ITV

Category: iWorld

  • Twitter and IBM announce new partnership

    Twitter and IBM announce new partnership

    MUMBAI: Twitter and IBM announced a landmark partnership to help shape business decisions using data collected from tweets worldwide. The alliance brings together Twitter data that distinctively represents the public pulse of the planet with IBM’s industry-leading cloud-based analytics, customer engagement platforms, and consulting services.

     

    Announcing the collaboration, IBM chairman, president and CEO Ginni Rometty said, “Twitter provides a powerful new lens both as a platform for hundreds of millions of consumers and business professionals, and as a synthesizer of trends. This partnership, drawing on IBM’s leading cloud-based analytics platform, will help clients enrich business decisions with an entirely new class of data. This is the latest example of how IBM is reimagining work.”

     

    With the development of new solutions to improve business decisions across industries and professions, IBM and Twitter will be able to enrich existing enterprise data streams to improve business decisions. For example, the integration of social data with enterprise data can help accelerate product development by predicting long-term trends or drive real-time demand forecasting based on real-time situations like weather patterns, said the press release.

     

    Excited about the new partnership, Twitter CEO Dick Costolo commented, “This important partnership with IBM will change the way business decisions are made – from identifying emerging market opportunities to better engaging clients, partners and employees.”

     

    The collaboration will focus on three areas: 

     

    Integration of Twitter data with IBM analytics services on the cloud: IBM plans to offer Twitter data as part of select cloud-based services, including IBM Watson Analytics, a new cognitive service in the palm of your hand that brings intuitive visualisation and predictive capabilities to business users; and a cloud-based data refinery service that enables application developers to embed data services in applications. Entrepreneurs and software developers will also be able to integrate Twitter data into new cloud services they are building with IBM’s Watson Developer Cloud or IBM Bluemix platform-as-a-service.

     

    New data-intensive capabilities for the enterprise: IBM and Twitter will deliver a set of enterprise applications to help improve business decisions across industries and professions. The first joint solution will integrate Twitter data with IBM ExperienceOne customer engagement solutions, allowing sales, marketing, and customer service professionals to map sentiment and behaviour to better engage and support their customers.

     

    Specialised enterprise consulting: IBM Global Business Services professionals will have access to Twitter data to enrich consulting services for clients across business. Additionally, IBM and Twitter will collaborate to develop unique solutions for specific industries such as banking, consumer products, retail, and travel and transportation. The partnership will draw upon the skills of tens of thousands of IBM Global Business Services consultants and application professionals including consultants from the industry’s only integrated Strategy and Analytics practice, and IBM Interactive Experience, the world’s largest digital agency.

     

    “IBM brings a unique combination of cloud-based analytics solutions and a global services team that can help companies utilise this truly unique data.  Companies have had successes to Twitter data – from manufacturers more effectively managing inventory to consumer electronic companies doing rapid product development. This partnership with IBM will allow faster innovation across a broader range of use cases at scale,” reckoned Twitter Data Strategy vice president Chris Moody.

  • ‘Happy New Year’ game is our biggest marketing tool: Shah Rukh Khan

    ‘Happy New Year’ game is our biggest marketing tool: Shah Rukh Khan

    MUMBAI: With Farah Khan’s Happy New Year already breaking records at the box office, the cast and crew has another reason to celebrate.

     

    Known for his marketing skills, the King of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan along with Vroovy (a joint venture between Hungama and game service company Gameshastra) launched the official Happy New Year game on iOS, Android and Facebook two days before the release of the film to enthrall the fans on the mobile devices.

     

    A week after its launch, the cast and crew on the movie along with Hungama Digital Media MD and CEO Neeraj Roy announced that the game witnessed more than 1.6 million game sessions in just a week and will soon cross the 50 million mark.

     

    Currently with eight levels in the game, it has six playable characters. The characters are meticulously modelled after the real life actors from the movie – SRK (Charlie), Deepika Padukone (Mohini), Sonu Sood (Jag), Boman Irani (Tammy), Abhishek Bachchan (Nandu) and Vivaan Shah (Rohan).

     

    The goal of the game is to complete a heist successfully by navigating through a barrage of obstacles in eight different environments such as the bank, the dockyard, the streets of Dubai etc. The obstacles come in the form of guards, mercenaries, flamethrowers, flaming barrels etc. The final level takes place in the Atlantis hotel where the heist will take place.

     

    The mobile game encapsulates the essence of the film, which allows gamers to play as Champion Charlie, Marvelous Mohini, Notorious Nandu, Juggernaut Jag, Terrific Tammy or Rowdy Rohan and gear up for an action-packed adventure where they have to unlock doors, break walls, hack alarm systems, and outmaneuver guards.

     

    According to Roy, the game employs a one of a kind tag team format in which the player can switch between characters within a level.

     

    “Besides the single player story mode, there is also a real time multiplayer mode in which you can invite your friend through Facebook and race against them or duel with a random opponent if you wish”, he added.

     

    Talking about the extent in which the game was helpful in marketing the movie, superstar Shah Rukh Khan said, “The game is making a huge effect. It is the biggest marketing tool for us currently in the country. People in India are a little more bent towards online video games. The attempt is to entice the younger generation which loves games.”

     

    “Social media’s reach is not as much as you would like it to be in India, but internationally social media helps a lot in the promotion and marketing of the films,” he added expressing his views on social media’s effect on movies’ reach.

     

    Adding to that, Roy opined, “In India, the gaming sector is growing significantly. There are over a 100 million smart phones in the country, even where people don’t have computers they use phones and hence, moves like giving a miss call for the trailer or launching the game will reach more audiences even in the most interior parts of the country increasing the reach of the film.”

     

    Commenting on expanding the game in future, Roy revealed that they will release a new version of the game in a couple of months. They are also planning to increase the number of levels.

     

    “The game is available for free download currently but add-ons and more levels will cost the user a bit extra,” he added.

     

    Happy and content with the game gaining popularity, the director of the movie said, “The game appeals to audiences of all age group like the movie. It is easy to play, user friendly and most of all, it is not bloody which makes it suitable for children to play.”

     

    From launching the trailer on Whatsapp to initiating the SLAM tour and a dance reality show, the team has also promoted the film on popular television shows like ‘Comedy Nights with Kapil’, ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ and ‘Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah’. King Khan certainly did not leave any stone unturned when it came to promotions and marketing of Happy New Year.

     

    Happy New Year, which released in the theatres on 24 October has already collected Rs 108.86 crore in the opening weekend. The movie stars Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Sonu Sood, Boman Irani, Vivaan Shah and Jackie Shroff. Directed by Farah Khan, the movie has been produced by Red Chillies. 

  • SoftBank invests $627 million in Snapdeal

    SoftBank invests $627 million in Snapdeal

    MUMBAI:  Seeking to tap into the growing e-commerce market in India, the Japanese telecom giant SoftBank announced a $627 million investment in the home-grown retailer Snapdeal, becoming the largest investor in the company.

     

    This is the largest investment made by a single investor in an e-commerce company in India.  Other existing investors have also participated in this round with a significant undisclosed investment.

     

    Through this strategic investment and partnership with Snapdeal, the telecom group aims at strengthening its presence in India and leveraging synergies with its network of Internet companies around the world, according to the press release issued by the e-tailer.

     

    While on the other hand, Snapdeal, will use the investments in expanding its chain of fulfillment centres. It will also look to make 3-4 strategic acquisitions in the coming few months specifically in the area of mobile technology and is planning to set up an incubation centre to hone and harness start-up businesses in the mobile technology space within next six months.

     

    Talking about the investment, SoftBank chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son said, “Since SoftBank’s foundation, our mission has been to contribute to people’s lives through the Information Revolution. We believe India is at a turning point in its development and have confidence that India will grow strongly over the next decade. As part of this belief, we intend to deploy significant capital in India over the next few years to support development of the market.”

     

    Adding to that, SoftBank’s vice chairman Nikesh Arora reckoned, “India has the third-largest Internet user base in the world, but a relatively small online market currently. This situation means India has, with better, faster and cheaper Internet access, a big growth potential. With today’s announcement SoftBank is contributing to the development of the infrastructure for the digital future of India. We want to support the leaders and entrepreneurs of the digital future; Kunal and Rohit are two such great leaders.”

     

    Nikesh Arora will also be joining the board of Snapdeal as part of this strategic investment by the SoftBank Group.

     

    Morrison & Foerster LLP acted as legal advisor to advising SoftBank on India law matters.

     

     “Our entire team at Snapdeal is thrilled and honoured to have SoftBank as a strategic partner. With the support of Son-san and Nikesh, we are confident we will further strengthen our promise to consumers and create life changing experiences for 1 million small businesses in India,” said Snapdeal co-founder and CEO Kunal Bahl.

     

    Founded in 2010, the company also claims to have more than 25 million registered users and more than 50,000 business sellers. Earlier this year, Snapdeal had raised $133.77 million in a round led by eBay and $105 million from institutional investors including Temasek, Myriad, Tybourne, Blackrock Inc. and Premji Invest. Tata Sons Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata also made a personal investment into the company. 

  • Proposal for FDI by Sistema Shyam Tele Services rejected by government

    Proposal for FDI by Sistema Shyam Tele Services rejected by government

    NEW DELHI: The government has permitted foreign direct investment of Rs 30 lakh to Ironman Media and Advisory Services.

     

    The amount by the company which is engaged in the print media will be used to issue shares for the amount received as FDI, according to the clearance granted by the Finance Ministry on the advice of the Foreign Investments Promotion Board.

     

    Verizon Communications India has been permitted to bring in FDI amounting to Rs 2.32 crore to increase foreign equity participation by its foreign parent from 74 per cent to 100 per cent. The company is engaged in telecom.

     

    Axes Studios LLP has sought approval to accept NRI investment of up to Rs 99 lakh from Britain-based non-resident Indian Gunjan Dhirendra Chag. The company is involved in information technology.

     

    The Government rejected a proposal for increases in FDI up to 100 per cent in Sistema Shyam Tele Services and its downstream WoS Shyam Internet Services, both engaged in telecom sector, on account of conversion of Redeemable Preference Shares into equity.

     

    A proposal for FDI by Pureplay Investment Partners Mauritius for investing up to 74 per cent in Indiverse Broadband, an existing company engaged in the cable television networks business and undertaking upgradation of networks towards digitisation and addressability, and 49 per cent each in two joint venture companies has been deferred.

  • E-commerce, the Santa Claus this Diwali

    E-commerce, the Santa Claus this Diwali

    With the festival of lights knocking at the door and gifting at its peak, the-commerce portals are raining flash sales, lucky draws, special portfolios and exclusive product launches. The season which kicked off the with the Big Billion Day by Flipkart to the week- long Diwali Dhamaka Sale from Amazon, the online buzz is getting louder each day.

    The portals, flushed with money from recent fund-raising efforts, are lining up steep discounts, exclusive merchandise, cash-back schemes, and other promotional offers for this year’s festive season, giving them an opportunity to sell more, gain market share and increase their valuations.

    According to Team Pumpkin co-founder Swati Nathani, the period of October till January is considered great for retail sales, starting with festive buying for Pujo and Diwali, to winter shopping in November, party shopping in December and then End of Season Sale in January. “The season sees an approximate 200-300 per cent increase from the average e-commerce sales. Obviously, post Diwali sales will not match to the level of Diwali, but on an average they are 20-30 per cent higher than average period sales,” said Nathani.

     

    Amazon India

    For the festive season, the e-commerce giant is offering discounts with minimum 16 per cent and maximum of up to 56 per cent discounts on products like laptops, mobiles, household items and home appliances. The e-retailer is giving up to 70 per cent discounts on home appliances, clothing & accessories, gifts, gadgets and jewellery along with an additional cash back offer on purchases made by Citibank cards.

    Talking about the Diwali, the offers and discounts, Amazon India country manager & VP Amit Agarwal said that the customers can look forward to Amazon.in as their one-stop Diwali shopping destination and that Amazon is offering its Indian customers great savings on thousands of products every hour through its discounts and offers.

    On 21 September,  Amazon.in kicked-off the 30 day online Shopping Dhamaka ahead of the peak festival season offering customers thousands of exciting new deals & offers on the hottest products; new store launches; first access to unique selections & premium brands,  exciting contests, etc.

    As part of the Online Shopping Dhamaka, Amazon.in hosted two major events including ‘Mission to Mars’ weekend between 4-6 October dedicated to the success of India’s Mangalyaan mission and the Diwali Dhamaka Week between 10-16 October.

    “We are humbled by the tremendous response from customers to the Online Shopping Dhamaka and all events hosted as part of this.  The response from customers on the first day of the Diwali Dhamaka Week went beyond our wildest expectations as we surpassed our biggest day. Traffic on that day was 200 per cent more than that on our previous biggest day. We are seeing a massive interest from all over the country including tier 2 markets like Pune, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Surat, Vizag, Coimbatore, Patna, Bhopal, Nagpur, Chandigarh, Lucknow,” said an Amazon spokesperson.

    “Our seller clubs that have Rs 1 million+ & Rs 1 crore+ weekly sales increased by 44 per cent & 26 per cent respectively during the Diwali Dhamaka Week and sellers received orders from 868 non-metro cities,” he added.

    Electronics and Kitchen product categories grew by nearly six times during the Diwali Dhamaka week. In addition, we have received an overwhelming response from customers to all the exclusive launches that have taken place on Amazon.in during this period.

    “We have sold over 130,000 Micromax Canvas Android One smartphones, over 100,000 Coke Zero cans within two weeks of its launch, the Blackberry Passport has gone out-of-stock and we have sold hundreds of audio products of House of Marley,” the spokesperson informed.

    They also launched special festive design packaging and introduced gift boxes and gift wrapping paper in colours that match with the artwork on the gift boxes for Diwali.

     

    Flipkart-Myntra

    After offering crazy massive discounts on the Big Billion Day, raising Rs 600 crore as well as sending an apology letter to all its customers, Flipkart seems to have toned it down a bit.

    However, the industry that is currently surviving on discounts, the home-grown e-tailer is giving offers on select products. The site is hosting an electronic mela, giving massive discounts on televisions, camera, Smartphones, home appliances and others. The portal is offering 45-50 percent on home appliances like mixer grinders and induction cook-tops.

    The e-retailer is also holding an App lucky draw, where the lucky ones can win 3 days/2 nights holiday packages along with an additional cash back offer on purchases made by an SBI card.

    The e-commerce portal recently acquired the fashion portal Myntra as well as raised funds worth $1 billion.

    “Our aim is to help our sellers provide the best possible shopping options to our customers such that both sellers and customers benefit,” said a Flipkart spokesperson, talking about the Diwali sales.

    While the Bengaluru based portal is being cautious, its acquisition Myntra is giving discounts like 30 per cent off on no minimum value, up to 60 per cent off on festive collection and launching new private brands, Indian as well as international etc. Myntra has launched an exciting Diwali campaign ‘Myntra Cracker of a Sale’ from 7 -25 October.

    Myntra chief operating officer Ganesh Subramanian said, “Diwali is a period of festivity and cheer, where all of us buy new clothes, and want to ‘Look Good.’ The ‘Myntra Cracker of a Sale’ boasts of exciting brand offers from over 500 marquee brands and will also include exclusive collections from leading brands and designers which will be available only on Myntra.com.”

    “At Myntra, we are not restricting celebration only to clothes, but have also extended a personalized style service, the Style Helpline, where Myntra’s expert stylists will be available to answer everything from simple style queries to advice on getting the perfect festive look,” he added.

    Talking about the sales target, Subramanian revealed, “We expect it to be a record breaking Diwali, with over 3X growth in sales as compared to last year.”

    The fashion e-tailer also designed a ‘Made for Myntra Collection,’ which includes over 5,000 exclusive styles and collections by some of the most respected designers and brands like FCUK, UCB, Elle, SuperDry, Biba, FabIndia and Antony Moratto.

    The company is offering every shopper with assured money back with every order – minimum Rs 100 up to Rs 1 lakh and five gold vouchers from Tanishq, to be won every day.

     

    Snapdeal

    All set to lure customers to its portal, Snapdeal is offering 50 per cent off and 1+1 offer on many of its products. The Delhi-based e-tailer is also offering 60-70 per cent discount on mobile phones and gadgets.

    “The intention is to try and cater to every single consumer. Because we are trying to cater to everyone, we have products for everyone. There has been a big ensemble of celebrities, who have come on board for the same,” said Snapdeal VP-offline marketing Maneesh Goel.

    “We are aiming to double our normal sales this festive period like last year,” revealed Goel who added that the company is already seeing a 30 per cent increase in its daily order and sales average. Snapdeal recently crossed $1 billion (over Rs 6,100 crore) in sales this fiscal.

    The portal is offering up to 50 per cent discounts on home appliance, up to 40 per cent on watches, around 50 per cent on gadgets along with 1+1 offers on ethnic wears, footwear, clutches etc.

     

    Google India

    Celebrating the occasion, the search-engine giant Google has launched ‘Grand Diwali Mela’ to cash in on the festival of lights.

    Google has also set up a ‘Grand Diwali Mela’ website, which provides two activities that Indians love to indulge in: shopping and entertainment.

    The powered by sponsor for the site is Amazon India while the presented by sponsor is Lakme. Other sponsors for the site include OLX, Fiat, Line messenger, Horlicks among others. It has also partnered with Shah Rukh Khan’s Happy New Year, which is set to release on the day after Diwali.  

    It allows users from across India to try out everyday products through samples at Re 1, play games that are in sync with the cultural moment, stream movies for free and watch great content from the upcoming film Happy New Year.

    At the ‘Grand Diwali Mela,’ consumers can also experience gaming via a platform called Centerstage Hungama.com. On this online ‘zone’, consumers can stream two Bollywood films of their choice. A game called Diwali Chakri has been launched exclusively for this occasion. In association with Rummy Circle, it allows users to play with other card game enthusiasts across the country. Gaming hour will be from 9-10 pm and prizes include online offers and merchandise.

    Last month, Google stated plans of launching a virtual shopping and entertainment platform by tying up with the media buying agency GroupM. While GroupM is responsible for bringing brands onto the platform, Google provides the technical support.

    The website, which will run live till 22 October, invites patrons to try samples for products across various categories at just one rupee each, and to play and win awesome prizes and a chance to hang out with celebrities.

     

    Other sites

    Riding high on the festive season, CouponDunia, has brought together the country’s most popular e-commerce stores to give its users 30 exclusive offers over the next 15 days as part of ‘Deal-Wali Diwali’. These offers include: Rs 250 gift card on Rs 999 shopping for Amazon, Buy-1-Get-1-Free in Dominos, Flat 33 per cent off above Rs 2999 in FabFurnish, Flat 45 per cent off on Hotel Bookings at Goibibo, Flat Rs 500 off on Flights at Yatra.

    Jabong is also offering huge discounts on lifestyle products. On purchase of two products of American Swan, one can get one product of the company free. Apart from this, one can book a home with just Rs 999 under ‘Living Room Bonanza’ and will also be entitled to 20 per cent discount on total cost.

    With the massive discounts offered and customers being treated as kings, this Diwali marks the growth of the e-commerce sector in India. So, shop till the discounts last and we at Indiantelevision.com wish you a happy Diwali and a fun festive season.

     

  • Fans get clicking for Parineeti

    Fans get clicking for Parineeti

    MUMBAI: They say a picture is worth a thousand words in the social media space, Instagram puts that theory to practice.  So when an actress as vivacious and candid as Parineeti Chopra, (who recently tweeted “Finally getting onto Instagram. Too excited! Follow me on parineetichopra”), decides to get on to Instagram, we can’t help but wait to see what she’s going to be up to on the platform.

     

    Instagram is the mothership for selfie addicts, so Parineeti who debuts on Instagram on October 22nd (her birthday) has decided to celebrate this trend with a difference!  Parineeti, in association with Fluence, the leading celebrity digital network, has asked all her selfie-addicted fans to send her their most animated selfies on her birthday. Adding to this Parineeti said, “Birthdays are about doing something fun and interesting. This year I’ve decided to join Instagram, something I’ve been contemplating for a while now. To add to the fun, I’ve thrown in a selfie challenge for all my fans with a little help from Fluence! I can’t wait to see their response. Now that I’m on Insta, I’m sure it’s going to be fun.”

     

     The actress will collate the entries into a collage which will be her debut picture on Instagram. Commenting on Parineeti’s Instagram debut, Ashish Joshi, VP Digital & Business Head – Fluence says, “We are thrilled to launch the talented and spontaneous Parineeti on Instagram on the occasion of her birthday. Selfies have become an integral part of our lives today and they are a way of expressing oneself. Parineeti’s debut on Instagram will further elevate her engagement with her fans.”

     

    But what we can’t wait for, is seeing her inputs on Instagram which we hope reflects the many moods of this incredibly talented ‘drama queen’ who can kill multiple ‘dil’s with a twinkle of an eye and her charming smile.

     

    Fans of Parineeti can now feature on Parineeti’s board by sharing their craziest selfies with #parineetichopra.  

     

    Here’s wishing Parineeti an expressive, selfie-filled birthday.  

     

  • India seeks re-election to International Telecommunications Union Council

    India seeks re-election to International Telecommunications Union Council

    NEW DELHI: India wants democratisation and broad-basing of the global affairs of telecommunications and internet governance, according to Communications and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.
     
    Addressing the inauguration of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Conference at Busan in South Korea, he said that India’s point is that ITU should take leadership and partner with UN and other International/Regional organisations in executing the Information and Communication Technology projects and programmes in developing countries.
     
    India also wants the ITU to be the supervisory authority of Space Assets. India expressed its desire that ITU should play a more active role in the global Internet governance as envisaged during the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS).
    The Conference was inaugurated by the President of South Korea.
     
    The Indian delegation has been participating in The Plenipotentiary Conference, which is the top policy-making body of the 193 member strong International Telecommunications Union. It meets once in every four years. India has also been pitching for a re-election into the ITU Council.

    During the visit, the Minister also met Samsung SDI president and CEO Sang Jin Park in Seoul. The Minister shared the ideas of ‘Digital India’ and the initiative of ‘Make In India’. The CEO was curious about the changed business environment in India and he informed the Minister about his proposed visit to India next month. The Minister also met various other business leaders in the fields of electronics, communication and Information technology.

  • Shah Rukh Khan joins the e-commerce wagon

    Shah Rukh Khan joins the e-commerce wagon

    MUMBAI: From industry veterans to Bollywood superstars, everyone wants to be a part of the red-hot Indian online retail market. The latest to board the e-commerce train is the King of Bollywood Shah Rukh Khan who has signed on as the brand ambassador for the fashion e-tailer Yepme, which is his maiden association with an online commerce player.

     

    The brand will introduce the legendary actor who is often touted as the national style icon as its brand ambassador, through an extensive television campaign for its upcoming Autumn-Winter collection 2014.

     

    Expressing his excitement at joining hands with Yepme.com, the baadshah of Bollywood said, “This is the first time that I am endorsing an online fashion brand and I am very excited to partner with Yepme for this! For fashion to be impactful, it has to evolve with time and maintain freshness. Yepme, with its focus on fast fashion is an extremely innovative and fashion right brand, offering the most current fashion trends. I look forward to join the fashion revolution that they have started which is taking the youth across the country by storm!”

     

    According to media reports, the deal with the Gurgaon-based company is structured in a way that lets the actor pick up a stake in Yepme going forward.

     

    Speaking on the announcement, Yepme.com co-founder and COO Sandeep Sharma said, “We are thrilled to have Shah Rukh on board. This association will definitely help build a strong connect between the brand and his fans across the country. Shah Rukh commands a huge fan following across all age groups in India and abroad and his presence will drastically increase the aspirational value of Yepme.”

     

    “He is the King of hearts, extremely hardworking and well read and carries himself with a sense of style that is a class apart. His style is effortless and casual and that is what we, at Yepme are all about,” he added.

     

    Further it is also learnt that the four-year-old company has got on board Prasoon Joshi to work on the new campaign that goes live on 10 November. Their plan is to spend Rs 15-20 crore over the next three months on its multi-media advertising campaign featuring SRK in an attempt to fight its bigger rivals.

     

    Earlier this year, Yepme had signed some of the other known faces of Bollywood like Farhan Akhtar and Sonu Sood its brand ambassadors.

     

  • Celebrate ‘Deal-Wali Diwali’ with CouponDunia

    Celebrate ‘Deal-Wali Diwali’ with CouponDunia

    MUMBAI: Coupon code website CouponDunia has launched a series of campaigns this festival season. Apart from offering 30 exclusive deals on their website, they recently released two videos for their Diwali campaign; one called ‘Deal-Wali Diwali’ and another music video in association with East India Company (EIC).

     

    With their new Diwali campaign – ‘Deal-Wali Diwali’, they are trying to capture consumer’s mindset on giving or even receiving gifts.  Within four days of its launch, the video received over 1 lakh views.

     

    Link to the Diwali Video:

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Nq3V0_1OFY

     

    Talking about the ‘Deal Wali Diwali’ video, CouponDunia Founder and CEO Sameer Parwani said, “CouponDunia’s core brand value lies in helping consumers save money. Festivals and special days provide us an opportunity to make our loved ones happy. It is all about spreading happiness. Now with the online retail industry offering some great deals and discounts, gifting has never been easier. Through this video we have tried to showcase what each one of us feels even while getting a gift from a dear one?”

     

    While the first video deals with gifts and happy part of the festival, the other video addresses and voices the not so pleasant perspective of the common man on how festivals are being celebrated these days.

     

    As the country gears up for the upcoming festivities, people are already dreading the impending traffic jams, surging noise pollution, filthy streets and leftovers of celebrations everywhere.

     

     “I think it is a common problem that all of us our facing today. We all enjoy celebrating festivals but there is a different side to it as well. We loved the way EIC has tried to incorporate the concept of celebration through this video and hence are happy to partner with them in spreading this simple message,” Parwani further added.

     

    On associating with CouponDunia, EIC founder Kunal Rao said, “I’m glad to see corporates get involved in these matters. You could say they are performing corporate social responsibility through a sense of humour! We are glad CouponDunia sees the fun side of life and are very happy to be associated with them”.

     

    The video, a parody of Miley Cyrus’ ‘Wrecking Ball’, is a light-hearted, good-spirited take on this problem includes many familiar faces like Suresh Menon, Ashwin Mushran, Gaurav Kapur, VJ Bani and Jose.

     

    Titled ‘Wrecking God’, the video is shot entirely on iPhone 5S and mixes smart humour with a social message.

     

    Link of the video:

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bOhjURZOeM&feature=youtu.be

     

  • Telenor Group completes 100% ownership of Uninor

    Telenor Group completes 100% ownership of Uninor

    NEW DELHI: Telenor Group announced that it has completed acquisition of the 26 per cent ownership stake in Telewings, held by Lakshdeep Investment & Finance.

     As a result, Telenor now takes full ownership of the company that operates under the brand name Uninor. The process was finalised after Telenor received approval from the Indian government’s Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) to increase its stake from 74 per cent to 100 per cent.

     “Telenor Group has a long-term view on India, and we are encouraged by the strong growth of our Indian operation. The company continues to capture market share every month and is leading in new subscriber additions in many of its circles,” said Telenor Group EVP and Board of Telewings chairman Sigve Brekke.

    Telewings’ revenues in the first half of 2014 compared to the same period last year have increased by more than 40 per cent. Earlier this year, the company expanded its service portfolio from voice to basic internet services. Close to 20 per cent of the company’s subscribers are now active internet users.

     Telenor’s Indian arm is present in seven circles with a total population of around 600 million people. The company has participated in two separate auctions to acquire spectrum in the range of 5 Mhz to 7.2 MHz in seven circles.

     With a network of more than 1,500 stores and 365,000 points of sale, Telewings has the second largest distribution network in its operating circles. The company will also launch services in Assam early next year.