ITV

Category: Specials

  • MIP Cancun sets date for physical event in November 2021

    MIP Cancun sets date for physical event in November 2021

    PARIS: Reed Midem has confirmed that MIP Cancun, the leading international content market and conference for Latin American and US Hispanic television, will take place as a physical event in 2021.

    The eighth edition of the signature one-to-one matchmaking market will take place at the Moon Palace Resort in Cancun from 16-19 November, welcoming international and Latin American distributors, programme buyers, producers and commissioners for a much anticipated in person reunion.

    MIP Cancun director Bénédicte Touchard de Morant said, “The television industry is eager to get back to business in person and we welcome the opportunity to bring everyone together in the uniquely relaxed yet business-efficient environment of MIP Cancun. Last year’s online market was very well received but overwhelmingly the feedback tells us there is nothing like meeting in person and forging relationships face-to-face.”

    MTH Productions (Argentina) president & WAWA (Worldwide Audiovisual Women’s Association)  general manager Carolina Cordero added, “MIP Cancun is an unmissable market in the audio-visual industry calendar for the region. It is the market we all want to attend, because of its quality and effectiveness when closing business deals. MIP Cancun Online has been effective but nothing can replace the face-to-face experience. We all are waiting to meet again. There is nothing like closing a deal with a handshake. The platform helped for the business, but nothing can replace the face-to-face experience with potential partners.”

    The three main components of MIP Cancun 2021 are:

    ·        Distribution Market – A curated programme of 17-25 one-to-one, pre-scheduled face-to-face meetings over four days between international distributors and buyers operating in the Latin America and US Hispanic markets.

    ·        Co-Production Forum – A curated programme of 10-15 one-to-one, pre-scheduled face-to-face meetings over four days between regional producers and commissioners seeking to develop co-production opportunities across the Americas.

    ·        Conference Programme – A tailor made conference programme featuring sessions and keynotes focussed on LATAM and US Hispanic topics, connecting and inspiring industry leaders.

    Event organiser Reed Midem is working closely with local, national and international authorities and the Cancun venue, to follow and implement necessary health and safety measures, prioritising the safety and wellbeing of delegates.

  • Wonder Women 100: Mindset needs to change first for more inclusion, diversity

    Wonder Women 100: Mindset needs to change first for more inclusion, diversity

    KOLKATA: Women are increasingly coming out and taking up more challenging roles against all odds. The media, entertainment and advertising industry is no exception. Despite the great strides made over recent years, there are still issues like fewer women leaders in upper management positions and salary gaps that need to be addressed for a better tomorrow.

    In a panel discussion, ‘Women, inclusivity and change’, industry leaders shared their views on the existing gaps and how that can be tackled to bring about positive change. Zee5 head-customer strategy and relationships Anita Nayyar, ABD CMO Anupam Bokey, Lodestar UM CEO Nandini Dias, NXTDigital group chief technology officer Ru Ediriwira, Madison Media Sigma – Madison World CEO Vanita Keswani, Hollywood actress and producer Rashaana Shah and Indiantelevision.com founder and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari were part of the discussion. The session was moderated by Indiantelevision.com editorial lead Srishti Choudhary and online lead Arunima Bhattacharya.

    First off, the panelists expressed their opinions on whether corporate India has finally adjusted itself to bring more women professionals into leadership roles. Nayyar said we are miles away from where we actually should be given the kind of women leaders that are there in any industry, not only in advertising and marketing. Women have taken leadership roles in sectors like manufacturing, banking, and automobile; which most people considered no space for a woman.

    Dias brought up another important aspect of addressing the issue. While organisations across the board are hiring more women, these recruitments are happening mostly at the starting level. As time passes, the women get into different life stages, some of them even drop off. Corporates, governments do not enable their female employees to stay in the workforce, there are not enough policies to ensure they don’t quit midway because of changes like marriage and pregnancies.  

    Not everything is grey though. According to Keswani, there is not any gender if looked at from the perspective of microenvironment of media. She added that the industry believes in a person’s capability and does not uphold any bias. Moreover, it is about the individualistic approach. She also highlighted an issue that even some women don’t prefer working with women. “A lot of spirited action and ambition to move up the ladder,” she emphasised. The drive to work and climb up the ladder depends not just on an organisation’s policies, but the person’s family, upbringing, and education.

    Bokey, who works in the liquor industry where gender disparity has been prevalent, said that he joined his current organisation because it had a very transformative agenda. The agenda was not only about market share and sales but also internal management. He asserted that there is no option to not have this diversity because business or brands will suffer otherwise. Equal the numbers better would be the work, he stated.

    Hollywood actor and entrepreneur Shah said women are more well accepted in Hollywood, compared to the Indian film industry. Hollywood is much more inclusive too. She had to go through a great deal of unlearning after moving to Los Angeles. There are more women on sets these days, and there is no code of conduct expected from women particularly, making the experience more liberating. However, she faced a unique problem when she was pitching to venture capitalists to invest in her production house. The investors did not trust women with so much money, making the overall pitching much harder for her.

    The issue with such a mindset is also a big reason for the wage gap among male and female leaders. Nayyar said that everyone, including women, should stop seeing things in terms of gender. There is a wrong perception across industries that female resources can be hired at a cheaper cost. Most of the industries are not equating capability with remuneration, she pointed out. The salaries are not at par because these organisations are, by and large, headed by men. Dias shared a similar view, adding that women don’t negotiate often because they get overwhelmed after breaking the glass ceiling. Experts opined that belief in self can give them a place at the negotiation table.

    Ediriwira highlighted the lack of mentorship in many organisations is another reason for many women just stopping at middle management. “We have the responsibility to mentor and help other women who are coming up behind us,” she shared.

    “Diversity, inclusion – these are not words. These are facilities to be done, things to be done. We don’t want clones of men. A woman will think differently, she will behave in another way, her bodily function will be in a certain way. We want diversity, inclusion in the real sense of the word and that will bring nuances which are different and organisations need to facilitate that,” Dias emphasised.

    Most importantly, being true to yourself, taking care of yourself, empowering and encouraging other women, asking for help rather than going it on your own, are mandatory to bring the change from within.

  • The Wonder Women are here: Honouring 100 women leaders from M&E, ad & marketing

    The Wonder Women are here: Honouring 100 women leaders from M&E, ad & marketing

    MUMBAI: Many a successful organisation in India's media, advertising, marketing and entertainment ecosphere have women leaders in key management and ownership positions. Where once women were assigned jobs related to programming or ad sales or media – and mostly at the middle management level – today many a lady professional by the sheer dint of their talent, hard work and excellence, have come to occupy the corner office as well as key pivotal management roles. But a lot more needs to be done. A lot more inclusiveness needs to come into the corporate world.

    In a bid to recognise those professional women who have risen to the top despite all odds, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, Indiantelevision.com is happy to present Wonder Women 2021 – 100 of the best from the world of media, advertising, marketing and entertainment. The intention is not only to honour these fabulous professionals but also motivate the next generation of women who are slowly moving their way up the ladder in different organisations across the board.

    The powerful list which honours 100 top women achievers from the industry has been put together with the help of an esteemed advisory board comprising of senior professionals from the industry including Applause Entertainment CEO Sameer Nair, House of Cheer founder Raj Nayak, RED FM director Nisha Narayanan, Lodestar UM CEO Nandini Dias, Discovery Communications MD-South Asia Megha Tata, Social Access founder Lynn de Souza, Armugum and Consultants founder Punitha Arumugam, Allied Blenders and Distillers (ABD) CMO Anupam Bokey, the Walt Disney Company head – human resources APAC & India Amita Maheshwari, IN10 Media Networks MD Aditya Pittiee, and Indiantelevision.com, founder and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari.

    The moment is here, the names are out; find out who these standout ladies are here:

  • International Women’s Day: ‘Wonder Women 100’ list to be unveiled today

    International Women’s Day: ‘Wonder Women 100’ list to be unveiled today

    NEW DELHI: Women have made tremendous strides over the years to achieve equal representation in the workplace. Many have broken the glass ceiling and risen to the top despite all odds. This International Women’s Day, Indiantelevision.com will recognise 100 such talented and outstanding women executives and professionals from the world of advertising, media and marketing with its major initiative- ‘Wonder Women 100’.

    The powerful list which honors 100 top women achievers from the industry has been put together with the help of an esteemed advisory board comprising of senior professionals from the industry including Applause Entertainment CEO Sameer Nair, House of Cheer founder Raj Nayak, RED FM director Nisha Narayanan, Lodestar UM CEO Nandini Dias, Discovery Communications MD-South Asia Megha Tata, Social Access founder Lynn de Souza, Armugum and Consultants founder Punitha Arumugam, Allied Blenders and Distillers (ABD) CMO Anupam Bokey, the Walt Disney Company head – human resources APAC & India Amita Maheshwari, IN10 Media Networks MD Aditya Pittiee, and Indiantelevision.com, founder and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari.

    The list will be unveiled during a virtual event on Monday (today), 4 pm onwards. This will be preceded by a panel discussion wherein noted experts from the industry will deliberate upon the topic- ‘Women, inclusivity and change’ and share their views on various initiatives taken by the media and entertainment industry to make the workforce more inclusive. Zee5 head-customer strategy and relationships Anita Nayyar, ABD CMO Anupam Bokey, Social Access Communications founder Lynn de Souza, NXTDigital group chief technology officer Ru Ediriwira, Madison Media Sigma – Madison World CEO Vanita Keswani, Hollywood actress and producer Rashaana Shah and Indiantelevision.com founder and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari will be part of the discussion.

    ‘Wonder Women 100’ features women who have had a lasting impact on the industry and their respective organisations. It also includes those who have driven transformation of social and cultural narratives in their respective organisations and made significant strides towards advancing equality and inclusivity.

    "We are in the 21st century, but for a large part it is a male-dominated world still. Yes, more women are coming out and standing shoulder to shoulder in every profession, in fact, even outshining them. They are doing it against all odds, on most occasions. The journey upwards and forwards is that much harder despite the talent being in abundance. The  2021 Wonder Women 100 – is our way of saluting them. Our hope is that their stories will give wings to many other younger women and inspire them to realise their full potential," said Indiantelevision.com founder and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari.

    To join the conversation, register : https://www.indiantelevision.com/wonderwomen100/index.html

  • #Throwback2020: For M&E industry, there’s no such thing as closing shop

    #Throwback2020: For M&E industry, there’s no such thing as closing shop

    MUMBAI: It has not been the easiest of years and none of us ever dreamt that the last couple of months would be the way they have been. But I always believe that there is always a silver lining and that there is a lot to learn from what has transpired in the last ten months. Having said that, I think we have stayed true to our promise of keeping our viewers entertained, even in a crisis situation. We made sure that we were there for them when they needed us the most because there were no other entertainment outlets available.

    We adopted different strategies across different genres to make sure that our viewers get what they want. But, the one big thing that stood out for us as an entertainment broadcast company and the franchise that I oversee, is that we were true to our DNA. We were true to our promise of continuing to narrate great and relatable stories and keep our viewers engaged and entertained in a time when they really needed us the most. That to my mind, brings true value to my organisation and our brand.

    Looking back at 2020

    We didn't have a single minute or day of blackout despite the lockdown, which happened overnight. We continued to run our channels with content that engaged and entertained our viewers across genres whether it was in GEC, Hindi movies, kids, music, English, youth and regional portfolio. So, I think, resilience, determination and entertainment stood out for us, as storytellers, to do what we do best. Definitely, we all pivoted our plans to adapt to the new normal.

    If you look at Hindi GEC, which is the biggest and the most mass genre of them all, a big surge in non-prime time viewing was noticed because of the lockdown. We did lose out on some viewership to the other genres in the primetime slot due to lack of original content as a result of the shoots coming to a halt for some time. We witnessed a comeback strategy in Hindi GEC because we realised that there was a lot of family bonding and family viewing happening – a big trend that has continued to stay. Keeping this trend in mind, we went back into our libraries and brought back shows like Mahakali, Shani Dev and Jai Shri Krishna. We even looked at external libraries as well and aired Om Namah Shivay and Mahabharat. Some of our old legacy shows that brought back a lot of nostalgia included Balika Vadhu, and Uttaran, to name a few.

    Post the opening of the lockdown, we launched many new shows. Some of them were shows that had a social commentary and became household conversations. With shows like Molkki, Namak Issk Kaa, which is a romantic drama, or Ishq Mein Marjawan which is a romantic thriller, or Pinjara Khubsurti Ka, we managed to launch a lot of new content including our biggest reality television show Bigg Boss. So, variety in entertainment was a trend that we managed to keep. With the resumption of original content, viewership during primetime and non-primetime have more or less gone back to pre-Covid2019 levels now.

    How shows have performed

    Colors has had a fantastic run. We were the first ones to start with original content once shoots resumed. We are slot leaders with Ishq Mein Marjawaan and are slot leaders at 7 to 7:30 pm with Choti Sarrdaarni and then at 8 pm with Shakti. Bigg Boss continues to rule the roost from 10:30 pm onwards which is a very good slot for us. Barrister Babu has also given us superb ratings. Post the unlock, we have a robust 19 per cent market share. We are also a very strong number two in our all-day primetime. With a 22 per cent market share, we had great launches and out of the top five launches in the unlock, three of the launches belong to us, which includes Naagin, Pinjara Khubsurti Ka and Namak Issk Ka. All the shows have propelled our prime time viewership on weekdays and weekend viewership with Bigg Boss.

    We couldn't be happier because our entire prime time from 7 pm onwards has kicked in. Molkki is doing very well for us at the 10 pm time slot. So, variety entertainment is at its peak across genres along with family drama, romantic thriller, romantic drama, social issues, and adventure. We even experimented and innovated during the lockdown with Khatron Ke Khiladi Made In India for the first time, followed by Hum Tum Aur Quarantine with Harsh and Bharati. 

    Some of these strengths have sort of rationalised themselves over a period and some of these trends, such as co-viewing, relatable, relevant characters and storyline continue in Hindi GEC. At Colors, we do our best in terms of fiction, as well as reality television. And we are hoping to launch our next reality show once Bigg Boss concludes.

    Biggest Trends

    Apart from that, we saw a lot of the viewership moving to kids, news and movies. Existing for almost two years now, Rishtey Cineplex, in a very short period of time, has acquired a seven per cent market share which is a great beginning as far as we are concerned. We have grown tremendously by focusing on premieres, festivals that we do every month. Movies is a genre that we at Viacom18 are very serious about. With the Freedish and FTA trend, we re-entered with Colors Rishtey and Rishtey Cineplex. I am glad we did so, because there has been a huge amount of growth in terms of viewership and in terms of monetisation in the FTA space. In a very short span both the channels have secured a 15 per cent market share in their respective genres. We are really very happy to see that because we are actually sweating our assets even more and that makes our ROI much better. So from that perspective, the Freedish trend is here to stay.

    I think the other big piece which cannot be denied, is that the last ten months have reaffirmed our view that in India, unlike the western countries, OTT and digital is going to co-exist with linear television and broadcast television. This is particularly a market, which is an ‘and’ market and not an ‘either-or’ market. Thanks to this co-existence of digital and linear, as storytellers and content creators it is a fabulous opportunity for us, since there is a huge growth in demand and consumption of content. Therefore, as an organisation, we are looking at creating stories, shows and content that is sometimes pipe or screen agnostic. This is a huge and I think 2021 will only reaffirm this further as a trend.

    Consuming content in regional languages is also seeing an upswing. As marketers, we have pivoted our plans to ensure that we engage and interact with our viewers outside of the formal mass media vehicle. We have moved our engagements to digital, to our websites and social media. We engaged and created communities in the online world and engaged our audiences and told stories with games, through Instagram and many other innovations.

    Adapting to the new normal

    We have already adapted to the new normal with shows that we launched in the recent past, which is Namak Issk Ka and Molkki. Some of these shows are already being stitched together with the fabric of the nation, which is about family bonding and family viewing. It is about catering to human emotions and narrating relatable and relevant stories. So, I think a large part of it has already been actioned. As far as we are concerned, I think we will continue to see this trend for a while until Covid2019 vaccines are in and life and economy comes back to normal. I think the economy is recovering and so is the broadcast industry and so is Viacom18 and all our brands.

    So, one is of course, to tell relatable and relevant stories. The other one is to cater to the need of action, adventure, and voyeurism reality, which Colors is known for. Coming up in 2021 is the finale of Bigg Boss, followed by the launch of several impact properties, including Dance Deewane. Our machinery is on and we will see some disruptive content coming this year as well.

    Performance in terms of revenue

    We did see a very soft q1 and Q2 because the economy had slowed down big time and now as the economy recovers and as unlock happens, we have had a great comeback in Q3. We saw a fabulous festive season. In fact, we were able to slightly surpass quarter three of last year. Q4 looks good. A lot of advertisers are coming back to us because we are the only means of reaching out to a mass audience in light of the other vehicles falling off. TV continues to deliver mass reach, relevant reach, captivated reach, and therefore a measurable reach as well. Due to this, advertisers have come back to us and continue to come back to us post festive season as well. When we launched Bigg Boss, we actually got 17 sponsors.

    Ad spends in the foreseeable future

    I think the ad spends will continue to remain stable because the economy is on a path of recovery. We have seen demand coming back, consumption going up. I think the power to spend is also returning and with that advertisers will have to continue to create and gain their share of voice. In my view, there is no better medium than television, which will continue to be one of the single largest mode of advertising in the future as well. There is a grown advertiser interest in digital too. But having said that, television will be advertisers’ favourite. We do see a trend of television continuing to monetise ourselves and advertiser interest continuing to be at an all-time high in Q4 as well.

    Investment in Hindi GEC

    When a lockdown happens, you can cut costs and you can shut down your factories and save and not spend or manufacture and therefore save your cost. But in the entertainment industry, there is no such thing as closing down a factory. We need to continue to grow and churn content every single day to ensure that we entertain our viewers. So there is no pulling back on content costs at all.  We are preparing to enter 2021 with a whole new plethora of primetime and weekday and weekend content. 

    There is no lack of good investment in any of the genres. We will continue to buy movies and movie catalogues and premieres.

    Creating other revenue streams

    I believe ancillary revenue streams are here to stay and I think they will only be more relevant in the years to come. Advertisers are looking at innovative ways of reaching out to their audiences and for me, brand integrations, product licensing, promo licensing and brand solutions and brand integrations are a win-win for all the stakeholders because the advertisers are able to convey the message to viewers in a very interesting and clutter-breaking manner.
    (The author is head of Viacom18 Hindi mass entertainment & kids TV network. Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to her views.)

  • #Throwback2020: Scriptwriters on the new normal

    #Throwback2020: Scriptwriters on the new normal

    MUMBAI: The great irony about the year 2020 is that a year that will forever be defined by one of the worst pandemic known to humankind is also one that redefined entertainment and paved the way for many millions. It would not be wrong to say that 2020 was the writer’s year. Over the course of the last 12 months, streaming platforms served us gems like Scam 1992, Mirzapur, Paatal Lok and Panchayat, to name a few. The television industry is also experimenting with content. While film and TV producers are grappling with challenges in production, writers are swamped with creating content to meet the consumption demand.

    Production houses are in need of scripts more than ever – a kind of a blessing in disguise for writers, who are working furiously to wrap up pending episodes and current seasons. From the lows of lockdown to the highs of the post-Covid production boom, writers have one thing in common: they have had to adapt swiftly to a new normal.

    The lull of lockdown

    Screenwriters Association member Satyam Tripathi revealed that with the abrupt imposition of lockdown, work came to a grinding halt, and just like any other industry, writers were also affected. But personally for him, working in the confines of his home and coordinating through online platforms was a welcome change, as otherwise a lot of time is wasted in the physical meetings.

    Zoom also provides a workaround, albeit a rather clumsy one, to the key feature of the writers room – the whiteboard, where character arcs and plot lines are scribbled, erased and obsessively rearranged until final things get into place.

    “For a creative person, perhaps this was a time where a lot of introspection was happening in terms of the content we write, in the manner in which we approach our work. When you face a hard time it is then you realise how much you are really connected with the emotions you write about. In those times there was so much insecurity around us in terms of money, work, and life itself,” Tripathi mused. 

    Author, writer, documentary filmmaker Jaya Mishra, who has written for shows like Kehne Ko Humsafar, Cold Lassi aur Chicken Masala, spent her time dashing off scripts in the first few months of the lockdown. “There was pressure to deliver the scripts because nobody realised how much time it would take to get back to normalcy. People wanted to finish the writing processes of all the shows; basically that was the only work we were doing at that moment,” she shared. “But how does one write about normal life when life was not at all normal? The world was at a standstill. I couldn’t focus because all my shows are romantic comedies and there was no romance, I mean how do two people even meet anywhere without the fear of the virus?”

    She went on to add that shows which were almost ready to go on floors required last-minute changes. So, there was a lot of rewriting that happened during that time. 2020 eventually gave Mishra the chance to take a pause from hurtling between writing and delivering scripts. She devoted this free time to her other love – crocheting.

    At present, her in-tray is overflowing. She has started work on her second book, which has been a long time coming. Mishra’s first book was the fiction novel Kama~the story of Kama Sutra published by Om Books. She has her hands full writing for Alt Balaji’s Toxic, Married woman, United, and is also penning screenplay dialogues for an unnamed original series with One Life Productions.

    Director, lyricist, and Happy New Year writer Mayur Puri defined the first few months of lockdown as tough, with shoots cancelled and no dubbing taking place. Apart from this, Puri’s company which does a lot of translation projects for OTT platforms saw a period of lull.

    Said he: “Before the lockdown, my company produced 30 hours of content and the idea was to make it to 45 hours of content till 2021 but now it looks quite difficult to achieve. In fact, for the first three months, there was no work but from October onwards we have reached our monthly targets. I am hoping by the first quarter we will be back on track as far as bulk business is concerned.”

    On the bright side, more projects have started flowing in from June and July onwards. Puri now has three projects lined up for release this year, including Disney and Marvel Studios’ Black Widow, and Free Guy. All the movies were commissioned in 2020.

    Besides volume, the nature of work has also changed for writers. People who were earlier writing two movies are now working on four projects. The past year has also been a wake-up call for screenplay writers. “For instance, when it comes to OTT, there is more pitching and development before actual writing happens. So, writers are becoming more disciplined, they now understand that style of working. Since the writing activities have increased, hopefully it will harbinger better content for us.”

    Production blues

    The industry breathed a sigh of relief when the government allowed filming to resume, under strict guidelines. Of course, production while being Covid compliant comes with its own share of hassles.

    Writers are now being asked to rethink what could be feasible as there are restrictions in terms of shooting, budget, people and much more. They are asked to lean on fewer characters along with special effects and VFX to provide scale and make the show more relatable.

    To make the scripting process more convenient, multiple staff are splitting into mini-rooms, with senior-level producers doing Zoom sessions while lower-level personnel work offline on script changes or other details. Some showrunners are also scheduling one-on-one Zoom or Google Meet sessions with members of the staff in an effort to ensure that everyone is getting the support they need.

    Despite the occasional technical hiccups, like bad internet connections, sound and the transition to teleconferencing has been a source of comfort to many in this new quarantined world.

    Mirzapur writer and creator Puneet Krishna is currently basking in the success of his original series. But the behind the scenes story is not so sunny. Mirzapur was in the middle of post-production, so it was an ordeal for him to shoot while following Covid protocols. Due to this, the dubbing process became elongated.

    Tripathi, who is busy developing an OTT series with Reliance Big Synergy, did not have any programmes on air so he did not face any immediate challenges. He got an ongoing show – Zee TV’s Ishq Subhanallah – just when the lockdown was lifted. The only problem he encountered was when somebody on set tested Covid positive, forcing him to rewrite certain scenes.

    Regardless of directives, that vary from studio to studio, screenwriters say their anxiety lies largely in the uncertainty looming over them. 

    Puri asserted that it is important for a writer to have the freedom to take his pick of work. “What we look at is we get enough choice of projects and decide what is best suited for me and when the work stops you are not left with any choices,” he noted. “Not having a choice of subject was one big challenge. I am a small entrepreneur who runs a business of writing. For me, it was very difficult because payments stopped coming and I have a team of writers I need to pay. Thankfully, when work started my team picked up the pace and we started working harder and we accommodated Diwali bonuses also. I think the worst has passed and we are in a better position.”

    The silver lining

    The emergence of OTT platforms has been a gamechanger for writers. Puri said that thanks to these streaming services, writers are now getting recognised. In addition, with most theatres shit or running at 50 per cent capacity and no big budget movie releases happening, the race for box-office numbers is virtually non-existent. Now, it is completely a contest of skills, which is why Puri believes the overall quality of writing should go up.

    He quipped, “With OTT there are so many stories which can be now explored which are not conventionally box-office. The only criteria is to make the content right and think of the audience as an intelligent audience. The value of writers is going up, in terms of the value, payment, and respect for their work. I am hoping this continues even when the theatres are open.”

    Acknowledging that there has been a spike in OTT consumption, Krishna noted that people who were releasing films in cinema halls are now opting for OTT release –so it has become a level playing field. At the same time, he is hopeful that once things normalise, people would flock back to movie theatres.

    Forecast for the future

    Digital adoption in various walks of life surged by leaps and bounds in 2020 and writing is no exception. For a while now, more and more people have voiced that TV, movie and OTT scripts shouldn’t be made with paper, as paper scripts being tossed around a set might cause problems. So, writers suggested alternatives such as electronic scripts and electronic sign-in/out should be explored in the post-Covid world.

    But what about the big picture? Mishra was of the view that the entertainment industry is going very strong.

    “Fortunately, the market has been pretty good to writers. A lot of ideation went on, it has helped me to work on new shows. All this work came to me in the last five months. We are still in a better position compared to directors, actors and producers,” he said.

    Tripathi opined that the market is still picking up and will take time to settle. The entertainment industry was already facing issues after TRAI’s intervention, digitisation, and then the BARC incident happened. And while the OTT juggernaut is no blip on the radar, traditional linear TV still has a lot going for it. “The industry was kind of settling in when the pandemic knocked on our doors. I also believe that the OTT spike is just a rumour, it is more of an urban phenomenon. Because during the lockdown we have realised that reruns are doing much better than any form of content,” he added.

    A lot of negativity that has come to be associated with daily soaps will decrease, and audiences will react to it, claimed Tripathi. That is why a lot of older shows are working as they bring a sense of nostalgia and good times.

    Writers also echoed the view that smaller budgets and fewer crew on sets would force directors to tell more intimate and pertinent stories.

    These are exciting times to be a screenwriter, with the industry in transformative stage, new forms being explored and a burgeoning need for content among new and diverse consumers. The page is fresh and the quill is ready, now it remains to be seen what story they write.

  • #Throwback2020: Programming across OTT & television

    #Throwback2020: Programming across OTT & television

    MUMBAI/KOLKATA: Life coach and motivational speaker Tony Robbins once remarked that “we aren’t in an information age, we are in an entertainment age.” The past year has shown that Robbins' observation wasn’t far off the mark. As people were bombarded with information from all sides, most of it unpleasant (what with a global pandemic, wildfires, erupting city blocks and violent racial protests, just to name a few), and with cinemas shuttered and live sports cancelled, they retreated to the only safe space left – their television and mobile screens. In fact, 2020 was also remarkable for another fact; TV and OTT saw unprecedented rise in viewership and time spent on the platforms compared to preceding years.

    One of the biggest trends that we saw on OTT and television in 2020 was the re-emergence of the golden era of family viewing. A classic example of this was the reruns of Mahabharat and Ramayan on Doordarshan during the lockdown. IndiaToday touted Mahabharat as the “baap of all masala entertainers” and no wonder, everyone in the family – from grandparents to kids – tuned in to the decades-old show. And as streamers were – for a large part of the year –   were the only ones where fresh content was in supply, audiences signed up for the services in big numbers.

    Programming on television

    With people confined to their homes, TV took them to places where they could find some respite, whether in the form of a supernatural show, a murder mystery, Mills & boons romance thriller, an endearing fish-out-of-water comedy, or a very old daily soap. Some shows nailed tricky tones; others offered unforgettable concepts.

    The pandemic forced general entertainment channels to go for reruns initially as there was no fresh content production for nearly three months. DD emerged the frontrunner, as, besides Mahabharat and Ramayan, it brought many other iconic shows such as Dekh Bhai Dekh and Shriman Shrimati, thereby raking in massive viewership. Private broadcasters took the same route to entertain audiences. Programmes that had been relegated to sister FTA channels, such as Saath Nibhana Saathiya, Kumkum Bhagya and Ye Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, made a comeback on the pay platform and attracted a lot of eyeballs.

    Daily soaps dominate

    A lot of shows focused on family bonding, women taking charge of the household, and the parent-child relationship. Most of these serials tend to have family drama as the core thread with a love story running through it.

    Naagin, Chotti Sardaarni, Barrister Babu and the recently launched Shubharambh delivered – and continue to –  the bounty for Colors. Zee TV’s Kundali Bhagya and Kumkum Bhagya (both produced by Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms) and Guddan Tumse Na Ho Paayega garnered significant eyeballs. Sony TV’s Mere Dad Ki Dulhan, which recently went off air, was centered on the theme of a second chance at love for middle-aged parents.

    Audiences across markets opted for a slice of life and family dramas. The overall Hindi GEC (U+R) and the Hindi GEC (U) audiences preferred to watch recently launched shows like Anupama, Imlie, Ghum Hai Kisi ke Pyaar Mein on Star Plus, and Zee TV’s most popular long-running shows Kundali Bhagya and Kumkum Bhagya.

    Several experimental shows such as 9 Months Wali Love Story, Kaatelal & Sons also found takers, but there wasn’t much in the way of breakthrough content outside of Anupama. The latter is a regular family drama showcasing the taboo subject of extramarital affairs on Indian television.

    Ormax Media partner Keerat Grewal said, "I think the challenge with the category is that experiments with new story ideas are there, but we have not seen any paradigm shift, something that we saw with KBC and Balika Vadhu. Over the last few years non-fiction has had an uptake on HGECs due to the fiction cynicism that’s set in gradually as audiences have been seeing 'more of the same'. This year however non-fiction has struggled as well, with both KBC and Bigg Boss not being able to deliver. Bigg Boss is generally shows an upward trend after a few weeks, once contestant familiarity sets-in."

    With production budgets slashed across channels by almost 20-25%, extending this year's Bigg Boss season even with lower than expected ratings, could be a matter commercial feasibility for the channel, she said

    Star Plus also managed to get its regional shows successfully remade into Hindi with Anupama and Ghum Hai Kisi Ke Pyaar Mein. This urge to adapt and remake has been picked up by other channels as well.

    Non-fiction shows struggled to top the charts

    Kaun Banega Crorepati, Bigg Boss, and The Kapil Sharma Show were produced under strict Covid2019 precautions. The drastically smaller production teams innovated on the sets to adhere to protocol and ensure safety of the participants. For instance, there is a restaurant, a shopping mall, a theatre, and a spa inside the Bigg Boss house. In KBC 12, besides the crew, even those who accompany the contestants on the show have socially distanced seating. There was no live audience and the audience poll lifeline was replaced by video-a-friend. The Kapil Sharma Show introduced recorded audience applause, and cut-outs in the background to make the set look lively. The IPL also did the same.

    Unlike other years, Bigg Boss – while generating a lot of buzz – has had a relatively subdued season and has not picked up in ratings. The non-fiction show has always been known to pick up from the mid-season where it brings older participants to pump up nostalgia and drama. This year, Colors has decided to extend Bigg Boss 14 till February 2021, with the grand finale scheduled around Valentine's Day. Traditionally, non-fiction shows have always given fiction shows a run for their money.

    And while the IPL was a huge production and advertising success, buoying industry sentiment,  the same cannot be said for other marquee non-fiction properties, which compete with it.

     “I think the challenge is that they keep experimenting with new story ideas but we have not seen any paradigm shift, something that we saw with KBC,” noted Grewal.

    The year of OTT

    2020 was the year of OTT, as people sampled and adopted them in droves. Likewise, the investment in content has also increased manifold. As more people turned to premium online content, the platforms also experimented with the formats of their new shows.

    A new genre on the streaming horizon is musical. Amazon Prime Video’s Bandish Bandits gathered buzz with its music-themed plot depicting the clash between two different worlds of music. Although some viewers found the format cliched, the catchy tunes by composers Shankar-Ehsan-Loy made it extremely appealing. MX Player’s music reality show Times of Music was loved for its unique format – it's a crossover between reality and chat show. Bringing the best composers in the Indian film industry together on one stage, the series included recreations of many celebrated songs. Times of Music charmed Indian music lovers at a time when live musical events had come to a halt.

    Experimentation and innovation

    More than simply offering a library of content, OTT platforms in India are trying to establish a stronger connection with consumers through interactive content. The trend has not picked up for premium originals yet but broadcaster-led streaming platforms are experimenting with the format for their catch-up content. Zee5 launched Zee5 Super Family League where participants could  create their own family by selecting their favourite characters from the network’s popular primetime shows. Voot and SonyLIV also created avenues for immersive experience around tentpole content like Bigg Boss and KBC.

    2020 was a series of unusual, new experiments to face the challenges posed by the pandemic. OTTs led the field when it came to producing new shows while sitting at home. Voot devised an innovative content format with locked room murder mystery The Gone Game, shot in cast members' residences. Eros Now also premiered a show made in lockdown – A Viral Wedding. Amazon Prime Video unveiled CU Soon, a film shot entirely during quarantine.

    Sequels spell success

    For many people, the saving grace of 2020 was their favourite shows returning with new seasons. The hugely popular Mirzapur series generated tons of excitement. Among other much-awaited shows, MX Player’s Aashram, Disney+Hotstar’s Hostages, Amazon Prime Video’s Breathe: Into the Shadows wooed the audience with returning seasons. Other than Indian originals, viewers enjoyed new seasons of international series like Money Heist, Dark and The Mandalorian.

    The rise of K-love

    Indian audience’s watch list is no longer defined by local content or few American dramas anymore. All things ‘K’ (as in South Korean, not Ekta Kapoor’s defining alphabet) had a major breakthrough in India amid the pandemic. Netflix India witnessed a whopping 370 per cent growth in the viewership of Korean dramas, with The King: Eternal Monarch, Kingdom (S2), It’s Okay to Not Be Okay and Crash Landing on You dominating the trending list for weeks. MX Player also reported considerable growth of Korean drama in its international segment. Interestingly, the K-drama fad is not limited to millennials and gen Z anymore. Other than romances, older audiences also watched other complex genres like Korean historical dramas and thrillers.

    OTTs have moved on from male, metro, millennial demographic to an increasing number of female content consumers. As a result, platforms focused on women-centric content representing strong female characters. The shows ranged from comedy to thrillers, romance, and social drama. Pushpavali, Four More Shots Please, Arya, Bulbbul, Masaba Masaba, Churails, Code M were some programmes that appealed to and were loved by women viewers.

  • Face of M&E industry in the next 5 years

    Face of M&E industry in the next 5 years

    KOLKATA: Overall advertising spend took a hit in 2020 due to the unprecedented Covid2019 crisis. With hints of recovery, experts are upbeat about adex growth this year as well as in the long term. India’s advertising market is estimated to post a CAGR of 16 per cent over the next five years factoring Covid2019 impact. While digital advertising is estimated to double its share in the overall ad pie, TV spends will largely remain stable, according to a report from Elara Capital.

    However, it mentions that TV advertising may witness a decline in the ad share pie post-2025, if digital scales up further. Globally, digital advertising accounts for 61 per cent of ad spend whereas TV is 23 per cent, given demographics in India (the big mass market with several languages), it is believed that the share of mediums like TV and print will remain higher than the global average.

    Elara Capital VP research analyst (media) Karan Taurani said huge pent-up demand in some sectors (travel, retail & tourism), which were negatively affected during Covid2019, an increase in the number of SME-led advertisers, and the surge in digital advertising led by favourable demographics will drive the growth.

    “Facebook, Google and YouTube will continue to dominate the social, search and video advertising segment within digital advertising. Video advertising, which accounts for almost 30 per cent of digital advertising spend, has outperformed with a 50 per cent growth rate in CY19; however, the larger share keeps moving toward Hotstar and YouTube as they account for almost two thirds of this video advertising pie,” he stated.

    During a panel discussion in Vibes 3.0, The Everywhere Content, Elara Media & Entertainment Conference, experts also reflected similar optimism. They said broader advertising trends within the TV vertical indicate a good recovery, backed by IPL after a big blow during the lockdown. Currently, ad spend stands in good stead after a K-shaped recovery, with some new ad verticals coming up while some old ones are drying up, they added.

    The panellists added that digital will trigger new opportunities as millions of advertisers have moved to digital. SMEs do their own digital advertising, but their adoption is much slower. However, gradually these businesses have been shifting, in line with trends overseas a few years back.

    Digital adoption has been noticeable in consumption patterns too, especially as it has leapfrogged during Covid times. In India, around 10 million viewers have cut chords during Covid2019 lockdown, choosing OTT platforms largely due to a variety of content. The key remains to keep up the engagement of audiences on the OTT platform. TV and OTT can coexist at least for the next eight-ten years. While men used to explore OTT content and women preferred daily soaps on TV, this trend has changed during the pandemic, where family viewing has grown significantly.

    According to the panellists, the value of a revenue-paying subscriber is going to increase significantly. Earlier, with 30-40 OTT platforms and several TV networks, content demand was high. But now, the audience has become quality content-specific and is willing to spend on marquee shows and content. Partnerships with telecom service providers (TSP) will continue to account for a larger chunk of SVOD revenue for broadcaster and other OTTs in the near term; smart TV and smartphones too will support the growth of India’s SVOD ecosystem in the medium term, Taurani added.

    Among other trends in media and entertainment industry, Taurani said cinema remains an outing and socialising trend in Asian countries, such as Singapore, Taiwan, China, the UAE and India. This means there is relatively low or no threat of OTT, unlike the West (US and UK) wherein consumers visit a cinema only to watch a movie. In terms of screen openings too, APAC has 88 per cent of screens open, whereas the US and the EMEA have opened up only 38 per cent and 24 per cent of screens, respectively, until now.

  • #Throwback2020: When d2c brands stormed the retail sector

    #Throwback2020: When d2c brands stormed the retail sector

    NEW DELHI/KOLKATA: The pandemic may have pushed the economy into a slowdown of unknown severity, but it also set the stage for the robust growth of direct-to-consumer (d2c) brands, which turned the crisis into an opportunity to further consolidate their presence in the digital market.

    d2c brands have been on the up and up in the last few years, along with horizontal and vertical e-commerce business. But as the pandemic hit logistics and supply chain and prompted more shoppers to go online, these new-age brands remained resilient. 

    While the changing customer preferences may have driven the growth of some d2c companies, their popularity has also been fuelled by a host of new online shoppers who turn to them for niche products, not available with conventional e-commerce players. Certain disruptive d2c brands identified these need gaps and set out to carve a space in one of the largest consumer markets.

    Start-up growth stories

    Men’s grooming start-up Beardo entered the market five years ago as a d2c brand focusing specifically on products for beards – a segment which barely existed back then. Later, it branched out into other categories for men’s grooming, including facial serum, shampoo and hair-oil and within a short span, the company earned a gross-revenue of Rs 104 crore. Earlier this year, FMCG giant Marico which had earlier acquired a 45 per cent stake in the company completed the acquisition by picking up the remaining 55 per cent and offering complete exit to its founders.

    Another homegrown brand, Bombay Shaving Company, which started its journey in 2015 catering to men’s grooming, also recorded an uptick in sales during the pandemic as demand for personal care products rose. The start-up closed FY20 with gross annualised revenues of Rs 40 crore and targets to be a Rs 100 crore business by the end of FY21.

    A recent report by Avendus Capital highlighted that India’s e-commerce has been driven by its 639 million internet population, and the sector has added 80 million online shoppers in the last three years alone to touch 130 million at present. The report further stated that d2c brands may be looking at a $100 billion addressable consumer opportunity in the country by 2025. Experts believe it would be easier for d2c brands to attract new shoppers as they have greater emotional connect with consumers and a consolidated brand identity. 

    boAt found its footing in a similar manner, when it created a buzz in a market dominated by Sony and Bose four years ago. In 2020, BoAt became the first Indian company to reach the top five in the global wearables market. When on one hand major brands cut down their advertising spends in 2020, BoAt invested heavily in social media to engage with its customers. It registered Rs 500 crore gross revenue in FY20, with a 20 per cent surge in demand for its products in the early part of the pandemic as people moved from offices to the four walls of their homes. The brand occupied 2.6 per cent of the global wearable shipment in the September quarter, sharing the fifth position with Google's owned Fitbit, according to International Data Corporation (IDC)’s latest report. 

    Most of these brands scripted their success stories by establishing a consolidated presence on social media and adapting to the changing preferences of consumers. A primarily digitally-driven band, WOW Skin Science built its market of nature-based sustainable skin products while riding on the success of e-commerce in India, enabling it to reach out to customers in smaller cities and towns. But in the long run, it relied heavily on influencers on social media and customer reviews on its website to drive growth. The brand encountered a few stumbling blocks initially but now sits pretty at a valuation of $50 million (Rs 350 crore).

    Indian cosmetic brand Sugar Cosmetics has grown by 60 per cent from its pre-lockdown numbers, chiefly by capitalising on social media to boost its followers to 240 million monthly odd impressions. The financial year 2020 was already a favourable one for the company and it achieved Rs 200 crores worth of sales over 3,00,000 orders. Now, it has taken an ambitious aim to touch Rs 500 crore net revenue in next five-six years.

    Mamaearth, is another digital-first wonder which created a market for itself with a brand vision to create safe products for kids. Soon, it expanded in the personal care segment and became Asia’s first MadeSafe certified brand for its toxin-free product range.

    The sleeptech start-up Wakelift too accelerated its growth amid the pandemic and forayed into home furniture. At a time when people were hesitant to move out due to the coronavirus pandemic, but wanted comfortable work from home furniture, the company stepped in to address their needs. The furniture market in India has largely been unorganised and the Bengaluru based start-up made use of the opportunity. One of the most discussed consumer brands in India, Wakelift reported Rs 200 crore in revenue in FY20.

    2020 sets the stage for a miraculous growth

    Reports indicate that nearly 600 d2c brands have already germinated in India. With consumers preferring direct relations with brands, especially due to lack of access to physical stores in lockdown, those brands have seen considerable growth this year. According to Unicommerce’s e-commerce trends report, brand websites witnessed 88 per cent growth in order volume as compared to 32 per cent growth in e-commerce marketplaces during the lockdown.

    Even after the stringent lockdown was lifted in June, brands with their own websites have grown at a higher rate compared to brands dependent on marketplaces. It is undeniable that life has slowly begun to return to normal, leading to an increase in physical store footfalls. But with a number of consumers keen to avoid social gatherings due to safety concerns, the brands with online presence will only keep growing. In addition to that, the crisis has strengthened the entire ecosystem including logistics and warehousing.

    The year also saw the d2c sector moving beyond beauty, personal care, fashion, lifestyle and tapping into newer categories. Many global legacy brands have pulled out their products from traditional e-commerce brands to build distinct d2c presence. The trend is slowly catching up in India too. Electronic brands such as OnePlus, Apple, Xiaomi, and Samsung are building their own online presence along with marketplace partnerships. Many top-notch FMCGs are also expected to increase their online presence in coming years and acquire smaller digital-first start-ups. There has been a 65 per cent increase in brands developing their own website in India in the past one year.

    Investors turn attention to new-age brands:

    Spotting the potential in the sector, venture capitalists have invested in the sector over the last few months. MamaEarth has raised Rs 130 crore in a round led by Sequoia Capital India. Another digital-first wellness brand, The Moms Co pocketed $8 million as part of its Series B funding, led by existing investors DSG Partners and Saama Capital. It aims to expand its global footprint by launching the brand internationally. Another new-age customer brand, Hopscotch has raised $25 million from Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin's investment arm EE Capital, Lionrock Capital, Rise Capital, RPG Ventures and IIFL Seed Ventures Fund. Last month, Belgian investment firm Verlinvest led a Rs 185 crore Series B funding round in Wakelift, with existing investor Sequoia Capital India also participating. The company aims to deploy the capital to accelerate its strategic expansion to newer markets, foster product innovation, and leverage technology to deepen its consumer-first approach.

    What the future bodes for the d2c sector

    2020 has been an inflection point for digital technology. As more people logged online to purchase products, it also helped get over the concerns regarding online payments. According to a recent report by Avendus Capital, online spending in India is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of more than 35 per cent, from $39 billion today to $200 billion over the next five years. Brands are increasing their marketing spends too. A study by Invespcro says 78 per cent of d2c brands have increased their marketing budget lately, compared to only 60 per cent of traditional retailers. Along with a stronger marketing plan, more data generated by shoppers and consumer behaviour can help these brands to create a better customised experience.

    d2c brands have set a new standard for quality, timeliness, and accessibility of customer service. Consumers no longer have to choose between convenience and luxury, higher quality and lower prices, since d2c brands offer the best of both worlds. Over the course of 2020, these companies have been able to turn a nadir to their advantage and amassed share and cultural relevance. It will be interesting to see how d2c brands maintain this consumer centricity while continuing to grow and build sustainable businesses in the time to come.

  • #Throwback2020: Heavyweights in the M&E industry

    #Throwback2020: Heavyweights in the M&E industry

    NEW DELHI: In the book of life, people couldn’t wait to turn the page on 2020, but at long last, we have arrived in 2021. There is a lot of energy and zeal in the media and entertainment industry to make a fresh start and rebuild everything back to its pre-Covid2019 glory. No doubt, 2020 was tough, but it has taught us several lessons – like not taking things for granted and being ready to adapt to changes.

    Despite all the odds and challenges, content creators, production houses, service providers and broadcasters kept the ball rolling for consumers as the entertainment did not stop. It was available to the audiences in one format or the other. These professionals worked to create relentlessly fresh and differentiated content, organised live sporting events, and kept viewers engaged.

    Earlier this week, we read about some of the leading M&E professionals and how they steered the industry for better in 2020. Here is the second part of the series:-  

    Rajesh Iyer, Viacom18

    Viacom18 roped in Rajesh Iyer to handle its regional GEC portfolio which includes Colors Odia, Colors Gujarati, Colors Tamil, and Colors Bangla. As the network stepped into 2021, it launched two new shows in Tamil. Iyer is an old hand at Viacom18 and was part of the launch of Colors in 2008. A veteran in the industry who understands content, market, consumer and revenue, Iyer has been brought in to handle the challenges of the genre and grow the business. He is known for his leadership at Network18 and ZeeL, where he spearheaded new initiatives and launched &TV. The latter was successful in creating a niche for itself in the market within the first three years of its debut.

    Rajiv Bakshi, Reliance Big Synergy

    In the last 12 months, Reliance Big Synergy CEO Rajiv Bakshi has completely turned the course of the production house. It is no longer just a powerhouse for non-fiction but a creator of all forms of content – be it fiction, web series, direct to digital films, biographies, mythology and more – across multiple languages such as Bangla, Telugu, Punjabi, Bhojpuri, and Hindi. The man has high ambitions for the production house and aims to have a strong fiction split in its content production. Bakshi is a veteran in the M&E industry who has seen the business from the lens of a marketer, broadcaster, and creator. He has worked across TV, internet, media, telecom, and consumer durable industries in his career.

    Avinash Pandey, ABP Network

    In less than two years of donning the mantle of chief executive officer at ABP Network, Avinash Pandey took it on himself to refresh its entire functionalities, building on unique capabilities and starting a fresh chapter in its history. He rebranded ABP’s identity from a premium news network to an all-encompassing content powerhouse. The network stepped into the world of content creation, production, brand solutions, etc, investing in cutting-edge technology to facilitate best-in-class solutions for the clients. Its news channels were also given a fresh look and mission of being limitless in their coverage. Pandey has talked about his intentions to shift network services from FTA to pay.  

    Apart from these massive overhauls in the core identity of the network, Pandey also rose as a strong voice who not just demanded rights for the broadcasters but also called out the shortcomings of the news industry. He openly dissed the culture of chasing TRPs by news channels, called out the ‘outdated measurement system’ that is promoting dramatic news reporting, and batted for deregulation of broadcasting content. 

    It was under his leadership that ABP Network sailed through the unique challenges posed by the Covid2019 crisis. In fact, ABP was amongst the very few news networks that did not have to resort to pay cuts or lay-offs. 

    Nina Elavia Jaipuria, Viacom18

    An old hand at Viacom18, Jaipuria has churned out content that drew in and engaged audiences across demographics, whether it was in Hindi GEC, Hindi motion pictures, or kids genre. On the kid’s front, she spearheaded the launch of two new IPs – Bhoot Bandhus and Ting Tong on Sonic and Nickelodeon respectively in 2020. She steered her portfolio through the pandemic when adex dipped.

    On the Hindi mass entertainment side, the organisation tapped into its libraries during the lockdown, bringing back shows like Mahakali, Shani Dev, Jai Shri Krishna, Om Namah Shivaya and Mahabharat that evoked nostalgia among viewers. News shows like Pinjara Khubsurti Ka, Molkki and Namak Issk Ka were also planned during this time.

    Jaipuria is an industry stalwart with over three decades of experience. She steered the network’s growth from a lone kids channel to a cluster of channels.

    Aditya Pittie, IN10

    Anand Mahindra-and Aditya Pittie-promoted IN10 Media has a bouquet of varied media offerings such as television (Epic TV), OTT platforms (Epic On and Docubay), and production house (Juggernaut. IN10 Media Network also launched kids' channel Gubbare on Children's Day. After the success of its linear broadcast channels in their respective genres – Epic TV and ShowBox – the network ventured into the regional cinema market with Filamchi, a 24/7 linear broadcast channel for Bhojpuri cinema fans across the country.

    Meanwhile, Juggernaut Productions worked on Avrodh: The Siege Within that was acclaimed by audiences and critics alike. Pittie has kept the pricing of EpicOn and Docubay far higher than any horizontal or generic OTT. He has positioned the channels as a vertical player with a very specific offering.

    Vynsley Fernandes, NXTDigital

    An old face in the cable distribution industry, Fernandes was recently elevated as media group CEO of Hinduja group’s NXTDigital. Before his current role, he turned the struggling NXTDigital businesses to profitability within two years of taking on the position of CEO at IndusInd Media and Communications Ltd (IMCL). Now, he will not only run digital TV and HITS business but also broadband and content business.

    Fernandes is leading innovation at NXTDigital as the company looks at establishing itself as a digital service provider. While the video segment of the company has around 5.38 million subscribers currently, its broadband segment has achieved yet another milestone under his leadership by crossing half-a-million home broadband consumers. Identifying the need for bundled services, he is highly focused on synergising cable TV or HITS service with broadband that would drive the growth of all services concurrently.

    The ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) recently amended HITS guidelines by allowing HITS operators to share infrastructure with MSOs. Hence, Fernandes has identified this as a big area of growth for NXTDigital, the only HITS service provider in the country. As infrastructure sharing can reduce the cost of connectivity significantly, he is looking at leveraging this opportunity in the B2B model.

    It was under his leadership that NXTDigital managed to continue its operations smoothly during the Covid2019 crisis under a well-structured contingency plan. It’s one of the few MSOs to have a proper digital payment method for business partners. Fernandes has advocated embracing digital payments, rolling out broadband, hybrid boxes to sustain in the long-term.

    Karan Bedi, MX Player

    Karan Bedi is heading one of the most successful OTT platforms in India. Within two years of MX Player’s launch, the service has diversified into gaming, short-video, and music segment along with its core OTT offerings. The platform, which currently has over 200 million monthly active users, emerged as the fastest growing OTT entertainment platform during the lockdown, Comscore data indicated.

    While it was already recognised as the top entertainment app in India in 2019 by a FICCI report, MX Player has seen tremendous growth during 2020. With a 5X increase in engagement during lockdown, it has also attracted 150 new brands. The platform has focused on tier-2, tier-3 markets from the beginning, which has helped it to grow more post-Covid2019.

    MX Player has replicated its OTT success in the short video format too under Bedi’s leadership. It introduced MX TakaTak within a week of the TikTok ban. Already, it boasts 70 million monthly active users and 10 million unique content creators. To solidify its position in the growing ecosystem, the platform is increasing its content library, innovating its offerings and on-boarding well-known influencers.

    Siddharth Kumar Tewary,  Swastik Productions  

    When you have ambition like Siddharth Kumar Tewary, you let nothing come in your way. So his decision to set up shooting floors in Umergaon in Gujarat were very futuristic. He was one of the first producers to begin filming after the government drew up SOPs for shoots to begin again, following the lifting of strict lockdown Covid2019 rules. That was thanks to the fact that he owned his own sets in Umergaon, with residences which could even house crew and cast, thus putting them in a safe bio bubble.

    2020 was the year, when he  broke out, getting commissioned to produce Bahubali for Netflix and a show for Hotstar, even as he continued to produce for television. Swastik Productions also launched two new series Devi Adi Parashakti for Dangal and Deva Shree Ganesha airing on Star Pravah. He recently partnered with Sony Pictures Networks India for exclusive rights to license and distribute its content catalogue in CEE/CIS countries as well as China and Japan.

    Hiren Gada, Shemaroo

    When the Maroo family – the promoter of content aggregation and distribution company Shemaroo – pole vaulted Hiren Gada as CEO in 2018, he was a little known entity. A shy reserved executive, he preferred to play a role behind the scenes, helping grow its international syndication business and keeping a sharp eye on finances. Two years into his job, he has transformed the organisation along with his sister Kranti Gada who is the COO,

    Hiren first focused on bringing in outside industry professionals into Shemaroo, thus fostering its evolution from being family owned and run to a professional one. In 2020, he took some gutsy punts, launching a free to air general entertainment channel Shemaroo TV in order to help draw in advertising money and help grow the company. He had taken even sharp risks just as 2019 was ending, by flagging off an OTT platform called ShemarooMe and MarathiBana –a Marathi language free to air channel, a little before that. He also announced his intention to help small budget films get launched on an OTT with ShemarooMe Box Office which will serve as T-VoD window for the company.

    Despite expanding Shemaroo’s portfolio of offerings, he has ensured that his content deals with other platforms are kept in place.

    Today, Shemaroo’s products cover two channels, an OTT service ShemarooMe and a T-VoD  service, making it a player which more than counts in the TV industry.

    Kalli Purie, India Today Group

    The vice chairperson of the India Today Group is one of the most powerful women in the India’s media and entertainment industry. Purie is part of several industry bodies such as Barc and NBA and has been relentlessly working towards shaping the industry for better. In 2020, she restructured the top management of ITG to ensure that the group sails through these times with minimal impact. Purie also brought back ITG’s star anchor and editor Prabhu Chawla to host the much popular show Seedhi Baat.    

    (Please note that the placement of the M&E leaders in the story is not in pecking order)