Event Coverage

‘Broadcasters could consider different pricing for rural-urban subscribers’

Published

9 years ago

October 3, 2016

When DEN Networks promoter Sameer Manchanda set up the national MSO in 2007, one of the key professionals on his team, which was led by CEO Anuj Gandhi, was the cable TV veteran S.N. Sharma. The trio quickly ramped up the company and took it to national level status. Gandhi then moved on in 2010 to join Network18. And, Sharma who was the president (operations), was promoted as the CEO a year or so later.

He continued with the company, expanding it nationally, and seeing it through the first two phases of digitization before departing in 2015 to get on board India’s biggest and most funded startup — the Mukesh Ambani-backed Reliance Jio. A former McKinsey professional Pradeep Parameswaran was roped in to lead the company in his place.

Sharma, meanwhile, at Jio, worked on planning and building the team for company’s foray into cable TV along with another cable TV veteran K. Jayaraman.

Then, in July 2016, Sharma made a sudden about-turn and decided to return to DEN Networks, a move that raised the eyebrows of many but cheered many in the trade. For he is known for his relationships and his deep understanding of how cable TV should be run in the Indian context.

Sharma was one of the key notes at indiantelevision.com’s Eleventh India Digital Operators Summit 2016 which concluded over the weekend at the Leela Hotel in south Goa. He had a one-on-one conversation with Indiantelevision.com Founder, CEO & Editor in chief Anil Wanvari. Read on to get some insights into what is going on at DEN and with Sharma. Excerpts from the conversation:

Why did you leave DEN in the first case, join Reliance and then why did you choose to come back?

Having been into the cable industry for over 20 plus years, I thought, let me do something else. And, that’s why I moved to Reliance. Basically, I wanted to roll out fibre to the home (FTTH) over there. It would have been a great experience and learning (I thought). And it was, indeed. I learnt a lot in the short span of one and a half year. It was a wonderful learning that I brought in to my personality.

But then, there was a call from my previous employer DEN, my friend Sameer. I am one of the co-founders of DEN Network. And, I requested my employers at Reliance if I could leave. And they were kind enough to let me go back. It was more of an emotional decision than a professional one. All my learnings that I have had at Reliance, I am
sure, will help me learn to drive DEN in a better manner,in a positive direction in time to come.

What are the challenges you are facing?

The challenge as we all know is primarily monetization. We started seeding boxes in 2010, now it is 2016. DAS came in 2012. And “hote hote” (by and by) it became 2013. Phase I and II happened quickly.

There is a lag in monetization. Of course, we all can understand and you will appreciate that an industry which evolved since 1990, almost 30 year old industry, it takes time for things to change. And, we took tiny, baby steps to monetize it. But now, the time has come the boxes seeded in 2010 have almost lived their life and new technology is coming in. So my prime task is to see to it that we augment the process of monetization.

The other challenge that I face immediately which I am working very aggressively on is to reduce the cost. We all know that Phase III digitization got into a confused state, with boxes having got seeded, and the courts intervening. Analogue signal has also been taken away from many of us. The MIB says 93 per cent of digitization has happened. So the monetization process also has to start. But, in the bargain, we have already incurred some expenditure. And unless I start recovering my revenue, the journey will be difficult.

This time, in a short span of one and a half month, I addressed my cable TV partners, my business partners and my associates in a very transparent manner. We had a discussion – a whole day discussion wherein I shared with them my experiences with the telco. I shared with them the upcoming technology. I told them there is a change. The technology is not going to spare them. We all used to think that last mile …last mile. But, my subscriber is not bound by last mile. My biggest threat today is the handset that I carry. The viewing habits are changing. Technology is bringing other alternatives. For the same viewer who used to be watching their services. It is high time they realized it and accepted this change. And, they all agreed. I was surprised. It was a very open, frank and to-the-point discussion. I told them if we are willing to change, if we are willing to adopt, life will be there for us, otherwise the journey is going to be difficult. Everybody is cooperating. We hope to see a very good upside as far as collections are concerned.

Third is making the LCOs, our partners realize the pains we are going through. And, make them see the technology.

And fourth is we have started conducting sessions with cable TV operator to sensitise them with the consumers. Like the regulator also said: Don’t force things on the consumer. He is in no mood. So the approach has to be friendlier than earlier. We have to change the face of our representative visiting the home of the subscriber. The
presentation of our package has got lost. We brought in a digital set-top box, we invested in that. But, we forgot in the process that we had not changed our face to the consumer. The cable TV operators accepted that we need to bring in a lot of ethics and discipline in that part. You will see our representatives wearing uniforms. Uniform could be ours or the LCO’s. It has to be in a presentable form. Today, if you are visited by a courier boy, the way he is approaching is different.

I am sure the cable TV operators will comply.

Where are you reducing costs?

Our priority early on was to penetrate the market, you increase your reach and when you penetrate certain areas, those can be reached through fibre or through links from telcos. After some time, you realize that you have spent an X amount in reaching an area and you have seeded 50 boxes. It does not make sense to you. So, you need to make a quick decision. You retract, you save money on that. Or you go to another MSO who is reaching the same area and he has done it using a different pipe. And, he has 50,000 subscribers. So, I would tell him, why don’t we share the pipe. That process (of sharing) has already started. Then, we have started sharing the infrastructure also in another manner, in terms of content. If a competitor has a pipe serving more subscribers in the same area than I have less or vice-versa, I am open to sharing the pipe with the competitor. This is helping reduce costs. We have started sharing local content with cable operators. The cable operator has local content with him. So, instead of spending separately on the same content, we have started sharing that content too. Then, there are usual steps — reduction of manpower, to hire on a temporary basis, and cutting down the day-to-day expenses.

Where are you getting your maximum margins?

You see we have largely been a phase III player. We have seeded 5.5 million in phase III, and 3-4 million are to go in phase IV. Of the 13 million subscribers, we have seeded 9-9.5 million. My upside will come from revenues of phase III boxes, which were yielding Rs 10-20. We have already crossed a milestone of Rs 40- 45 revenues, By December-end, it will touch Rs 75 plus — that is a 45 per cent growth. Phase I is likely to give us 15-20 per cent.

Who is going to get you this money – LCOs or the customer?

You see the mood is set. In the exercise, baby steps were taken to augment phase I revenues. It took us four years. Phase III customer is also aware. All studies and research show us is that the buyingcapacity is there, paying capacity is there too. HD is another example. Around 70 per cent of TVs are HDTVs going into to Phase III
areas. As it is for me to perform and deliver, I need my costs to be under control. On the whole, we have also become very cost-conscious. We want our pie of the revenue.

The cable sector has been bashed red and blue and cable TV bottomlines are stained with red ink? When will it turn around?

You will see by Q3 end there should be an upside.

You are very strong up north. Are you strengthening that or are you expanding into newer territories?

As of now, my focus is to strengthen where we are. I have 13 million subscribers, I am happy to be limited where we are. As we start seeding boxes, it might go to 15 million as we deliver. I want to have a positive bottomline. I want a fair share of revenue. I want to move towards an era where sharing of revenues has be settled. As of now, there is always a dilemma, am I to stand by the TRAI that cable operators should get 35 per cent of revenue. The fact of the matter is that today we are receiving 35 per cent, and he is getting 65 per cent.

I am very much focused that let’s first set it right. It will take time and over few months. But, I see that over the next 12 months, this will move towards 50:50. And then, as we move forward, and add more values in the system, I am sure the operator will also get to earn more through us if he wants to stay with us and be part of the journey. If he says, he does not want to do broadband with, that’s his choice. If that arises, then we might go direct or we have leave that with him. I am very focused that instead of spreading thinly, focus where you, monetize it well. Settle a good business model. A good business case. Business will follow.

LCOs’ insecurity is less than earlier. Your comments.

You can’t help it. Even MSOs. Nobody is secure. Times are changing. We have to adapt. You can’t ignore the technolgy. If I don’t change, just because my fellow LCO has not, and even I don’t, that’s a folly. Today, in a matter of time, we started broadband. We have tested a broadband formula. We have close to 125,00 subscribers. We did this with a focused mind in Delhi and Kanpur. To test how the technology behaved, how the arithmetic works here. Now we find that, with 15-17 per cent of penetration, the project is breaking even. Now, anything added into it, is your upside. The LCOs who are willing to work with us are very happy as they march around with us. And also, there is a learnin that the normal consumer is consuming 40 GB of internet at a speed of 10 mbps at a price of Rs 800. Broadband consumption is rising fast, 5 GB has gone to 10, and 20 GB has gone to 40 GB. Putting in everything into perspective, the cost is Rs 10 per GB. Next year, I am sure it will be 100GB. And the speed will touch 50 MBPs. In such a scenario, if I don’t move, somebody else will move.

You must be happy Goldman Sachs invested but it was a discount to its earlier price, actually a deep discount What’s the way forward on the investment?

It’s a subjective analysis . But, you should say that this proves that there is strength in the business model of DEN.

On broadband there will be an increased investment going in. And besides broadband, we are incorporating OTT and value added services.

So what’s the way forward on the pay TV market, with 31 December coming up?

We are looking at it wholly. The boxes are going at a good speed. We are not really pushing. My focus is on getting Phase I, II III right. Once that business model is set in place, everything will also. It is a matter of time, the pull should come from the consumer, from the LCO. If he is willing to work with me. In the earlier case, in Phase I and II, we were subsiding the boxes. Today, it is a pure business case. This my product. You want to do business with me, please do.

How can broadcasters assist the process of digitization till the tariff order comes out?

There was a time when broadcasters used to have dual pricing policy. For rural, it was lower, and for urban, higher. Now, that we have invested and are investing, all of a sudden they have foregone that policy of theirs, which they were following in analogue, and still they are following in some places even today. The moment we seed STBs in phase III, they start charging digital rates. I would urge broadcasters too relook at this.

Related Topics:Anil Wanvari Anuj Gandhi Broadcasters cable TV Den Networks MSO Mukesh Ambani S.N. Sharma.Sameer Manchanda urban

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Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026

Published

2 weeks ago

January 28, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Riding high on the success of its blockbuster Mumbai debut, Anime India is accelerating its nationwide expansion with the announcement of Amazon MX Player as the co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata. The partnership marks a significant step forward in the festival’s mission to deliver large-scale, accessible, and fan-first anime experiences across the country.

Scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026 at the iconic Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, Anime India Kolkata will launch the first regional chapter of what is set to be a year-long, multi-city tour. As the curtain-raiser for the 2026 circuit, the Kolkata edition aims to fuse the energy of global Japanese pop culture with India’s fast-growing community of anime, manga, and pop-culture fans.

A household name in digital entertainment, Amazon MX Player brings unmatched reach and cultural relevance to the Anime India platform. With its expanding focus on anime and youth-driven content, Amazon MX Player’s involvement as co-presenting partner reinforces Anime India’s vision of making anime culture more inclusive breaking barriers of language, geography, and accessibility to connect with fans nationwide.

*Glimpses of Anime India Mumbai edition*

Anime India Kolkata 2026 will showcase cosplay competitions, interactive zones led by the Indian Gunpla Community, India-39 Vocaloid Community, The Japan Curry, and Adda-o-Otaku by The Otaku Guild. Fans can join tournaments across fighting games, Pokémon VGC, and more. Acclaimed Japanese director Susumu Mitsunaka (Haikyu!!) will attend as guest of honour, appearing in panels and live sessions. Positioned as an immersive celebration of fan culture and industry collaboration, the Kolkata edition marks the beginning of Anime India’s nationwide expansion.

Sharing their perspective on the partnership, Amazon MX Player director Aruna Daryanani expressed, “Anime in India has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream cultural movement, driven by an increasingly engaged and passionate fanbase. At Amazon MX Player, our focus is on expanding access by bringing anime to audiences across the country for free and in multiple local languages. Our association with Anime India reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of anime in India and deepening connections with fans, while continuing to build Amazon MX Player as a trusted destination for free, high-quality entertainment.”

“Anime India Kolkata is a celebration of how anime has grown beyond entertainment into a powerful cultural and creative force. By bringing fans, creators, and industry leaders onto one shared platform, the festival is helping define the future of pop culture in India,” said Anime India co-founder and director Neha Mehta.

The debut edition of Anime India 2025 in Mumbai attracted over 29,000 fans, quickly cementing its status as a landmark celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture. Riding on this overwhelming response, the Kolkata chapter is projected to draw more than 40,000 visitors across two days, positioning it as one of the biggest anime conventions ever held in eastern India.

Anime India is focused on bringing together fans from across the country to create a truly pan-India celebration of anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and Japanese culture. With plans to expand into four key metropolitan hubs in 2026—east (Kolkata), north (Delhi), west (Mumbai), and south (Hyderabad)—the festival seeks to deliver globally benchmarked experiences while supporting and uplifting creators, artists, and fan communities throughout India.

Event Coverage

Transcend Goa Day 2 closes with a vision for cross‑border storytelling and shared narratives

Published

4 weeks ago

January 16, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

Day two of Transcend Goa 2026 built on the momentum of the opening day and offered a deeper dive into the possibilities of transmedia storytelling and IP creation. Through a mix of panel discussions, and visionary presentations, the second day highlighted both the challenges and opportunities of building story worlds that thrived across platforms, leaving participants inspired by the breadth of ideas and collaborations that were showcased.

The second day began with the session Transmedia History of Japan Manga/Anime/Game IPs in the Partnership of East Asia. The session explored the evolution of Japanese manga, anime, and game IPs as transmedia ecosystems, shaped through long‑standing collaborations across East Asia. The speaker for the session was RE Entertainment CEO & president Atsuo Nakayama.

L to R: Ankur Pathak, Dhruv Jagasia, Tarana eddy and Caleb Franklin

The session ahead was titled A World Where Narratives are Currency. It explored how powerful narratives function as both creative and commercial currency, shaping brands, fandoms, and franchises in the global media landscape. Speakers included Big Bad Wolf founder Dhruv Jagasia, Matter Entertainment founder & CEO Caleb Franklin, Storiculture transmedia producer Tarana Reddy, with the discussion moderated by writer Ankur Pathak.

The next session post‑lunch was Building Mugafi into a Transmedia Giant. It took a deep dive into transforming Mugafi into a scalable, story‑driven ecosystem. The discussion explored how IP development, technology, and creator communities converge to build a transmedia platform that nurtures talent, expands narratives, and unlocks global opportunities. The speaker for this session was Mugafi founder Vipul Agrawal.

The session titled From Collectibles to Culture – Toys, Merchandising & Global Transmedia Value Chains focused on merchandising and consumer products. It examined how toys, collectibles, and licensing strategies can expand a story’s reach and create sustainable value chains across film, television, gaming, and more. Speakers included Weta head of consumer products Kim Faiga and Weta consumer products sales manager Jack Oolders, with the discussion moderated by Bulletproof Entertainment founder Harish Rao.

L to R: Sunder Aaron, Charuvi Agrawal, Manvendra Shukla and Milind Shinde

The last session for the day was titled The Next Wave of Global IP – Connecting India, Asia & the West. It spotlighted emerging intellectual properties that bridge continents and cultures, highlighting collaborative projects linking creators in India, Asia, and the West. By showcasing case studies on scaling IP across borders, the discussion underscored how co‑productions and shared narratives can reach audiences worldwide. Speakers included 88 Pictures founder & CEO Milind Shinde, CDL TV CEO Charuvi Agrawal, writer Binky Mendez, and Lakshya Digital CEO Manvendra Shukul, with the discussion moderated by Locomotive Global founder Sunder Aaron.

Transcend Goa 2026, concluded with closing remarks from Rao and representatives of the government of Goa, followed by a networking evening. The sessions across the event captured the spirit of collaboration and innovation, showcasing how transmedia storytelling and IP creation can transcend borders, formats, and industries. As the event drew to a close, participants left with renewed inspiration, strengthened connections, and a shared vision for the future of global media and entertainment.

Event Coverage

Transcend Goa 2026 Day 1 showcases India’s journey in storytelling, IP creation and transmedia content

Published

4 weeks ago

January 16, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

Day One of Transcend Goa 2026 marked a significant step for India’s creative industries, as the inaugural transmedia conclave unfolded at the Marquinez Palace in Panjim on 15 January. The summit brought together leading voices from cinema, publishing, gaming, animation and emerging technologies to discuss how stories can move fluidly across formats and reach audiences in new ways.

Conceived as a platform to showcase India’s growing strength in original IP and cross‑media innovation, the conclave set out to highlight the country’s transition from service‑driven work to globally recognised creative leadership. With the support of the Government of Goa, the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) and Goa Future Proof curated the event to spark dialogue on the future of storytelling and its impact on culture and commerce.

L to R: Sanjay Ram, Shobha Sant, Veerendra Patil, Monisha Advani and Vijay Koshy

The day opened with an address by a Government of Goa representative and ESG chief executive officer Asvin Chandru. He said, “Goa has been envisioned as a future facing space where cinema, publishing, gaming, technology and artificial intelligence converge, reflecting the state’s ambition to emerge as a hub for creative, innovation and cultural exchange. Over the next two days, we hope this conclave inspires meaningful dialog, learning and collaboration across disciplines.”

Next, government of Goa chief secretary and planning secretary V Candavelou took the stage, setting the tone for the discussions ahead. He noted, “You all know that transmedia storytelling has undergone a transformational change. With the evolving of new technologies, this storytelling keeps on changing. The Transcend Goa summit is making this platform available to all the stakeholders to exhibit their talents. I hope that these two days spark meaningful conversation and ideas for the future.”

The event was graced by Goa’s chief minister Dr Pramod Sawant. “Transcend Goa is a simple idea to create a space where the culture meets technology, creates a space where the creativity connects with opportunity,” he said taking the stage. “The summit is also a pilot. It allows us to learn and understand how Goa can position itself as a large, creative and digital economy. Even small steps matter when we move in the right direction. If this discussion is of value to the creators’ businesses and the students, then these efforts will serve its purpose.”

He further said, “Goa always attracted the artist and thinkers. Today, it also has the students who code, design, animate, write and build the digital products. This summit gives them the exposure. This platform can open new doors and sparks new ideas. The government of Goa has extended support to Transcend Goa because we believe in the enabling of this platform. The Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) has been entrusted and with the responsibility because it understands the culture landscape and has the capacity to execute such initiatives. We see the summit as a part of the larger efforts, our efforts to strengthen the Goa’s creative economy.”

The keynote was delivered by Creativeland Group chairman Sajan Raj Kurup, who underscored the importance of building narratives and transmedia content that resonate across platforms and markets.

The day opened with the session Beyond the Screen: Creating Stories that Travel, which examined how narratives moved across film, television, games, social media and immersive experiences. It considered strategies for designing stories that adapted and engaged audiences across formats. Speakers included Emmay Entertainment producer partner and CEO Monisha Advani, Zebu Animation co‑founder and creative director Veerendra Patil, TVF president Vijay Koshy and Creativeland Studios CEO Shobha Sant, with the discussion moderated by Mediasmiths founder Sanjay Ram.

The session The Evolution of India’s Media Ecosystem: Transitioning from Outsourcing to Transmedia IP Creation examined how India’s media sector moved from providing back‑end services to developing original intellectual property that attracted global investment. Speakers included Punnaryug Artvision founder Ashish Kulkarni, Brhat founder Raghav Krishna, with the discussion moderated by Bulletproof Entertainment founder Harish Rao.

Post lunch, the session India’s Original IP Powerhouse: The Raj/Alpha Comics Story presented a case study on how publishers such as Raj Comics and Alpha Comics developed Indian superhero stories into transmedia properties. Speakers included Raj Comics founder Sanjay Gupta, Raj Comics and Alpha Comics founder Vasu Gupta, with the discussion moderated by Animation Xpress India director Mishaal Wanvari.

The session The Art of Creating Multiplatform Narratives explored the craft of building cohesive story worlds that unfolded across film, television, games, social media and other formats. It considered approaches to creative planning, audience engagement and maintaining narrative consistency while using the strengths of each medium. Speakers included filmmaker Raja Krishna Menon, filmmaker Reema Maya and filmmaker Q, with the discussion moderated by Mediasmiths founder Ram.

Harish Rao (left) felicitating Vignesh Raja

The session AR Rahman’s Secret Mountain: Building a Transmedia Music Universe introduced the composer’s latest project, Secret Mountain. It highlighted India’s first Meta Band and explored its potential across music, digital platforms and immersive experiences. The presenter for this session was Secret Mountain cofounder Vignesh Raja.

The last session of the day, Animating Success: Green Gold Entertainment’s Journey, highlighted Green Gold Entertainment founder Rajiv Chilaka and his team’s work in building one of India’s leading original animation studios. It traced how Green Gold Entertainment created hit franchises such as Chhota Bheem, developed a merchandise and licensing strategy, and showed that Indian stories could find global resonance. The session featured Chilaka in conversation with Bulletproof Entertainment founder Harish Rao.

The day concluded with a lively networking evening, leaving participants energised and looking forward to the sessions on the second day.