ITV

Category: iWorld

  • NDTV’s e-commerce venture Indianroots.com raises Rs 32 crores

    NDTV’s e-commerce venture Indianroots.com raises Rs 32 crores

    MUMBAI: NDTV’s e-commerce venture IndianRoots.com has received fresh funding of approximately Rs 32 crore ($5 million) from Jaipur-based KJS Group, which in turn values the firm at Rs 545 crore ($85 million).

     

    The company, which falls under NDTV Ethnic, will use the funds to scale up the portal’s logistics and delivery mechanisms, and expand its marketing activity with the aim to be the market leader in Indian fashion in the year ahead.

     

    Launched in mid-2013, Indianroots.com showcases more than 100 designers and over 700 brands on its curated online marketplace. It has a worldwide customer base, with India and USA being the largest markets.

     

    “With the fresh investment in the business and the complete backing of the NDTV Group, IndianRoots will be able to push harder in achieving its plans for the year. We look forward to our partnership with the KJS Group in strengthening the IndianRoots venture,” said NDTV co-chairperson Prannoy Roy.

     

    NDTV Ethnic achieved gross merchandise value (GMV) of Rs 61 crore in the year ending 31 March, 2015, which was a twelvefold jump over the previous year.

     

    Speaking about the company’s investment, KJS Group chairman Kamaljeet Singh Ahluwalia and director Karanpal Singh said, “Given our interest in the e-commerce sector, partnering with a respected and credible organisation such as NDTV was the obvious choice for us. Given the clear positioning of IndianRoots and its achievements in the Indian fashion domain, we are confident that the business has a great growth story ahead.”

  • Facebook introduces Instant Articles for interactivity among publishers

    Facebook introduces Instant Articles for interactivity among publishers

    NEW DELHI: Facebook has introduced a new product for publishers called Instant Articles to create fast, interactive articles on the social networking website.

     

    Facebook product manager Michael Reckhow said, “As more people get their news on mobile devices, we want to make the experience faster and richer on Facebook. People share a lot of articles on Facebook, particularly on our mobile app. To date, however, these stories take an average of eight seconds to load, by far the slowest single content type on Facebook. Instant Articles makes the reading experience as much as ten times faster than standard mobile web articles.”

     

    Along with a faster experience, Instant Articles introduced a suite of interactive features that allow publishers to bring their stories to life in new ways including zoom in and exploring high-resolution photos by tilting the smartphone. Auto-play videos will come alive as one scrolls through stories. One can explore interactive maps, listen to audio captions, and even like and comment on individual parts of an article in-line.

     

    Reckhow added, “We designed Instant Articles to give publishers control over their stories, brand experience and monetization opportunities. Publishers can sell ads in their articles and keep the revenue, or they can choose to use Facebook’s Audience Network to monetize unsold inventory. Publishers will also have the ability to track data and traffic through comScore and other analytics tools.”

     

    “Fundamentally, this is a tool that enables publishers to provide a better experience for their readers on Facebook. Instant Articles lets them deliver fast, interactive articles while maintaining control of their content and business models,” said Facebook chief product officer Chris Cox.

     

    Facebook is working with nine launch partners for Instant Articles: The New York Times, National Geographic, BuzzFeed, NBC, The Atlantic, The Guardian, BBC, Spiegel and Bild. 

     

    The New York Times Company president and CEO Mark Thompson said, “The New York Times already has a significant and growing audience on Facebook. We’re participating in Instant Articles to explore ways of growing the number of Times users on Facebook, improving their experience of our journalism and deepening their engagement. We have a long tradition of meeting readers where they are and that means being available not just on our own sites, but on the social platforms frequented by many current and potential Times users.”

     

    “It is great to see Facebook trailing new ways for quality journalism to flourish on mobile. The Guardian is keen to test how the new platform can provide an even more engaging experience for our readers. It is then vital that, over time, Instant Articles delivers recurring benefit for publishers, whose continued investment in original content underpins its success,” added Guardian News & Media international directorTony Danker.

     

    Instant Articles launched with a special set of stories published by The New York Times, BuzzFeed, National Geographic, NBC and The Atlantic. Facebook will continue developing Instant Articles with its partners over the coming months and listening to feedback from readers to help improve the experience.

  • Time spent online doubles in a decade fuelled by smartphones, tablets: Ofcom

    Time spent online doubles in a decade fuelled by smartphones, tablets: Ofcom

    MUMBAI: Ofcom’s Media Use and Attitudes 2015 report, now in its tenth year, shows that Internet users aged 16 and above claimed to spend nearly 10 hours (9 hours and 54 minutes) online each week in 2005. By 2014 it had climbed to over 20 hours and 30 minutes.

     

    The biggest increase in Internet use is cited among 16-24 year olds, almost tripling from 10 hours and 24 minutes each week in 2005 to 27 hours and 36 minutes by the end of 2014.

     

    2014 saw the biggest increase in time spent online in a decade, with Internet users spending over three and a half hours longer online each week than they did in 2013 (20 hours and 30 minutes in 2014, compared to 16 hours and 54 minutes in 2013).

     

    Five years of tablet computing

     

    Increasing take-up of tablets and smartphones is boosting time spent online. Apple’s iPad launched in the UK five years ago this month, alongside Android and other devices, helped to take tablets into the mainstream.

     

    While just five per cent of adults reported using a tablet to go online in 2010, this increased to 39 per cent in 2014. Using a smartphone has more than doubled in five years, from 30 per cent of adults in 2010 to 66 per cent in 2014.

     

    As a result, the amount of time people are online while ‘out and about’ – away from home, work or their place of study – has increased five-fold over the past ten years, from 30 minutes in 2005 to nearly two and a half hours (2 hours and 18 minutes) in 2014.

     

    Overall, the proportion of adults using the Internet has risen by half – from six in ten in 2005 to almost nine in ten today.

     

    Increased mobile and online entertainment

     

    More people are watching TV and video on the Internet. Over a quarter (27 per cent) of Internet users regularly watch TV or films online, compared to one in ten in 2007. This rises to 39 per cent of 16-24 year olds, up from 21 per cent in 2007.

     

    Watching video clips online has almost doubled over the past eight years, from 21 per cent to 39 per cent of Internet users.

     

    The mobile phone is now the primary device used for gaming with over a quarter (26 per cent) of mobile users playing games at least once a week, compared to 17 per cent playing on games consoles. Fifteen per cent of adults now use a tablet for gaming.

     

    The proportion of Internet users saying they regularly play games online has doubled from 10 per cent in 2005 to 22 per cent in 2014.

     

    Surge in instant messaging on mobiles

     

    Instant messaging has become a popular way of keeping in touch, driven by services including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and BBM.

     

    Regular instant messaging on a mobile phone has leapt from 29 per cent of mobile phone users in 2013 to 42 per cent in 2014. Instant messaging across all devices has seen the biggest growth among 25-34 year olds, 80 per cent of Internet users in this age group are instant messaging at least once a week, up from 38 per cent in 2005.

     

    Nearly all mobile phone users are sending text messages (90 per cent in 2014, compared to 70 per cent in 2005). People are also increasingly using their mobile phone to email (52 per cent regularly using their phone to email, compared to five per cent in 2005) or make a phone call over the Internet (VoIP) – 43 per cent in 2014, compared to 27 per cent in 2013.

     

    Social media fans

     

    The use of social media has tripled since 2007, when Ofcom first asked people about their social media habits. Nearly three quarters (72 per cent) of Internet users aged 16 and above say they have a social media profile, compared to 22 per cent in 2007.

     

    Some 81 per cent of social media users log into these websites or apps – including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram or Tumblr – at least once a day, up from 30 per cent in 2007.

     

    Social media has seen the biggest growth among 35-44 year olds, with 80 per cent of Internet users in this age group now on social media, up from just 12 per cent in 2007.

     

    2014 saw a dramatic surge in older people using social media, with nearly half (49 per cent) of 55-64 year olds who go online having a social media profile, up from one third (33 per cent) in 2013.

     

    People still love their TV but mobiles are a must for young people

     

    People are spending more time online but, when asked which device they would miss the most, 37 per cent of adults said they would miss their TV more than any other device.

     

    The mobile phone came a close second with nearly one in three adults (32 per cent) saying it would be the device they would miss the most.

     

    But for 16-24 year olds, the TV came a distant second to their mobile phone. Some 59 per cent of this age group said they would miss their mobile the most, compared to 17 per cent saying TV.

     

    Less concern about being online

     

    The proportion of Internet users aged 16 and above saying they are concerned about the Internet has fallen over the past 10 years, from around 70 per cent in 2005 to 51 per cent in 2014 – stable on 2013.

     

    But Internet users are increasingly likely to agree they should be protected from inappropriate or offensive online content (60 per cent strongly agreed in 2014, compared to 51 per cent in 2013).

     

    There was an increase in concerns about mobile ‘apps’ in 2014, with 28 per cent of app users reporting concerns compared with 20 per cent in 2013. This has been largely driven by issues around security, fraud or privacy, with 20 per cent of users saying they were concerned about these areas, up from 14 per cent in 2013.

     

    The majority of Internet users (68 per cent) are happy to provide personal information online in the belief they will benefit in some way. But more people say they would never provide their credit or debit card details (21 per cent in 2014, compared to 13 per cent in 2013) or their mobile number (26 per cent in 2014, 17 per cent in 2013).

     

    Public and civic activities

     

    People are much more likely to go online for public or civic activities now than they were in 2005.

     

    For example, in 2014 nearly eight in 10 Internet users (78 per cent) said they had gone online to find out about a public service, up from half (49 per cent) in 2005.

     

    More Internet users say they have visited political or campaigning websites, up from 19 per cent in 2005 to 44 per cent in 2014.

     

    Ofcom’s Adults Media Use and Attitudes Report 2015 covers the use and attitudes of UK adults (aged 16 and above) across the Internet, TV, radio, games and mobile phones.

  • Reliance Jio raises Rs 4500 crore from K-sure for 4G rollout

    Reliance Jio raises Rs 4500 crore from K-sure for 4G rollout

    MUMBAI: Reliance Jio Infocomm has signed a loan for approximately Rs 4500 crore ($750 million) from the Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-sure) for a period of 12 years.

     

    The funds will be used to finance goods and services from Samsung Electronics and Ace Technologies Corp, which are being tapped for its infrastructure rollout.

     

    This is the first facility by K-sure with Reliance Jio and its largest deal in India. However this is also the second facility by K-sure with the Reliance Group, including RIL and Reliance Jio.

     

    This deal also marks the second round of financing for Reliance Jio from Korean export credit agencies (ECAs) and the third overall between the group and Korean ECAs in three years, highlighting growing business with Korean organisations.

     

    The facility is funded by nine relationship banks of Reliance including The Hong kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, Banco Santander SA, The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, JPMorgan Chase NA, Mizuho Bank, and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, ING Bank and DZ Bank AG.

  • Jabong founders invest $2 million in laundry services start-up Wassup

    Jabong founders invest $2 million in laundry services start-up Wassup

    MUMBAI: Chennai based on-demand convenience brand Wassup, has raised $2 million from Jabong founders Arun Chandra and Praveen Sinha.

     

    Wassup, which is co-founded by Balachandar.R and Durga Das, will continue to offer on-demand expediency services as well as expand focus on marketing and customer acquisition activities in Chennai, Bangalore and Delhi and also add two more cities Pune and Cochin to their market presence.

     

    The brand currently offers services like laundry, dry cleaning, shoes and bag refurbishments in the above mentioned cities. For the consumer’s convenience, the company has about 30 pickup points called “Aggregating Hubs”. The company is adding 30 more hubs in the next 6 months. In the next three years, the brand intends to be in 100 cities with a customer base of 1 million.

     

    Globally, the industry is estimated to be at $9 billion, while the laundry market is estimated to be valued at INR 200,000 crore annually, 95% of which is the unorganized market.

     

    Wassup co-founder and CEO Balachandar R said, “We are looking to service the daily laundry requirements of middle class Indian consumers, which is currently being addressed by a maid servant or by self-wash. The potential to move unorganized offline business to organized online convenience is huge. We are seeing a good opportunity and want to be the market leaders in the segment in India and are happy to have Arun and Praveen onboard with us on this journey to be the leading brand in convenience services. We will be adding additional interesting convenience services in the near future.”

     

    Wassup co-founder and managing director Durga Das, who has 20 years of Silicon Valley experience behind her, added, “Technology is going to be the true enabler, which will foster customer delight. We have built a technology platform that integrates the consumer app, point of sale, tagging and tracking system and the CRM solution. Additionally, we are adding analytics, a marketing performance platform and an efficient logistics management to ensure the customer gets an unrivalled experience in convenience. Mobile is going to be central to our tech development.”

     

    Jabong’s Mohan and Sinha said, “The on-demand convenience industry is revolutionizing commercial behaviour in cities around the world and the growth of the industry in India is exponential given the perennial growth in the per-capita of the country. The consumer behaviour is witnessing a steady change and this is the best time to contribute in the same. We are elated to be a part of this riveting market opportunity like Wassup. It has immense potential to become a catalyst in the evolution of consumer behaviour. We have bestowed our complete trust upon the model and would lend out the desired support to the co-founders for a hindrance-free growth.”

     

    The company’s expansion plans include adding the personal care, home care, car care, pet care and handyman services to their portfolio.

  • Verizon acquires AOL for $4.4 billion

    Verizon acquires AOL for $4.4 billion

    MUMBAI: Taking another significant step in building digital and video platforms to drive future growth, Verizon Communications Inc. has acquired AOL Inc. for an estimated total value of approximately $4.4 billion.

     

    AOL chairman and CEO Tim Armstrong will continue to lead AOL operations after closing.

     

    Verizon’s acquisition further drives its LTE wireless video and OTT (over-the-top video) strategy. The agreement will also support and connect to Verizon’s IoT (Internet of Things) platforms, creating a growth platform from wireless to IoT for consumers and businesses.

     

    The combination of Verizon and AOL creates a scaled, mobile-first platform offering directly targeted at what eMarketer estimates is a nearly $600 billion global advertising industry. AOL’s key assets include its subscription business; its premium portfolio of global content brands, including The Huffington Post, Tech Crunch, Engadget, MAKERS and AOL.com, as well as its millennial-focused OTT, Emmy-nominated original video content; and its programmatic advertising platforms.

     

    Verizon chairman and CEO Lowell McAdam said, “Verizon’s vision is to provide customers with a premium digital experience based on a global multiscreen network platform. This acquisition supports our strategy to provide a cross-screen connection for consumers, creators and advertisers to deliver that premium customer experience.”

     

    “AOL has once again become a digital trailblazer, and we are excited at the prospect of charting a new course together in the digitally connected world. At Verizon, we’ve been strategically investing in emerging technology, including Verizon Digital Media Services and OTT, that taps into the market shift to digital content and advertising. AOL’s advertising model aligns with this approach, and the advertising platform provides a key tool for us to develop future revenue streams,” he added.

     

    Armstrong said, “Verizon is a leader in mobile and OTT connected platforms, and the combination of Verizon and AOL creates a unique and scaled mobile and OTT media platform for creators, consumers and advertisers. The visions of Verizon and AOL are shared; the companies have existing successful partnerships, and we are excited to work with the team at Verizon to create the next generation of media through mobile and video.”

     

    The transaction will take the form of a tender offer followed by a merger, with AOL becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Verizon upon completion.

     

    The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions and is expected to close this summer.

     

     

    Verizon expects to fund the transaction from cash on hand and commercial paper. The company also continues to expect to return to pre-Vodafone transaction credit ratings in the 2018-2019 timeframe.

     

    Transaction advisers for Verizon were Lion Tree Advisors; Guggenheim Partners; and Weil, Gotshal&Manges. AOL advisers were Allen & Company LLC and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.

  • HomeShop18 partners PayU Money to enhance customer experience

    HomeShop18 partners PayU Money to enhance customer experience

    MUMBAI: Virtual retail business HomeShop18 has partnered with online payment gateway company PayU Money to strengthen its customer experience.

     

    In recent times, online payment gateways have caught on as a preferred mode of transacting on virtual platforms. With PayU Money, shoppers can avail discounts from 10 per cent or Rs 200, depending on the transaction amount.

     

    HomeShop18 CEO Sanjeev Agrawal said, “Our aim, at HomeShop18, is to provide customers with choice and convenience at every step. We are delighted to partner with PayU Money and give patrons an online payment solution for easy transactions. By offering great deals and discounts on purchases made with PayU Money, we are ensuring another safe, secure and highly convenient way of shopping online.”

     

    PayU India co-founder Nitin Gupta added, “We are delighted to partner with Homeshop18 and are confident that PayUmoney will provide an extremely convenient and faster online paying experience to the customers.”

     

    The platform can be used across various categories of HomeShop18.

  • Tata & China Telecom ink video network deal to tap $2.6 bn market

    Tata & China Telecom ink video network deal to tap $2.6 bn market

    NEW DELHI: Catering to a market opportunity of $2.57 billion, Tata Communications and China Telecom Global have teamed up to launch a new video network partnership to enable and manage media content for customers in China and globally.

     

    This partnership leverages China Telecom Global’s regional expertise and leadership and Tata Communications’ Global Video Network to ensure a compelling service offering to their customers.

     

    The partnership, which began with the successful delivery of the 2015 World Figure Skating Championship from Shanghai to Japan, enables China Telecom Global to leverage the global reach, quality and reliability of Tata Communications’ Global Video Network to offer unparalleled reach for all their live sporting events in China.

     

    China Telecom Global vice president, product development Pengcheng Fan said, “Mobile video consumption is growing at an exponential rate with a robust growth trajectory expected in the next five years. Through our new video network partnership, China Telecom Global can provide seamless connectivity for our media and entertainment customers across China. The partnership is defined by connectivity to key global destinations, premium quality and industry leading SLAs. We are excited about this partnership as it helps to further differentiate our service offerings in the market.”

     

    Reports state that mobile video will generate more than 69 per cent of mobile data traffic by 2019. To ensure that its customers have leading edge technology, Tata Communications recently launched the new Media Ecosystem, which combines traditional video contribution services with IP-based connectivity. The ecosystem enables seamless management of content as a cloud-based managed service and supports global media distribution requirements, OTT and mobility applications. This platform provides customers with flexibility and intelligence, allowing customers to experiment with new formats and to launch new services and channels at the touch of a button.

     

    Tata Communications vice president and general manager, global media &entertainment servicesBrian Morris added, “Tata Communications is dedicated to offering its media customers access to key media hotspots for the distribution of premium broadcast quality content across the globe. This partnership with China Telecom Global is a natural step in that direction and marks the expansion of Tata Communications’ Global Video Network reach into China. We are excited to leverage China Telecom Global’s video network in China and to offer our customers access to this key region, connecting broadcasters, media and entertainment providers, news bureaus and service providers across the globe.”

  • ‘Bombay Velvet’ exclusive preview unveiled on Hotstar

    ‘Bombay Velvet’ exclusive preview unveiled on Hotstar

    MUMBAI: Stepping up on its film marketing initiatives by setting new precedents, Fox Star India has rolled out its third digital-first initiative on Hotstar in less than a month for its upcoming movie Bombay Velvet.

     

    The studio unveiled an exclusive preview of the film to Hotstar’s 15-million-strong audience base on 10 May.

     

    The Hotstar movie preview of Bombay Velvet comprises four minutes of handpicked scenes from the soon-to-be-released film. The preview was packaged with a specially shot sequence, which had Karan Johar introducing the movie’s stars Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma with their on-screen names of Johnny Balraj and Rosie Noronha, and inviting the audience to watch the exclusive footage that followed. It ended with the trio reminding the audience of the film’s release date, and inviting them to watch it in theatres on 15 May.

     

    Fox Star Studios India CMO Shikha Kapur said, “We are delighted to be the first studio in India to introduce a series of Digital-first initiatives for film marketing on mobile, and that too with a huge multi-starrer like Bombay Velvet. While initially it was all about creating buzz, with the film now getting closer to its release date, we thought the audience would be excited to preview some of Bombay Velvet’s high-quality content, and hence the Movie Preview. This is a part of the build-up strategy which has worked very well so far.  Hotstar is poised as the go to destination for digital content platform on mobile today, and we believe it will help us effectively fill the market gaps for movie promotions on digital, and through the innovations, set a precedent for film marketing not only in our country, but also in other world markets.”

     

    This promotional activity came on the heels of a one-hour talk show featuring Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Karan Johar and Anurag Kashyap, which was shot for and premiered exclusively on Hotstar. This was preceded by yet another world-first initiative, the video premiere on Hotstar of the popular song, Mohabbat Buri Bimari, from Bombay Velvet.

  • Getty Images & Instagram launch photography grant

    Getty Images & Instagram launch photography grant

    MUMBAI: Getty Images in collaboration with Instagram, has called for entries for a new grant to support photographers using Instagram to document stories from underrepresented communities around the world.

     

    Instagram has introduced new opportunities for emerging voices, outside the mainstream media, to create and share projects of social importance. The Getty Images Instagram grant provides financial support and mentorship to amplify their impact.

     

    “Photographers in all corners of the world use the Instagram platform to share unique and authentic stories that otherwise rarely come into focus. Getty Images is guided by our belief in the power of pictures to move the world and we are excited to collaborate with Instagram on this grant to support and amplify new and important voices,” said Getty Images senior director of content partnerships Elodie Mailliet Storm.

     

    Three winners will be selected based on the existing body of work represented on their Instagram account, focusing on the quality of their imagery, their photographic skills and on the project and stories told through their photos.

     

    “We are inspired every day by the work being shared on Instagram by both established and aspiring photographers. Photographers from every corner of the world are experimenting, stretching their creativity and offering diverse perspectives. This grant captures the global enthusiasm from photographers to continue to push their craft to new levels,” added Instagram director of community Amanda Kelso. 

     

    Applications will be accepted until 4 June, 2015. Entrants can apply online at www.gettyimages.com/grants, where they will be required to submit a biography, brief description of their approach, style, the stories they have covered and how they would benefit from the grant.

     

    The judges are TIME director of photography Kira Pollack, World Press Photo-winning Swedish-Eritrean photographer Malin Fezehai, award-winning American photojournalist and former Miami Herald director of photography Maggie Steber, National Geographic photographer fellow David Guttenfelder and @EverydayIran founder Ramin Talaie.

     

    The three winners will be announced in September 2015. Each will receive a grant of $10,000 and mentorship from one of Getty Images’ world-class photographers. They will also be invited to the Photoville photography festival in New York in September 2015, where Getty Images and Instagram will exhibit the grantees’ imagery.