Category: Press Release

Fastest scale-up in insurance distribution: PhonePe sells 5 lakh policies in just 5 months

PhonePe, India’s leading digital payments platform, today announced that it has sold over 5 lakh insurance policies on its platform during the period April – August 2020. This makes PhonePe the fastest-growing insure-tech distributor in India within just 9 months of the Insurance category going live on the PhonePe app.

PhonePe forayed into the insurance segment in January this year and was the first digital payment platform to launch international travel insurance for business & leisure travellers. Since April, it has launched 5 more insurance products which include COVID-19 Insurance, Domestic Travel Insurance, Hospital Daily Cash, Dengue & Malaria Insurance, Personal Accident Cover in addition to International Travel Insurance.

The short span of time within which these products were launched is significant considering the industry usually takes a few months to develop and launch similar products. What is also noteworthy is that PhonePe has timed its products based on market needs and has also partnered with leading insurers to offer customized products for its vast registered user base exceeding 23 crores. PhonePe launched a few cost-effective insurance products for COVID-19 in April & May when the pandemic was seeing a rapid spread across the country. With the lockdown ending and domestic travel gradually starting across the country in June, the company launched a comprehensive, industry-first domestic multi-trip insurance cover at just INR 499 for all domestic trips for a year. PhonePe soon launched sachet-based insurance products in July beginning with Hospital Daily Cash to enable customers to get an assured amount if they are hospitalized due to injury or illnesses including COVID-19. Keeping the upcoming rainy season in mind which sees a huge number of cases of mosquito-borne diseases across the country, it launched Dengue & Malaria Insurance in July.

The PhonePe app has seen insurance purchases from over 15,000 pin codes covering tier-1, 2, 3 and beyond reflecting the deep penetration of its platform and tremendous customer response to its offerings. Over 70% of PhonePe’s users come from tier- 2 and 3 cities with many users buying insurance for the first time. The leading tier-2 and tier-3 cities for insurance sales on PhonePe are Visakhapatnam, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Nashik, Vijayawada and Aurangabad.

Commenting on the milestone, Hemant Gala, VP Financial Services & Payments, PhonePe said, “We are delighted to have achieved the 5 lakh insurance policies sold milestone on PhonePe within a short span of 5 months. This is by far the fastest scale-up seen in the insurtech industry. We are thankful to our partners who have worked closely with us to innovate and co-create affordable products for our customers to cater to their specific needs. Customers continue to repose their trust in PhonePe as they find buying insurance on our platform affordable, simple to understand and easy. This is in line with our goal to be a one-stop destination for all insurance needs of our customers. We are in talks with multiple insurers and have many new products in the pipeline which will be launched in the coming months.”

September 30, 2020
Celebrate The Victory of Good Over Evil with A Festive Special ‘Privé Collection’ on &PrivéHD

It’s a collision of darkness and light this festive season as the forces prepare for an ultimate combat! As we approach the festivities, it’s time to gear up for the battle between the good and the evil as &PrivéHD brings a special festive edition of its flagship property Privé Collection. Come October, fight for what is right as the premium destination for nuanced cinema features a collection like no other. Airing weeknights at 9, the property introduces viewers to the other side of some of the most enriching tales that are sure to invigorate the festive spirit in you.

Ringing in the festive cheer with the finest works of cinema, Privé Collection on &PrivéHD is sure to add a dose of sparkle to your evenings. The line-up includes Academy Award-winning titles such as ‘Lincoln’, ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ and Martin Scorsese’s ‘The Aviator’ along with biographies like ‘Mandela: A Long Walk To Freedom’ and ‘Churchill’. And just like how good triumphs over all evil here’s a collection that brings a slew of stories that make us believe in the goodness. Tales like ‘Ali’, ‘Bleed For This’ and ‘The Iron Lady’ truly go beyond cinema and inspire you to greatness. Catch all of this and a lot more all through October as part of Privé Collection.

September 30, 2020
Entertainment finds its new address; Zee Tamil set to launch new reality game show – Zee Super Family

Known for its unique reality show formats, from Mr. & Mrs. Khiladies to Junior Superstars, Zee Tamil has announced the launch of its newest reality show – ‘Zee Super Family’. Featuring Zee Tamil’s fiction stars in a new avatar, the show will serve as a platform for best-in-class entertainment for fans across Tamil Nadu. The grand premiere of the show will go on air on Sunday, 4th October at 2:30 PM, only on Zee Tamil & Zee Tamil HD.

This one-of-a-kind game show will showcase stars from Zee Tamil’s popular fiction shows including Sembaruthi, Yaaradi Nee Mohini, Oru Oorla Oru Rajakumari, Sathya, Neethane Enthan Ponvasantham, Gokulathil Seethai, Raja Magal, Rettai Roja, Suryavamsam and Endrendrum Punnagai as they compete against one another to be the title winner of Zee Super Family.

Each week, the stars of two fiction shows will compete in teams against each other across varying rounds of interesting tasks and games that will ignite a fun and competitive spirit among them. The star comedians will act as captains of the teams of respective shows; responsible to motivate and add a humorous flavour to Zee Super Family. At the end of each episode, the winners will be rewarded with a jackpot prize and the losing team will have to perform a light-hearted task as punishment. The show will be hosted by the charming anchor – RJ Vijay who is known to mesmerise audiences with his charm, wit and vivid sense of humour.

September 30, 2020
Times Internet’s M360 partners with Google to enable effective monetization for digital publishers

M360, Times Internet’s turnkey publishing and monetization platform for publishers, has partnered with Google as a Google Ad Manager partner. M360 will now be able to monetize publisher inventory using the Google Ad Manager platform. Times and Google have a long standing partnership on Google Ad Manager.

Made in India, M360 is a complete hosting and monetization platform that has quickly scaled up and now serves 25 Million MAUs outside of the Times Internet group. Apart from Google Ad Manager, M360 also leverages Times Internet’s homegrown premium ad-network, Colombia Audience Network, to provide leading advertisers and agencies to achieve performance for their marketing objectives at scale across a wide variety of ad formats and audience segments.

Speaking on what this partnership means for M360 and Google, Puneet Gupt, COO – Times Internet said, “M360 aims to bring technological advancements in digital publishing to the smallest of the publishers allowing them to focus on bringing great content to their readers. We are happy to join hands with Google to provide enhanced monetization capabilities to Indian publishers on the M360 platform”

“We’ve been working very closely with the Google team since the inception of M360 platform 8 months ago and this partnership is a testament of the strong synergy in building a comprehensive publishing platform for publishers who are looking to scale their revenues and engage their users. Our product has become a de facto platform for publishers looking to create, monetize and engage their readership through a seamless ad and content experiences across all platforms” said Arjun Satya, Co-founder – M360.

“We have had a strong partnership with Times across multiple areas, and today we’re excited to be extending it even further. We hope this initiative will inspire other publishers to build on their digital journey, so that together we can grow the digital publisher ecosystem in India,” said Ryu Hirayama, Director and Head of APAC Partnership Solutions, Google.

M360’s hosting and CMS helps media organizations create a fast loading, non-intrusive ad and content portal which leads to higher CPMs for the same ad inventory. M360 runs over a state-of-the-art personalization engine, giving publishers an edge to engage and retain their audiences. This personalization engine leverages billions of combinations across 60k user attributes to recommend the best possible content and ads, all in real-time. M360 has also launched an integrated push notifications and newsletter management service for publishers to engage with their users effectively. Publishers shifting from their current hosting to M360 platform have seen anywhere from 30% to 160% lift their Page CPM within a few weeks of migrating from traditional hosting solutions.

With COVID-19 reducing ad revenue for publishers, M360’s partnership with Google for deploying Google Ad Manager will help publisher owners on M360 scale their revenues while incurring zero engineering and IT costs by paying a small subscription fee for M360 platform for hosting and CMS for fast-loading personalized sites.

September 29, 2020
Chandramukhi: Amitabh Bachchan Starrer AB Aani CD Filmmakers To Go On Floor With The First Big Banner Marathi Film Since Outbreak Of COVID-19

Excerpt: The only big banner Marathi film to go on floors after the pandemic is Akshay Bardapurkar and Piiyush Singh’s Chandramukhi.

After massive success on OTT of Amitabh Bachchan starrer AB Aani CD; filmmaker Akshay Bardapurkar teams up with Piiyush Singh for the third time in a row. Writer Vishwas Patil's novel Chandramukhi is being adapted for the silver screen and this mammoth of a film project will go on the floors in November 2020. This will be one of the first big banner Marathi films to go on floors since the pandemic. The bestseller novel Chandramukhi by Vishwas Patil unravels the story of a beautiful Lavani dancer who is set out on an unconventional journey. The worlds of Tamasha and Politics unite with Chandramukhi.

Prasad Oak, the director of the National Award-winning film Kaccha Limbu will be directing this film. Perfectionist screenplay writer Chinmay Mandlekar and cinematographer Sanjay Memane will join Prasad once again after the massive success of Hirkani. While we are sure that the audience is in for a treat to the eyes, the film also promises to be a musical treat. The talented singers of the Marathi industry who have given their legendary voice and music to the best of Marathi and Hindi films, prodigy singer duo Ajay- Atul, have composed a promising blend of hard-hitting music with lively lavani scores. This film has been produced under the banner of Planet Marathi and Golden Ratio Films by Akshay Bardapurkar and Piiyush Singh.

After making its mark in several Hindi, Tamil, and International film projects, Golden Ratio Films stepped foot in the Marathi film industry with a great hit like the Amitabh Bachchan starrer AB Aani CD. Now, after producing Goshta Eka Paithanichi, the COO of Golden Ratio films, Piiyush Singh is drawn towards creating more Marathi films. He recognizes the immense potential the regional filmmakers have demonstrated. Chandramukhi is one of his passion projects. While talking about the film, Piiyush says, “The audience is sensitive, now more than ever, to meaningful content. We have all hands on deck and a great team on board to take this film to greater heights. We thrive to entertain our audience with content that brings meaning along with entertainment. Although we cannot talk much about the cast and the storyline at this point, we are certain that the audience will love this film.”

Talking about this larger than life project, ecstatic Akshay commented, “Chandramukhi is a perfect example of a content-driven piece that will move the audience. The film explores the realities of a spellbinding woman who finds herself on an unconventional path. We are excited to tell this story, at the same time, this is a huge responsibility to retain the authenticity of the bestseller by Vishwas Patil. We have a blend of talented filmmakers, musicians, and artists who are known for their craft. This film has a promise to take Marathi cinema to newer heights. Being the only big banner Marathi film to go on floors after the pandemic started, Chandramukhi has stirred a lot of excitement in the Marathi movie fans. The shoot begins in November 2020."

Right before the start of the unfortunate pandemic, in January 2020, the makers released the official poster of the film. The face of the lead protagonist is not yet unveiled. Even the filmmakers are tight-lipped about their cast. This nerve-racking excitement, to know who will be the face of Chandramukhi, has pushed the audience on the edge of their seat. The film certainly promises drama, politics, beauty, music, and dance with all the right blockbuster elements. Planet Marathi and Golden Ratio Films have also roped in the big guns of talent on board. What more does a film need to hook their fans with the excitement of the release?

September 29, 2020
PROMAX INDIA IS THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE AN ADDITION TO AN EVEN MORE STELLAR LINE-UP OF SPEAKERS for ‘Re-Invent’ PROMAX INDIA VIRTUAL 2020 -CONFERENCE & AWARDS LIVE on 7th, 8th & 9th of October, 2020

Get transported into the Future of Creativity in Augmented Reality all the way from Sydney with Emile Rademeyer, and the Climb to the Top of the Pyramid and witness a fireside chat with Megha Tata and Navika Kumar, as they highlight their journey and experiences in the media landscape. Then, sit back, relax and get an insight into OTT Marketing where leading OTT marketeers will truly deep dive and unearth some non-conventional ways of winning customer.
’Re-invent’ Promax India Virtual 2020 promises to keep you engaged and entertained.

Emile Rademeyer presents The Future of Creativity in Augmented Reality….PART II.
Emile is Executive Director, Creative Strategy & Innovation at VANDAL in Sydney, Australia where he creates innovative moving image, sound, art, immersive and augmented reality experiences for public, commercial, advertising and entertainment platforms. Emile’s recognised talent earns international respect and he’s regarded as one of Australia’s most prolific new media, creative trailblazers.

So, take a seat and buckle up…! You are about to travel into the future and witness new augmented realities of creativity.

TOP OF THE PYRAMID – with Megha Tata & Navika Kumar
Promax India is proud to present Megha Tata, the MD of Discovery Networks who has made her place amongst the top CEOs of Media Networks & Navika Kumar, Group Editor – Politics, Times Network and her journey to go head-to-head with the predominantly male bastion of Indian TV Journalism.

Come join us for a Fireside chat with the two women powerhouses as they highlight their journey and experiences in the Indian media landscape.
A not to be missed session that will keep you entertained and inspired!

An engaging session on OTT Marketing as they share invaluable insights on new ways of winning and retaining customers. Led by Rahul Mishra of Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd and the panelists include Avi Kumar – Head Supply and Brand Marketing, ZEE5 India, Abhishek Joshi – Lead Marketing – MX Player & and others.

Rahul Mishra, Head of Marketing & Communications, Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd said, “Promax has been setting new standards in the M&E space and this year too Promax India 2020 promises to be an exciting and enriching event. I am looking forward to moderating the OTT session with industry stalwarts and getting to hear their perspectives in the changing times and bring new learnings for our industry.”

Avi Kumar, Head of Supply and Brand Marketing, ZEE5 India said “It is exciting to see Promax India Virtual Conference 2020 in a new avatar while adapting to the new challenges. As more and more audiences become receptive to the new way of entertainment, it is even more imperative for marketers, to constantly innovate and customize their offerings as per demand. The way forward for the OTT marketing landscape is going to be an interesting one, and this session will truly deep dive and unearth some non-conventional ways of winning customers.”

Abhishek Joshi, Head of Marketing and Business Partnerships at MX Player said, "Promax has always been at the forefront of bringing together industry leaders to explore and ideate on new strategies. I am looking forward to being a part of its virtual 2020 edition, discussing the world of OTT marketing that is now fostering and enabling new viewer relationships post pandemic – wherein a digital first, and most importantly a consumer first strategy has to be top priority."

Do register your teams at https://www.promaxindia.tv/indiavirtual2020/

RE-INVENT' PROMAX INDIA VIRTUAL 2020 – CONFERENCE & AWARDS goes LIVE on 8th & 9th of October, 2020

September 29, 2020
The Kitchen Is Set Ablaze Once More As Famed Reality Show MasterChef Australia Season 8 Airs Weekdays On Zee Café

Mumbai: If you’re thinking of brewing something new today, then look no further. Catch the best of Famed reality cooking show, MasterChef Australia Season 8 as
the fresh batch of home cooks battle it out with tougher challenges and tasks in this Award- winning series. The stage is set as television’s favourite judges, Matt Preston, Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris keep an eye out for Australia’s next top chef. Catch some of the incredible infusion of flavours from around the world and lessons from top chefs like Marco Pierre White and Heston Blumenthal on Zee Café with episodes airing weekdays at 2PM and 9PM.

Only a determined few make it through the fiery kitchen and out in a race against time to take home the prestigious title.

It’s a breath-taking culinary muse to watch contestants fight it out with pots and pans in season 8 of MasterChef Australia airing weekdays at 2PM and 9PM only on Zee Café and Zee Café HD

To Know more, follow us on @ZeeCafe , Zee Café, zeecafeindia

September 28, 2020
HistoryTV18 investigates the world’s most inexplicable mysteries on ‘The UnXplained with William Shatner’

MUMBAI :Have you heard of birds that predict disasters days before they take place, or sinister cults that manipulate hundreds of people to willingly take their own lives? Can science explain why some areas just seem strangely evil, and is there any truth behind ancient stories of unearthly creatures like vampires and werewolves? Why does rain sometimes fall from the sky like blood, and how do some rocks and stones inspire people to worship them?

HistoryTV18’s latest premiere, ‘The UnXplained with William Shatner’, premiering on the 5th of October at 6 PM, explores these and other equally fascinating questions that have stumped humankind for centuries. The series is presented by award-winning actor and science fiction icon, William Shatner, and features compelling contributions from scientists, historians, and witnesses seeking to shed light on how the seemingly impossible can occur. With hour-long thematic episodes airing every Monday and Tuesday evening at 6, it is an exploration of the most fascinating, strange, and inexplicable mysteries in the world.

The series delves into strange happenings involving curious weather phenomena, bizarre cults, “evil” locations, and dire prophecies, among others. However, instead of merely giving definitive solutions, experts and historians share their opinions, and present various well-researched theories, allowing viewers to discern the answers. The narrative stays rooted in reality, making no fantastical claims, while acknowledging that there is still much remaining for humans to discover.

One of the episodes on ‘The UnXplained with William Shatner’, premiering on the 5th of October at 6 PM, tries to get into the minds of people who have been masters of manipulation. Exploring the intoxicating charisma of cult leaders, the episode investigates what makes thousands of followers give up power to them. Along with using archival footage and photographs of famous human sacrifices and indoctrination, the show even takes viewers to the actual sites where these mysterious events took place decades ago. Another episode tries to unravel the mysteries of how, and why, certain incredible structures, like the Great Pyramid at Giza and the intricate spiral staircase at the Loretto Chapel, remain standing without any central support. While we like to think of ourselves as the peak of evolution, the show also poses the pertinent question, what if we are wrong. An episode also examines the extraordinary powers that allow a dog to detect cancer faster than doctors with sophisticated equipment, and a horse that can read a person’s mind. Some of the other fascinating stories featured in one or the other episode of the series include a priceless gemstone with a deadly curse, a sacred chunk of sandstone that has caused wars, ancient rituals like voodoo and exorcism, and remarkable tales of human survival.

After having explored the depths of space as Captain Kirk in the legendary science fiction series, Star Trek, William Shatner is now captaining the search for answers to these real-world mysteries. As presenter and executive producer of ‘The UnXplained with William Shatner’, premiering on the 5th of October at 6 PM on HistoryTV18, he too is thrilled about being part of this fascinating series.

Watch ‘The UnXplained with William Shatner’ from the 5th of October, every Monday and Tuesday evenings at 6 PM, only on HistoryTV18 and HistoryTV18 HD

Link for Show Promo-

September 28, 2020
Kapil Sharma and Sony YAY! collaborate to give a festive treat to all Honey Bunny fans

MUMBAI: This festive season, in a bid to deliver the ultimate laughter riot to its audiences, Sony YAY! brings in the comedy king of Hindi television entertainment, Kapil Sharma to the ‘Jholmaal’ gang. Keeping in mind the endearing bond kids share with Honey and Bunnyand massive fandom of the comedian host Kapil, the channel announces its brand-new offering, ‘The HoneyBunny Show with Kapil Sharma’. Slated to release on 12th October, the dynamic trio will present a never-seen-before onscreen camaraderie for their young fans in a series of minisodes. The hilarious sketches have been co-created with Kapil where he donsvarious comic avatars be it as a doctor, umpire or even the broker on the moon, as the trio try to outwit each other with their quirky wisecracks and zestful quips.

The feline duoin the show Honey Bunny ka Jholmaal, has gained tremendous popularity amongst young ones across the country with their rib-tickling goofiness and exciting adventures. This goes to place the show as the flag bearer of the channel with a colossal 24 hours of fresh content. Add to that, Honey Bunny led snackable content like Lapet teh raho and muppet tales are a massive hit on YouTube. The recently launched mobile games ‘Honey Bunny ka Jetpack and the crazy chase game’ have already garnered millions of downloads on Play Store. The feline characters have also found their way to retail shelfs in the form of apparels, stickers and stationary through strong licensing partnerships and an expanse of alliances with brands such as Gelato, PVR and Hyatt etc.

With the promise of fun, friendship and more, Honey and Bunny alongside Kapil Sharma are all set to create the ultimate humorous experience as they set the small screen ablaze. The channel plans to bolster its festive offerings with an exciting programming line-up with the launch of 6 brand new movies and exciting fresh episodes.

Comments:

Leena Lele Dutta, Business Head, Sony Pictures Networks India, Kids’ Genre!

“Honey-Bunny have successfully made a special space for themselves. And today, they have an entire ecosystem of their own, right from mobile games, AR filter, short format content on digital platforms to telemovies. We are excited to announce that we have further extended their universe and collaborated with Kapil Sharma to present a unique line-up for the young fans of Honey Bunny. I am sure that the audience will thoroughly enjoy this unique combination.”

Kapil Sharma
“I believe animation is for every age group, I loved watching my favourite toons in animated shows while growing up. The opportunity to collaborate with the goofy cat duo, Honey Bunny gave me the chance to revisit those memories. This also gives me the chance to reach out to kids, who have always held a special place in my heart. I am very excited for this absolute dangal of comedy with Honey and Bunny and together hope to win everybody’s hearts. I thank Sony YAY! for this wonderful opportunity and I hope the audiences have as much fun watching the show as much as we had making it!

September 28, 2020
MevoFit launches Bold Fitness Band and Smartwatch in India

New Delhi, September 21, 2020: We are often torn between the choices to go for a fitness band or a smartwatch. So now we have for you a comprehensive solution – a Fitness Tracker Smartwatch! MevoFit, a leading lifestyle brand, has launched the MevoFit Bold fitness band and smartwatch, a two-in-one super device. The Bold band is a new-age professional fitness device with a gamut of features for athletes and other users. The device can be easily connected to a user’s smartphone for a host of auto sync of functions such as alarm clock, time-keeping, incoming calls, SMS, social media notification and more.

A host of smart features should not come at the expense of legibility, especially when you're working out. That’s why this activity band sports a full HD coloured display screen and to show the current time, Steps, Heart Rate, Calories Burnt, Distance walked, and Sleep duration. The screen comes with brightness intelligence to auto-tune the screen brightness on the basis of ambient light around it. This function allows the device to save battery for up to 10 days and also ensures an easy impact on the user’s eyes.

It is built with IP67 premium material and, therefore, it is dustproof and waterproof. The same signature of top craftsmanship is also visible in its TPE-based straps that come with metallic studs with a stunning 3-D Diamond-cut design.

Meant for beginner and experienced professionals alike, MevoFit’s smart wearable is suitable for various sports, including running, cycling, badminton, basketball, soccer, and tennis. The users can also monitor and keep a check on run time, heartbeat, calories burnt etc. during the time of play. Post the activity, this fitness band also gives a complete summary in the app of workout time, heart rate, and calories burnt.

Getting a night of sound sleep is critical to your workouts. As per leading forums, more than 60% of the adults complain of not getting a sound sleep. MevoFit’s Bold band thus lets you analyze your sleep pattern with the help of its automatic sleep tracker. The band is extremely comfortable to wear and is very soft, and hence one can wear it while sleeping. It automatically tracks sleeping status and generates a report showing deep and light sleep hours.

The MRP of the MevoFit Bold fitness band and smartwatch is Rs. 5,999. It is available on Amazon and Flipkart at a discounted price. Notably, popular actress and a fitness Icon Mandira Bedi is part of the leading lifestyle brand. Talking about the product and the brand, she said, “It gives me immense pleasure to be part of a company that’s redefining the way we usually perceive lifestyle tools and devices. MevoFit Bold is just the perfect pick for those who enjoy life to the fullest while adhering to a disciplined fitness regime.”

September 28, 2020