Category: Press Release

  • ABP news strengthens editorial team ahead of elections

    ABP news strengthens editorial team ahead of elections

    MUMBAI: With the vision to keep #deskkorakheyaagey, ABP News Network is all set to strengthen its national editorial team ahead of the Union Elections. Mr. Pankaj Jha, Senior Editor, Uttar Pradesh Bureau will be elevated as Senior Editor, National and Political affairs with immediate effect.

    Mr. Jha holds vast experience of over 22 years in journalism and has been associated with ABP news for more than 15 years. He has been a star reporter for ground level coverage of UP Assembly elections + Lok sabha elections. He has also hosted a high rating show ‘Narmada Yatra’, a travelogue which assesses the mood of the people along the banks of river Narmada.

    Mr. Avinash Pandey, CEO, ABP News Network said, “Pankaj has been instrumental in shaping and strengthening the Uttar Pradesh bureau at ANN. His services have indeed been of much value to the organization and it’s indeed a pleasure to elevate him to National role as a Senior Editor, National and Political affairs with immediate effect. We wish him boundless success for his new role at ANN Delhi office.”

  • Buzzoka launches regional celebrity services to cater rural markets

    Buzzoka launches regional celebrity services to cater rural markets

    MUMBAI: Buzzoka, India’s most disruptive influencer marketing company today launches ‘Regional Celebrity Services’. With this pioneering move, Buzzoka will allow brands to reach to the right audience with the right endorsing face.

    Celebrity endorsement business, which has seen a downfall in the recent past with Internet Celebs taking over, the move from Buzzoka will now allow regional celebrities to come in the Influencer Marketing gambit.

    Introducing this service is the need of the hour as the mainline celebrities might not be able to travel the gap between the brand and audience in regional and rural India. According to the World Bank collection of development indicators, rural population in India was reported at 66.46 %, which justifies the vast opportunities for successful brand endorsements in these sectors. Hence, Buzzoka has opened the doors for brands in unveiling and reaching a large but segmented audience directly.

    Commenting on the same, Ashutosh Harbola – Co-Founder and CEO of Buzzoka says, “Buzzoka has set sights on the 190-million-strong rural internet-user base in India and we intend to reach to the crust of the Indian market. Regional Celebrity Services is a step in this direction, empowering brands to connect with the untapped customers in no time.”

    “We have been a disruptive brand all throughout our existence and we wish to act as a catalyst for brands and agencies which fail to device regional and local influencer strategy. The move will be just another step in our vision to add millions of internet creators to the Influencer Marketing gambit," add Ashutosh.

    As per a recent report, usage of social media in rural India has grown by 100 per cent during the past year with the number reaching to 25 million users. With the online content consumption increasing rapidly, we are also witnessing a growing relevance of regional content. For instance, according to reports, in tier 2 and 3 cities, platforms like TikTok are being watched constantly with at least 4 to 5 hours of content consumption in a day. This service launched by Buzzoka will help marketers to penetrate their brands in such regional and rural markets to achieve higher returns.

  • Arré launches marathi originals in collaboration with Reverb Productions

    Arré launches marathi originals in collaboration with Reverb Productions

    MUMBAI: After the launch of its studio business, Arré is now making its foray into the Marathi regional market with a strong slate of originals, in collaboration with Reverb productions.  

    The last few years have been a renaissance for Marathi films, television and music where creators have experimented with differentiated content and have seen exponential growth in the Marathi audience base. With consumption moving to digital platforms, there is a large viewership and monetisation opportunity to offer Marathi digital viewers premium original content.

    Reverb productions (Reverb) has been creating high quality Marathi entertainment content across web series, short films, music videos etc. including content for their rapidly growing YouTube channel Reverb Katta. Reverb brings with it a strong understanding of the Marathi idiom and viewer along with an established studio plus music production set up. 

    With this collaboration, Reverb’s regional content expertise and Arré’s unique creative sensibility,  wide distribution, and monetisation capabilities come together to lead the next wave of Marathi content. 

    The first series from this collaboration is Season 2 of Moving Out, Reverb’s successful hit series. Season 2 is set to launch on the Arré platforms and Reverb Katta’s Youtube channel on 12th February. 

    This will be followed by a slate of 4 original shows that will be exclusively produced by Reverb for Arré Marathi including Season 3 of Moving Out.  Besides, Arré is actively looking at taking its successful franchises – Official Chukyagiri/CEOgiri, A.I.SHA My Virtual Girlfriend, The Real High among others, into this market. 

    Commenting on the association, Ajay Chacko, Co-Founder and CEO, Arré said “Marathi cinema and theatre have been at the vanguard of creativity and the talent in this market is exceptional. Besides, the Marathi regional audience is emerging as a large viewer base for original content on digital and I believe this is the right time for Arré Marathi to bring in cutting edge original stories that resonate with a new generation of Marathi speaking audiences. In Reverb Productions we see a great fit to create premium original content at scale and I’m excited about partnering with Abhijit, Shilpa and their talented team at Reverb.”

    Abhijit Kolhatkar, Founder and CEO, Reverb Productions said “The Marathi speaking audience is very discerning but also willing to experiment with bold new subjects and genres.  Reverb has always focused on creating and presenting culturally rich content in a very crisp and relatable manner.  We ensure that the content appeals equally to the smartphone generation as well as traditional viewers and their sensibilities.  With our collaboration with Arré we are looking forward to greatly expanding the viewer base.  While speaking to Sai, Ajay and the rest of the Arré team we realised that our vision was so aligned that Arré seemed like our own alter ego, time warped a few years ahead.”

    Jaideep Singh, Director, Arré said “Exponential consumption of regional content has opened up a large consumer market for national and regional advertisers. Our content proposition for Arré Marathi is going to further enhance our offering of original content to our brand partners.”

  • Star India announces third edition of Star Writers Program 2019

    Star India announces third edition of Star Writers Program 2019

    MUMBAI: As the nation’s storyteller, Star India is driven by its purpose of stimulating change through its stories. As part of its continuing mission to bring ever new and innovative stories for millions of its viewers, Star has announced the third edition of its bespoke Star Writers Program, #TheWriteMove, which represents a unique and perhaps most significant opportunity in India for aspiring writers alike to make a career in creative writing for television. They will be trained and nurtured to become the future storytellers for television in India by some of the best experts, under the aegis of Star India, the nation’s top content innovator for 25 years now.

    Gaurav Banerjee, President, and Head – Hindi GEC at Star India, said, “Writing is at the heart of great television, which, to take the next big leap, needs the best set of potentially great writers. However, there exists an immense training gap in India, and hence the Star Writers Program is our attempt to identify the next set of truly talented writers and arm them with the art and craft of television screenwriting. There was no institute teaching television screen-writing when we started this program two years ago in India, and we are happy that our program has given writers a formal path into establishing themselves in television.”

    Star Writers Program is a seven-month, full-time course and internship in television screenwriting, and open to both -aspiring and experienced writers. The shortlisted candidates, selected after a rigorous selection program, will undergo training and an internship and will receive a monthly stipend throughout the course. Successful completion of the program will be followed by a two-year writing contract with Star. Over the past two years, alumni writers from the Star Writers Program have been part of the writers’ rooms for shows like Kaal Bhairav, Nimki Mukhiya and Nazar from the Star Network.

  • Mashal Sports pvt. Ltd. Announces the third edition of the future kabaddi heroes programme

    Mashal Sports pvt. Ltd. Announces the third edition of the future kabaddi heroes programme

    MUMBAI: Recognising talent identification and development as a key agenda, Mashal Sports Pvt. Ltd., the organisers and rights owners of the VIVO Pro Kabaddi League today announced the Future Kabaddi Heroes (FKH) programme 2019, a comprehensive talent scouting and development initiative to foster and nurture future Kabaddi champions. Initiated in 2017, the programme has been the pathway for young high potential kabaddi players to prove their mettle on the mat at VIVO PKL.

    Divided into 3 phases, the FKH programme in its first phase this year will be conducted across 11 cities, commencing on 05th February 2019 in Mumbai. The other locations would be Patna, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Lucknow, Nagpur, Guwahati, Bangalore, Jaipur, and the Junior Nationals. The cities have been chosen basis expert assessment of Kabaddi talent identified in local tournaments held there in the past.

    Last year the programme received an overwhelming response from over 3420 participants. Post a rigorous three-staged selection process, 85 players finally made it to the VIVO Pro Kabaddi 2018 auction pool. Through its prior two editions, the Future Kabaddi Heroes programme has brought to the forefront, young players, such as Nitesh Kumar (UP Yodha) – the Best Defender in VIVO Pro Kabaddi Season VI, the first defender in the history of the League to reach 100 tackle points in a single season, Naveen Kumar (Dabang Delhi) – the youngest player in Season VI, who is among the top 10 raiders of the season, Surender Singh (U Mumba) – among the top 10 defenders of the season, to name just a few.

    Launching the third edition of the programme, Anupam Goswami, League Commissioner, VIVO Pro Kabaddi League said, “With the FKH programme, our aim is to identify promising talent and build successive generations of higher quality Kabaddi players. This initiative has been very successful in each of its two editions so far, with aspirants being selected by the VIVO Pro Kabaddi franchises. Some of these young players have scaled significant heights in the League and we have witnessed some record breaking performances by these graduates of the program. This is a testament to the depth of Kabaddi talent in our country and the ability of the program to identify these new young heroes of the mat”

    Commenting on the programme, Former Indian Captain, Arjun Awardee and Former VIVO Pro Kabaddi star, Anup Kumar, said, “This is a unique initiative that serves as a strong base for young Kabaddi players to move towards their dream of playing the sport at a professional level, and creates the opportunity for them to demonstrate their mettle at the biggest Kabaddi stage, the VIVO Pro Kabaddi League.”

    Talking about being an FKH graduate, Nitesh Kumar, Best Defender Vivo PKL Season VI said, “This is the only program of its kind that gives young players like myself the chance to develop into professional athletes for this great sport of ours. The selection is grueling and the training intense, but well-rounded and covers physical abilities, nutrition programs and game strategy. All of which are necessary to perform at VIVO Pro Kabaddi. The program pushes us to our limits, to be the best that we can be, and were it not for this program, I’m not sure whether I would have been given the opportunity to be a part of a great team like UP Yodha.”

  • Epic channel launches ‘Saamagri aur Sampatti’ – an animated mini- series that travels throuh india’s rich history of trade

    Epic channel launches ‘Saamagri aur Sampatti’ – an animated mini- series that travels throuh india’s rich history of trade

    MUMBAI: EPIC Channel launches a new weekly mini-series titled ‘Saamagri Aur Sampatti’ that will air 6th February onwards. The show is presented in a unique conversational format and employs animation to convey the interesting stories of how the trade of manycommodities shaped the world as we know it, and how India played a pivotal part in this process.

    Along with gems like yoga, chess and the number zero; India, since ancient times, also served as a conduit for the global spread of many commodities that we use today. For instance, the history of zinc mining in India goes back centuries, as does the cultivation of sesame, the first seed from which oil was extracted.

    EPIC has seen success with the animation format with its show ‘Kissa Currency Ka’, a mini- series that traced the journey of the ‘coins’ of the country and reflected the diverse cultures that inhabited the region. Continuing on the back of the encouraging response of the animated infotainment series, this new series will unfold over nine episodes and showcase the various commodities that found their way to the world through India; revealing the country’s legacy of trade and its global impact.

    Speaking on the launch of the new show, Akul Tripathi, Content and Programming Head of EPIC Channel said, “Making content at EPIC is always fun and a great learning curve. This series is a great starting point to how India, through its trade shaped world commerce, politics, and even world history.”

  • It’s #OneLastTime to catch up with Game of Thrones on Star World!

    It’s #OneLastTime to catch up with Game of Thrones on Star World!

    MUMBAI: One of the most popular shows in the history of world television, Game of Thrones returns for its final season this year. This is not just the time when fans of the show are ecstatic, but also when non-fans are surrounded with Game of Thrones conversation – while commuting to work, at office near the coffee machine, back at home, on social media, among friends and just about everywhere!

    ‘Crows stabbed a man for the watch. Littlefinger threatened the hand!’ Clueless when you hear these words? Then this campaign is definitely for you!

    Game of Thrones is a universe in itself. And non-fans are unequivocally left confused when exposed to this universe.

    Keeping this insight in mind, Star World, India’s leading English Entertainment channel introduces to Indian viewers – #OneLastTime, a campaign that allows its audiences to join in with the rest of the world for some heady banter because there simply is no better time than now!

    Conceptualized, written and directed by the in house creative team, the campaign promos show an interesting interplay between fans of the iconic show and the non-fans. As fans talk passionately about plot twists, non-fans are shown completely lost as they cannot visualize the Game of Thrones universe for what it is. The promos then culminate issuing the most important message of all – #OneLastTime.

    With #OneLastTime, Star World urges fans as well as non-fans to catch up with Seasons 1-7 before the premiere of its last and ultimate Season 8!

    7 weeks, 7 seasons – that’s the Star World promise. Everyone can catch up with one season every week from Sunday to Thursday, starting February 24th. Or just binge-watch the entire season as part of a midnight binge session every Friday and Saturday. What’s more, viewers can also catch ‘Inside Game of Thrones’, a one hour exclusive behind-the-scene episode on Sundays at 8PM. All of this culminating in the most awaited Season 8 on Star World and Star World HD.

    With a robust 360 degree campaign rollout across on-air, print and social media, Star World is set to get fans and non-fans together.

    Littlefinger was right after all – Chaos IS a ladder. And amid all the chaos of the ice wall-sized Season 8 premiere coming up in April, Star World lends a ladder for all things GOT.

  • Revealed: Winners of the maiden edition of the Exhibit Auto Tech Awards!

    Revealed: Winners of the maiden edition of the Exhibit Auto Tech Awards!

    MUMBAI: Exhibit Magazine, India’s leading supplement on technology, fashion and lifestyle unveiled the winners of the first-ever edition of the Exhibit Auto Tech Awards at Sofitel BKC on 31st January, 2019 in Mumbai. Hosted by comedic genius Nitin Mirani, the awards recognized and felicitated the crème de la crème in the automotive technology space. The glittering soiree was held in association with Vibe British Audio, ALD Automotive, fragrance manufacturers Tasotti and media partner thewheelz.com, and saw the presence of industry stalwarts and veterans who were a part of the ceremonious occasion.

    Leading names from the industry were adjudged first by a general voting process, open to readers of the title and patrons, followed by a final shortlist by an eminent jury. Brands were honoured for their unique creations replete with supreme features and key performance characteristics.

    The stellar jury appointed for the launch edition of the awards included the likes of actor and producer Abhay Deol; IPS officer and the Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) – Mumbai, Amitesh Kumar; Founder and CEO of VU Technologies, Devita Saraf; Executive Chairman of Western India Automobile Association & President of VCCCI and Chairman VCCFI, Nitin Dossa; Editor – Tech & Auto, Exhibit Magazine & thewheelz.com, Prithvi Radhakrishna; Veteran Journalist Ranojoy Mukherjee; CEO & Editor-in-Chief at Exhibit Group, Ramesh Somani and Consulting Editor for Technology & Automobiles at Dainik Jagran, Siddhartha Sharma. 

    The black-tie event also witnessed the likes of Ahana Kumra, Divyendu Sharma, Urvashi Rautela, Elli Avram, Nataša Stanković, Prakriti Kakar & Sukriti Kakar, Shiv Pandit, Darasing Khurana, Sahil Salathia and Zoya Afroz among many others. 

    The results announced at the grand launch of the Exhibit Auto Tech Awards were as follows: 
    1.    Bike of the Year up to 160cc – Yamaha YZF R15 V3
    2.    Bike of the Year up to 1000cc – Triumph Tiger 800 XCx
    3.    Scooter of the Year – Honda Activa 5G
    4.    Naked Sports Bike of the Year – Ducati Monster 821 
    5.    Cruiser Bike of the Year – Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 
    6.    Bike of the Year up to 125cc – TVS Radeon
    7.    Design Of The Year – Range Rover Velar
    8.    Editor’s Choice Best Driver’s Car Of the Year – Audi RS5 Coupe 
    9.    Compact Hatchback Of The Year – Maruti Suzuki Swift
    10.    Premium Hatchback Of The Year – Hyundai i20
    11.    Compact Sedan Of The Year – Honda Amaze
    12.    Executive Sedan Of The Year – Toyota Yaris 
    13.    Premium Sedan Of The Year – Lexus ES 300h 
    14.    Luxury Sedan of the year – Mercedes Benz S-Class 
    15.    Auto Campaign Of The Year –  KIA Motors 
    16.    MPV Of The Year – Mahindra Marazzo
    17.    Compact SUV Of The Year – Ford Ecosport 
    18.    Premium SUV Of The Year – Skoda Kodiaq
    19.    Luxury SUV Of The Year –  Volvo XC40
    20.    Performance Car Of The Year – Mercedes AMG E63 S 
    21.    Super Car Of The Year – Porsche 911 GT2 RS 
    22.    The Most Awaited Car / SUV of the year (Below 30 lakh) – Tata Harrier 
    23.    Car Manufacturer of the year – Maruti Suzuki
    24.    Electric Mobility Bike of the Year – Spock Li-Ions Elektrik
    25.    Editor’s Choice Best Car Manufacturer App of the Year – Volkswagen 
    26.    Iconic Brand of the Year (Jury’s Choice) –  JEEP
    27.    Car Of The Year – Hyundai Santro

    Commenting on the star-studded launch edition and an impressive line-up of winners, CEO & Editor-in-Chief at Exhibit Group, Ramesh Somani, said, “Congratulations to all the winners! It’s been a fantastic last couple of weeks putting together the best names from the automotive industry. The need of the hour today is to recognize path-breaking trends and creations in the automotive space, where technology is being used to its optimum potential today. We have received a great response from patrons too and here’s hoping to reach greater heights in the years to come.” 

  • Gear up for digital sensation Ben Phillips’ India debut!

    Gear up for digital sensation Ben Phillips’ India debut!

    MUMBAI: Ever wondered what it takes to make people believe that everything happening around is for real when it’s actually far from reality? Add to that, a sibling who keeps you at the centre of all his epic pranks, all the time! 22 million people have expressed their love for such a prankster, and we are hardly surprised.

    Presenting the globally loved prankster Ben Philips himself, BookMyShow and ITP Live are here to turn your weekend into a laughter riot. The YouTube, Vine and Instagram sensation is making his India debut in Mumbai on February 10th and we can’t think of any reason for you to miss this! There’s more! You can even meet the digital star and flaunt it on your social media account. Believe us, this is not a prank!

    Ben Philips’ India Tour is the latest addition to BookMyShow’s array of offerings as it brings the best of entertainment for all its users. The leading entertainment platform has been home to world-class experiences and Ben’s India Tour is a part of the company’s endeavour to constantly provide its audiences with relevant and trending genres of entertainment across Indian and International talent.

  • Govt comes up tops in trust among all institutions; 69% Indians trust govt with personal data: World Economic Forum-Ipsos Global Citizen & Data Privacy Survey

    Govt comes up tops in trust among all institutions; 69% Indians trust govt with personal data: World Economic Forum-Ipsos Global Citizen & Data Privacy Survey

    MUMBAI: Indians trust the Govt most with their personal data, among all institutions. 69 per cent of Indians polled claim they trust the Union govt with their personal data and are confident that it will be put to the right use and not misused. 

    How about the other institutions?

    Majority of Indians trust Health Providers (67%), Financial Services Companies (67%), Shipping & Delivery Services (61%), Local and Regional authorities (61%), Telecommunication Companies (56%), Retailers Selling Goods & Services (55%), Search & Social Media Sites (53%); Media Companies and Foreign governments are relatively lower in trust at 46% and 48%, respectively, among Indians.

    “Government’s several initiatives hold personal information about a citizen. The common man trusting the government most with Data Privacy and personal information underscores people’s trust that Government will protect it from all kinds of misuse and abuse. It is a big responsibility for the Government and everybody expects it to live up to that.” says Parijat Chakraborty, Head of Ipsos Public Affairs.    

    Interestingly, 47% Indians claim to be aware of the broad contours of the personal data being held by companies and for what purposes it is being used. 

    On the other hand, 45% Indians claim to be aware of the identity of national and local authorities, that have access to their personal data.  

    The survey christened Global Citizens & Data Privacy Survey unveiled at the annual meeting in Davos by World Economic Forum (WEF) in partnership with Ipsos was conducted in October and November 2018 among 18,813 adults from 26 countries using the Ipsos Global Advisor online platform. Full waves of the global tracking study will be conducted and reported twice a year. 

    Personal data and data privacy – how do Indians view it?

    56% Indians strongly believe that they should be allowed to refuse companies from using their personal data – advocating complete refusal from providing personal information; 55% Indians want companies to reward or incentivize them for accessing their personal information;  58% Indians see merit in companies accessing personal data as they believe that the feedback is used constructively for improving products, services and information; 62% Indians feel that they have access to relevant products, services and information;  55% Indians feel they save time this way as companies have their personal information in their repository;50% Indians feel they will save money in terms of benefits; and 36% Indians feel they have no qualms about data privacy – it is in safe environs.     

    Personal Information – Dos and Don’ts

    68% Indians want companies not to misuse their personal information by sharing or selling to other parties; 63% Indians are comfortable sharing information with companies they have dealt with in the past; 60% Indians want to share personal information only with companies with a squeaky clean image, that have never been involved in any breach, leak or fraudulent usage of data; for59% Indians, compensation for their personal information in terms of discounts or rewards, is key; and55% Indians want companies to be transparent to them about what they plan to do with the personal information gathered from them. 

    “The findings suggest that organizations can address fears from consumers by being transparent about what they do with their personal data, by offering guarantees of confidentiality, having a clean security record, or offering financial compensation. Years of intrusive and unsolicited communication from brands and the absolute dysfunctional DND ecosystem have contributed to this mistrust. It is high time the good brands take a note of it and walk-the-talk in respecting privacy rights.” Chakraborty added. 

    Want access to personal information? Indians want it their way!

    55% Indians say they will provide personal information only to those companies that have products and services that cater to them – it should be complementing; 48% Indians want to be forewarned of the risks involved in providing personal information; 34% will be comfortable sharing personal information only if their information is put to good use and benefits them in customization; 32% want access to personal information to reflect in staff attentiveness and service; 27% expect access to personal information to reflect in more efficient navigation and functioning of website and app; 7% were undecided.     

    Methodology

    These are the findings of an Ipsos Global Advisor survey on attitudes toward data privacy in partnership with the World Economic Forum.  In total, 18,813 interviews were conducted October 26 – November 9, 2018 among adults aged 18-64 in the US and Canada, and adults aged 16-64 in all other countries.

    The survey was conducted in 26 countries around the world via the Ipsos Online Panel system. The countries reporting herein are Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Poland, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the United States of America. Note that some of the questions were not asked in all 26 countries.

    Between 500 and 1000+ individuals participated on a country by country basis via the Ipsos Online Panel. The sample size is 1000+ in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Spain and the United Stated of America. In all other countries the sample size is 500+. The precision of Ipsos online polls is calculated using a credibility interval with a poll of 1,000 accurate to +/- 3.5 percentage points and of 500 accurate to +/- 5.0 percentage points. For more information on Ipsos’ use of credibility intervals, please visit the Ipsos website.

    In countries where internet penetration is approximately 60% or higher the data output generally reflects the overall population. Of the 26 countries surveyed online, 16 yield results that are balanced to reflect the general population: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Poland, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Great Britain and the United States. The 9 remaining countries surveyed – Brazil, Chile, China, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Turkey – have lower levels of internet connectivity and reflect online populations that tend to be more urban and have higher education/income than the general population.

    Where results do not sum to 100, this may be due to computer rounding, multiple responses or the exclusion of don't knows or not stated responses.
    Data are weighted to match the profile of the population.