga will provide complete proprietary ticketing and accreditation solution, as part of the association.

     

    The deal underscores the company’s global ambitions where it is making a mark by displacing established players and disrupting legacy practices and systems. The company ticketed the CPL last year as well and the experience enthralled the venture to go for a multi-year deal, says Kyazoonga co-founder & CEO Neetu Bhatia.

     

    CPL CEO Damien O’ Donohoe had earlier said, ‘We have been extremely pleased with the technology, operational and system capabilities and the quality of service that Kyazoonga has brought to CPL’s ticketing programme. Having worked with other major ticketing service providers in the world, Kyazoonga felt like a breath of fresh air when they were able to quickly set up ticketing operations across multiple countries in the region and successfully overcome all the challenges that come with a geographically and culturally diverse ticketing market.  We are delighted with the deal that will help us grow the tournament bigger and better. The team from Kyazoonga never ceases to pleasantly surprise us with their positive, technology-driven approach to come up with solutions.”

     

    “The experience of cricket is different in Caribbean Island. It is fun filled, passionate and people love the tournament. Shah Rukh Khan recently invested big in the tournament, Hero came in as the title sponsor and most importantly there are quality players playing the game. So, overall I feel it’s a great tournament, which will get bigger and better with time and that’s why we signed this long term deal,” adds Bhatia.

     

    The CPL, a highly popular league with a wide array of international cricket stars, continues to expand and grow stronger. The league has a six team format with representation from the six main cricket playing countries – Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Guyana, Barbados, St. Kitts and St. Lucia. Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) recently bought Trinidad & Tobago team. In the Indian subcontinent, Sony Six and Sony Six HD will telecast the matches live.   

     

    The ticketing industry in India is growing fast, thanks to the growth of internet. As per analysis, the e-ticketing gate revenue in the country is over $10 billion. Reportedly, India with over 300 million internet users has already dethroned US to become the number two country in terms of consumption of internet.

     

    But, the e-ticketing penetration is restricted to a mere 20 per cent which signifies a huge scope of growth and possible emergence of a cluster of new e-ticketing ventures. Every month India is adding 5-6 million internet users and a mammoth 650 million users is estimated to be online by 2020 – of which 250 million will shop online – spending over $50 billion as per a recent Bain report. The report also suggests that mobile phones will dominate 70 per cent of the total number of internet users.

     

    Rural India, where internet is yet to witness total emergence also contributes highly to the ticketing revenue, asserts Bhatia.

     

    She further says, “Our experience with Raipur was highly encouraging. We generated over Rs 9 crore per match which proves that e-ticketing can grow immensely irrespective of geography and demography.”

     

    Goods and Service Tax (GST) can play a vital role in the growth of this industry also. “We need one tax policy and GST can bring that. I have seen people cancelling or shifting events because of tax irregularity and hence with GST we can avoid that,” opines Bhatia.

     

    Kyazoonga introduced professionalized e-ticketing in sports and entertainment to India in 2007 and has continued to democratise access to some of the largest events in the sub-continent such as the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, the Sachin Tendulkar Retirement Test, several IPL teams since the first season, Bryan Adams India Concert Tour, Guns N’ Roses India Concert Tour and the annual Jaipur Literature Festival among others.