ITV

Category: Technology

  • Nasscom Foundation takes on non-profit champion Jyoti Sharma as CEO

    Nasscom Foundation takes on non-profit champion Jyoti Sharma as CEO

    MUMBAI: The National Association of Software & Service Companies (Nasscom) Foundation has appointed Organic Cotton Accelerator country director, India Jyoti Sharma as its CEO starting the new calendar year.  

    The Nasscom Foundation is a non-profit organisation representing the Indian IT industry in the Nasscom ecosystem. Its core philosophy is TechForGood, through which it strives to unleash the power of technology by providing access and opportunity to those in need. It uses technology to assist people and institutions in transforming the way they address social and economic concerns.

    With about 24 years’ experience, Jyoti has been driving social impact across diverse sectors, including gender equality, education, climate change, regenerative agriculture, child rights and disaster management.  She has been instrumental in shaping various organisations’ strategic vision and driving their growth.  

    Among them:  Practical Action Consulting (India representative, March 2020-December 2021), World Resources Institute (director, institutional development, December 2018 to March 2020), Magic Bus Foundation (regional director-north, November 2015-November 2018, Save the Children  India (head-institutional partnerships, April 2011-October 2015), Oxfam (regional coordinator Program fund raising  South Asia, November 2008 to March 2011), DG European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office – ECHO (programme officer – south Asia, October 2005-October 2008),  and Action Aid UK (program officer, June 2001-September 2005).

    The BA from the Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati University completed her masters in social work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences  Tiss (Mumbai) in 2001.

    Jyoti was quite exhilarated about taking on the challenge of driving the Nasscom Foundation in the new era of AI and ML.  “My first day was nothing short of inspiring. It’s clear that this team shares a passion for creating meaningful change—something I am eager to champion in the times ahead. As we dive into 2025, I look forward to building a future where hashtag#TechForGood continues to transform lives, empower communities, and create opportunities for all,”said Jyoti on Linkedin on 2 January the day she joined the Nasscom Foundation . 
     

  • CES’25: Adata to showcase XPG gaming & Adata Industrial storage brands

    CES’25: Adata to showcase XPG gaming & Adata Industrial storage brands

    LAS VEGAS: The excitement around  the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025 to be held in Vegas is building up with a slew of new  technologies and products set to be launched and displayed by various global players.

    Memory module and flash memory innovator, Adata Technology, will be showcasing its gaming sub-brand XPG and industrial-grade embedded storage brand Adata  Industrial.

    The company will be bringing its theme of Innovate for a Better Tomorrow to the Venetian in Las Vegas, located at  booth Titian #2204 from 7-10 January. An online exhibition is being launched during this period for consumers around the world to experience a full range of innovative products in real time. You can log on to it here:  https://event.adata.com/CES2025

    Three exhibition zones, each with an overarching theme, have been planned for this year’s CES.

    The Artificial Intelligence Computing Solutions Zone will showcase XPG AIcore DDR5 R-Dimm overclocked memory and XPG Lancer Cudimm RGB DDR5 gaming memory. Additional products in this zone include the XPG Defender SFF small form factor commercial chassis and XPG Edgecore TFX power supply, which are designed to meet the needs of edge computing systems and demonstrate Adata’s comprehensive investment in the evolution of the AI  era. 

    The Innovative Technology and Smart Mobile Lifestyle Zone  will see the launch of multiple Gen5 SSD cooling solutions and highlight the world’s first eco-friendly XPG Lancer NeonRGB DDR5 gaming memory with PCB heat dissipating coating, creating a new benchmark for cooling and efficient data transfer in the high-speed storage industry.

    The Xtreme Performance Gear Zone will showcase highly efficient gaming systems, top-notch power supplies, and cooling solutions, taking gaming applications to a new level. Each exhibit combines innovative technologies and high-performance products, and consumers around the world can join online for a one-of-a-kind experience!

  • Govt-backed Indian Institute of Creative Technologies incorporated

    Govt-backed Indian Institute of Creative Technologies incorporated

    MUMBAI: Even as Christmas was being celebrated in India and around the world, a new company was created in India. Called the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) it was incorporated on 25 Deecmber 2024.

    It has been set up as a section 8 company under the Companies Act. What this section allows is the facility for the company to be converted  into  a company of other class under this Act by alteration  of memorandum and articles in accordance.

    The IICT  is slated to  set up a centre of excellence for the AVGCXR segments. It is being patterned along the lines of the Indian Institutes of Technologies but focused on higher education relating to animation, comics, VFX, gaming, XR and generative AI related to video and the visual arts.

    The IICT has the NFDC’s Mumbai address as its mailing address as it is being set up under its umbrella.

    The Narendra Modi-led government is putting a lot of emphasis on promoting the Indian AVGCXR sector globally and sees it as a major contributor to employment and revenue generation from the domestic market, as well as through exports and co-productions.

    The IICT is one of the means to hone world class talent just like the IITs produce the best engineers. It is planned to develop under a public-private partnership going forward.

  • Ossify to launch Compaq subscription TV package on 5 January

    Ossify to launch Compaq subscription TV package on 5 January

    MUMBAI: Here’s another player  which says it is entering the subscription television arena. Compaq TV maker Ossify Industries  says it is launching a subscription-based smart LED TV bundled with a comprehensive three-in-one package starting from  Rs 999, all available through the its  hybrid LED app.

    The subscription-based TV is being offered In collaboration with a  broadband and Wi-Fi service provider.  Users can end up owning a smart LED TV in just three years through the plan the company has drawn up.

    “We are on a mission to bring the magic of high-quality entertainment into every home,” said Ossify Industries CEO Sandeep Chaudhary. “With our new package, we’re not just offering a TV; we’re providing an experience that combines cutting-edge technology with unbeatable value. It’s time for every family to enjoy their favorite movies, shows, and many more.”

    The bundle is set to officially launch in January, with pre-booking beginning on 5 January. A press release issued by the company gives no details, but promises that viewers can enjoy seamless connectivity with reliable broadband services, access leading OTT platforms.

    But the press release raises a few questions: Is the CompaqTV  product offering including a mass of channels and OTT platforms a  la DorTV is? Or is it just following DorTV to get  a beneficial rub-off from the hype around it and attempting to make a splash by repackaging its earlier TV plus offerings?  

    That we probably will know at the time of the launch. 

  • Harmonic’s video delivery solution makes life easier for Two Wheels Motor Racing

    Harmonic’s video delivery solution makes life easier for Two Wheels Motor Racing

    MUMBAI: It’s in harmony with  the Malaysian motor sports racing organisation Two Wheels Motor Racing (TWMR). Virtualized broadband and video delivery solutions firm Harmonic has provided the Two Wheels Motor Racing (TWMR) organisation  in Malaysia with a quick fix  that has simplified the distribution of live sports events. Leveraging Harmonic’s VOS 360 Media SaaS, ViBE CP9000 contribution encoder and ProView 8100 IRD, TWMR can deliver exceptional-quality video streams to affiliates over the internet.

    “Our mission as a motorsport organisation is simple: to bring the thrill of motorcycle racing to fans across Asia. Delivering live sports events efficiently is critical to this mission,” said TWMR TV producer & coordinator Mohd Noorharif Jaafar. “Harmonic’s SaaS and appliance-based solutions make it easy to distribute live video to affiliates across Malaysia and Asia. Since adopting Harmonic’s cloud-based VOS360 Media SaaS solution and distribution appliances, we’ve reduced our dependency on satellites and significantly lowered our delivery costs.”

    The Two wheels motor racing championship

    Harmonic’s VOS360 Media SaaS simplifies all stages of media processing and delivery for premium broadcast services. The VOS360 solution provides a high level of reliability for live sports delivery with a state-of-the-art live routing system that efficiently distributes live streams to affiliates during large-scale events. Harmonic’s CP9000 contribution encoder ingests the live feeds with ultra-low latency and pristine video quality, and the ProView 8100 IRD ensures high-quality video reception on the affiliate side.

    “By migrating from satellite to the internet for live sports event distribution with Harmonic’s VOS360 solution running on the cloud, TWMR has unlocked increased flexibility, cost savings and scalability,” said Harmonic vice president of sales, APAC and EMEA Tony Berthaud.  “This shift enables TWMR to deliver high-quality content to audiences across the APAC region with greater efficiency and reliability than ever before.”

     

    (Pictures courtesy  Two Wheels Motor Racing; no copyright infringement intended )

     

  • LucidLink gets MPA TPN gold certification for providing highly secure services

    LucidLink gets MPA TPN gold certification for providing highly secure services

    MUMBAI: Storage collaboration platform LucidLink has got the stamp of approval from the Motion Picture Association (MPA). It recently got the  Trusted Partner Network gold shield certification from the association. The milestone highlights LucidLink’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding the most valuable assets of the media and entertainment (M&E) industry.

    The TPN, a global initiative by the MPA, is designed to protect against leaks, breaches, and hacks in the media supply chain. The gold shield certification represents the most rigorous evaluation process, conducted by accredited third-party evaluators, and exceeds the scope of self-assessments like TPN blue certification.

    LucidLink’s gold certification signifies its ongoing guarantee of building stringent security measures, crucial in an industry where protecting intellectual property and sensitive content is vital.

    LucidLink’s assessment was conducted by CISC Ltd,  an accredited TPN-certified third-party auditor with expertise in evaluating security in the M&E industry. The results of this assessment are now accessible to TPN Studio members via the TPN+ platform, enabling a streamlined and centralised review process for all stakeholders.

    The M&E industry is increasingly relying on cloud-based workflows. LucidLink addresses the sector’s rising digital security needs. With its innovative solutions, it says it ensures customers can confidently access, share, and collaborate on large-scale media projects without compromising on security or efficiency.

    “LucidLink has consistently prioritised security as one of the cornerstones of our solutions,” said LucidLink CEO Peter Thompson. “Achieving the TPN gold shield certification reaffirms our dedication to providing secure, cloud-native workflows that empower creatives to collaborate globally without compromising sensitive media assets.”

    LucidLink’s storage collaboration platform, known for its its zero-knowledge encryption model, ensures that only end-users can access their data—neither LucidLink nor storage providers have visibility. This level of security is particularly critical for M&E companies handling high-value projects like Oscar-winning films and award-winning TV programs.

    “By earning the TPN gold shield, LucidLink aligns itself with the MPA content security best practices, demonstrating its readiness to protect creative works across the evolving digital landscape,” said TPN president Terri Davies. “Commitment to securing cloud-based solutions is essential for modern media workflows, and earning a TPN gold enables software providers such as LucidLink to provide more reliable content creation while safeguarding against evolving threats.”

    LucidLink, says its dual achievement of SOC 2, Type II compliance earlier this year, and now  the TPN gold shield certification positions it as a trusted partner for studios, broadcasters, and post-production houses transitioning to cloud-based operations. These certifications validate its adherence to the most stringent security protocols, ensuring the safety and integrity of sensitive workflows across the global M&E supply chain.

  • Anand Chandrasekaran joins Celesta Capital as managing partner

    Anand Chandrasekaran joins Celesta Capital as managing partner

    MUMBAI: Anand Chandrasekaran’s  is quite a familiar face to those  in the media and entertainment tech industry. A geek to the core, he has also been recognised as a shrewd observer and investor in the evolution of tech. Recently, it was announced that he joined Celesta Capital in the Silicon Valley  as a managing partner. 
    Celesta was founded and is led by Nicholas Brathwaite, Sriram Viswanathan, and Michael Marks,  and primarily invests in early-stage deep tech, companies with high potential hardware and software technologies that have a clearly identified market application. 

    Anand knows how to pick winners. At one stage, he led Yahooi in its mobile and search division as senior director, a position he held for three years. He led product development at Airtel and created the Wynk music app for Airtel. 

    Soon thereafter,  he joined Snapdeal as chief product officer, a position he let go of within a year. He then went on to work with Facebook (now Meta) as director of platforms partnerships at messenger which he followed up with a sojourn at Five9. 

    He then went on to  go on board General Catlayst as an investor and partner. Along the way he seed invested in several start ups and has been recognised as one of India’s top seed investors for three years consecutively. 
    Most recently, he co-founded Celesta Capital portfolio company Crescendo, helping to incubate and grow the company to over $50M in revenue and a $500M valuation in less than a year.

    “We are fortunate to expand the firm’s team with such an accomplished investor, technologist, and operator. In getting to know Anand through the process of investing in his latest entrepreneurial venture Crescendo, it became clear that he shares Celesta’s passion for advancing important technologies, company creation, and the huge growth potential within the US  – India tech corridor,” said Viswanathan in a note welcoming him to the company on Linkedin.

  • Competitive casual games: a serious success story in India

    Competitive casual games: a serious success story in India

    MUMBAI: Investor interest in the Indian gaming market is undergoing a blip this year compared to the year before. At $23.4 million, it is significantly lower than the ₹110 million raised in 2023. Surprisingly, casual games seem to be immune to this temporary lack of interest. Investment in casual gaming more than tripled between January and September of 2023 and 2024, from $4.6 million to $15.9 million.

    The popularity of casual competitive games is increasing in India and is expected to remain so for some time. This explains why investments in casual games continue to rise even during an unusually lean period. On one hand, we have real money games like rummy, which in India has a large population with a strong interest in and knowledge of rummy game rules. Casual games, on the other hand, have a hypnotic charm with simple mechanics that you can enjoy in short bursts between your breaks.

    Keeping it Casual

    A little bit of competition has always been a key motivation for gamers. The intensity of competition may be greater in the case of hardcore gamers, but there is a silent majority who enjoy some amount of competition to go with the entertainment that games bring. This silent majority is driving the popularity of casual competitive games in India.

    The Lumikai X Google’s Interactive Media and Gaming Research 2024 has further reiterated this observation. The research estimates that casual and hyper-casual gaming will continue to grow at a CAGR of 23% in India for the next five years. It is also worth considering the percentage of female gamers is increasing rapidly in India to reach 44% this year. As a demographic, women are among the strongest patrons of casual games.

    The average hours spent every week on casual gaming has increased from 3 hours in the financial year 2023 to 3.6 hours in 2024. Casual games continue to be the most popular genre of gaming across India, followed by mid-core games and real money games. Also keeping the genre lucrative for investors is the fact that the in-app purchases in this genre have registered a 10% annual growth this year.

    Engaging in Friendly Fires

    While gunshots exchanged across international borders are sometimes diplomatically described as ‘friendly fires’, a competitive casual game is undoubtedly the better example of the term. The funds involved in poker and rummy games make the competition much more serious. There is a strong need to understand poker and rummy game rules too. The popularity of these card games accounts for the phenomenal popularity of platforms like RummyTime. However, competitive casual games are truly casual.

    Take the popular Coin Master game, for instance. The aim here is to build the strongest Viking village, win loot, earn rewards and trade your treasures with your fellow Viking friends. PUBG and its successor, BGMI, have been popular favourites among Indian gamers for years. These games have been offering a casual mode with around 10 players, some of whom can be practice bots as well. Once the gamers hone their skills, they can graduate to the multiplayer battle royale format in this player-versus-player shooter game.

    There is a competitive spirit in the casual games built around the popular board game Ludo as well. Popular ludo platforms organise mega prize money tournaments where gamers can test their ludo skills and sharpness. It is also a popular pastime among friends who can now play it on smartphones instead of looking around for the physical board game and the dice.

    Ludo’s Popularity: The Casual Competitive Case Study

    Ludo has been a popular pastime for adults and children in India for decades if not centuries. Online ludo offers an opportunity for friends to socialise. As against the board game format where two to four players can play, online ludo can accommodate six players.

    The gameplay is much quicker, with the quick-mode match running for roughly five minutes only. In the physical format, this can extend to anywhere between 30 to 90 minutes. The simple mechanics and sleek UI ensures that gamers can pick and play at any time between their breaks.

    Popular ludo platforms have not relied on ad incomes alone for profitability. They are offering in-app purchase options that include premium features like peer-to-peer chats, voice notes and audio modes.

    Over the years, ludo has spread across different gaming communities. Ludo King, for instance, has 20% downloads outside India. International favourite, Yalla Ludo leads the revenue race with more than $1 million in the first nine months of this calendar year.

    A Dominant Presence

    Competitive casual games are a dominant presence in the gaming landscape. In a regional research conducted in India, casual games topped the popularity across the country. The game is the top genre in the East India zone among paying gamers as well. Competitive and non-competitive casual games like Candy Crush, Ludo and Coin Master are unanimous national favourites. It is a pattern that seems set to continue.

  • Steep Climbs, Little Foothold: The Challenges of Indian Indie Game Developers

    Steep Climbs, Little Foothold: The Challenges of Indian Indie Game Developers

    In his Independence Day speech this year, PM Modi hoped that Indian game developers can make a mark on the global scene. This was not without reason. Indian gaming offers a unique landscape. From media choices to playing durations, from game formats to variations, this uniqueness offers a ripe Make in India opportunity. Be it playing rummy on a popular rummy app or shuffling their favourite cricket players in a fantasy league game, there is Indianness to gaming here.

    But has the average indie game developer managed to capitalise on this opportunity? Global gaming giants like Xbox are keen to harness the potential of these indie developers. Its India Lead for global expansion, Arjun Varma, has even hinted at including more Indian games in their Xbox Game Pass.

    However, the road to recognition for the Indian indie game developer is not without challenges.

    High on Skill, Low on Resource

    Independent businesses in any industry have to operate within their limited resources. This is a major challenge in a vocation like game development. Games developed with cutting-edge technology and high-quality sound and graphics have a better chance of success. However, it requires a budget that only big gaming studios can afford.

    Developing a game can cost you anything between ₹50 lakhs to ₹3 crores. Games remain in the development stage for one to three years. High cost and high gestation period are paid off when the game is selected by a streaming platform like Sony or Steam. If the game makes it, it can command a subscription fee of ₹500 to ₹1500. If not, the struggle continues as the game relies on effective marketing.

    Crowded with Competition

    In India, Hyderabad has a growing indie game scene, with around 20 to 30 firms engaged in the development of independent games. Across the country, there are more than 1,500 developers and more than 300 companies, many of whom are into indie games. Making a breakthrough product can be a challenge amidst the competition. Making things difficult is the sweeping popularity of the global AAA gaming titles.

    If an indie game doesn’t end up on a streaming platform, its struggles will continue for a longer spell. An indie game developer may not have access to the marketing resources and teams that big studios have. They rely on gaming forums, social media and online venues and events to reach out to the gamers and gather a fan following.

    Indie game developers must note that getting into a streaming platform is not the end of challenges either. It is a crowded marketplace with thousands of players vying for gamer’s attention. For instance, on Steam, there are over 13,000 gaming titles, out of which nearly 99% are indie games. They share the spoils out of the 48% of the revenue generated in the platform. AA and AAA games, on the other hand, command 52% revenue despite representing a little over 1% of the games present on the platform.

    Balancing Skill and Timeline

    While India is home to hundreds of skilled game developers, developing a game requires a fine balance. High skill can lead to good quality, but adhering to the timeline is just as important. While big studios can afford a delay in the game development, it can lead to dire financial consequences for indie developers.

    With finances as a looming backdrop, indie game developers in India decide on feasible game mechanics, the size of the development team, and the extent of trial and error they can afford. And then conclude the initial debugging and optimisation within the project timeline. All of these call for a meticulously planned game development lifecycle.

    Indie Infrastructure and Efforts in India

    The skill development and infrastructural initiatives undertaken by the Indian government stand to benefit the Indian gaming industry as well. Initiatives like the AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics) policies are expected to empower aspiring Indian AAA game developers as well as indie developers.

    Regional initiatives like the “IMAGE”, a centre of entrepreneurship for gaming, animation, VFX, computer vision, and AI startups, have also helped indie gamers. IMAGE has confirmed that it has more than 40 indie game startups operating under the centre. Besides, initiatives like the Krafton India Gaming Incubator have shown that impressive Indian indie games like Spice Secrets and Sojourn Past can be given a platform to excel.

    Going back to the uniqueness of the Indian gaming market, the success of certain real money games is an indication of the scope available to indie developers. The preference of Indian gamers for games like rummy has led to the success of apps like RummyCulture and many other real money gaming platforms.

    Continued Optimism

    Industry watchers maintain their optimism when it comes to the potential of Indian indie game developers and studios. Success stories like Asura and Raji, the rise of crowdfunding in gaming and the cultural relevance of indie games can push Indian indie games to higher ground.   
     

  • Mahindra group hires Devendra Sharnagat as SVP- AI division

    Mahindra group hires Devendra Sharnagat as SVP- AI division

    MUMBAI: AI– especially it’s use to improve productivity and work flows –  is the juice that’s keeping organisations moving forward and invest in it greatly. The Mahindra group is not far behind. It recently appointed Devendra Sharnagat as the senior vice-president of the AI division. In this new role, he will oversee the centralised data and AI expertise pool, driving the group’s AI initiatives across various companies.

    Hitherto, he was the chief data & analytics officer at Mahindra Finance where  he was leading data and analytics function for the financial services sector and driving business effeciency and productivity through data and digital.

    He has spent a large part of his career at HDFC Bank (eight years) where he rose from being manager campaign management in the credit card division to deputy vice-president analytical marketing when he decided to quit and join Kotak Mahindra Bank. A 11-year stint there saw him rise from vice-president, head – BIU & customer value management to senior executive vice-presdent – head of data and analytics. He then made a lateral move in the Mahindra  group to Mahindra Finance.

    Sharnagat is well  wired for the job.  Apart from  his work experience, he holds a master’s degree in technology from Bits Pilani and a master of management studies from Sydenham Institute of Management Studies.