Tag: Airtel

International roaming incoming calls on Airtel to be free

MUMBAI: Bharti Airtel, one of India’s largest telecommunications services provider, today announced the launch of its new international roaming (IR) packs that redefine the value proposition for customers traveling abroad, a communique to the BSE stated.

With the new IR packs, customers will have the convenience of carrying their India mobile number wherever they go and stay connected 24×7 without having to worry about high call and data charges. The packs will be available to both postpaid and prepaid customers.

Airtel’s new IR packs offer free incoming calls, free texts to India and ample data benefits along with free India calling minutes across all popular destinations. Charges for calls to India and local in-country calls have been reduced to as low as Rs. 3/min across popular destinations. Airtel also announced that post the exhaustion of pack data benefits, international roaming data will now be charged at just Rs. 3/MB, a reduction of 99% from Rs. 650/MB.

The IR packs, available for all popular global destinations, come with validity of one day and 30 days, giving customers greater flexibility to plan their communication budgets when traveling overseas.

The one day pack is designed for short/quick international trips and for appx. $10. This pack is particularly useful for business travelers who may be traveling to multiple destinations for very short duration. The 30 days pack offers connectivity through long duration trips for appx. $75. With the holiday season around the corner, Airtel plans to launch a $45 medium duration pack with 10 days validity by middle of October 2016.

Bharti Airtel director – operations (India & south Asia) said, “The new IR packs ensure that customers get no bill shocks and have the convenience of always keeping their phones switched on, wherever they are.”

September 28, 2016
International roaming incoming calls on Airtel to be free

MUMBAI: Bharti Airtel, one of India’s largest telecommunications services provider, today announced the launch of its new international roaming (IR) packs that redefine the value proposition for customers traveling abroad, a communique to the BSE stated.

With the new IR packs, customers will have the convenience of carrying their India mobile number wherever they go and stay connected 24×7 without having to worry about high call and data charges. The packs will be available to both postpaid and prepaid customers.

Airtel’s new IR packs offer free incoming calls, free texts to India and ample data benefits along with free India calling minutes across all popular destinations. Charges for calls to India and local in-country calls have been reduced to as low as Rs. 3/min across popular destinations. Airtel also announced that post the exhaustion of pack data benefits, international roaming data will now be charged at just Rs. 3/MB, a reduction of 99% from Rs. 650/MB.

The IR packs, available for all popular global destinations, come with validity of one day and 30 days, giving customers greater flexibility to plan their communication budgets when traveling overseas.

The one day pack is designed for short/quick international trips and for appx. $10. This pack is particularly useful for business travelers who may be traveling to multiple destinations for very short duration. The 30 days pack offers connectivity through long duration trips for appx. $75. With the holiday season around the corner, Airtel plans to launch a $45 medium duration pack with 10 days validity by middle of October 2016.

Bharti Airtel director – operations (India & south Asia) said, “The new IR packs ensure that customers get no bill shocks and have the convenience of always keeping their phones switched on, wherever they are.”

September 28, 2016
Jio battles incumbents as Airtel launches Rs 1495 free data plan

MUMBAI: The fisticuffs continue in the 4G telecom marketplace. Even as Reliance Jio has been waging a war of press releases, highlighting how many of its subscribers’ calls are being refused by Idea, Airtel and Vodafone, the Sunil Mittal-led telco today too issued a press release through which it is taking a jab at the Mukesh Ambani-owned telco’s free call and data offer.

Airtel says it has started offering a free data package for Rs 1495 only, and for prepaid customers only. If you are paying for it, then how is it free? Airtel explains that consumers can surf at wild speeds up to the 30GB data and 90-day limit, after which the accelerator needle will drop to 64kbps. And that’s when the free part of surfing will come in – but at super slow speed.

At the price of Rs 1495 for 30 GB means the data is coming your way cheaper than the Reliance Jio offer of Rs 50 for a GB. The only difference is you are plonking down the money upfront.

Will Reliance Jio react to this outrageous offer from a rival telco? No one knows, but it definitely has reacted to rival telco Idea on another front: that of call drops. It says that the Aditya Birla group-owned Idea is blocking out calls from Jio customers, refusing them connectivity. Says the Jio press release: “Adequate interconnection capacity so that call failure rate is less than 5 per 1,000 is a license obligation of all telecom operators. As against this, over 750 calls per 1,000 are failing per day between Idea and Jio networks, which translates to four crore calls failing per day. Over 12 crore calls fail daily between Jio and the networks of Airtel, Vodafone and Idea. This is a breach of licence conditions by the incumbent operators and severely impacts customer interests. This is against zero call failures on the Jio network.”

September 24, 2016
Jio battles incumbents as Airtel launches Rs 1495 free data plan

MUMBAI: The fisticuffs continue in the 4G telecom marketplace. Even as Reliance Jio has been waging a war of press releases, highlighting how many of its subscribers’ calls are being refused by Idea, Airtel and Vodafone, the Sunil Mittal-led telco today too issued a press release through which it is taking a jab at the Mukesh Ambani-owned telco’s free call and data offer.

Airtel says it has started offering a free data package for Rs 1495 only, and for prepaid customers only. If you are paying for it, then how is it free? Airtel explains that consumers can surf at wild speeds up to the 30GB data and 90-day limit, after which the accelerator needle will drop to 64kbps. And that’s when the free part of surfing will come in – but at super slow speed.

At the price of Rs 1495 for 30 GB means the data is coming your way cheaper than the Reliance Jio offer of Rs 50 for a GB. The only difference is you are plonking down the money upfront.

Will Reliance Jio react to this outrageous offer from a rival telco? No one knows, but it definitely has reacted to rival telco Idea on another front: that of call drops. It says that the Aditya Birla group-owned Idea is blocking out calls from Jio customers, refusing them connectivity. Says the Jio press release: “Adequate interconnection capacity so that call failure rate is less than 5 per 1,000 is a license obligation of all telecom operators. As against this, over 750 calls per 1,000 are failing per day between Idea and Jio networks, which translates to four crore calls failing per day. Over 12 crore calls fail daily between Jio and the networks of Airtel, Vodafone and Idea. This is a breach of licence conditions by the incumbent operators and severely impacts customer interests. This is against zero call failures on the Jio network.”

September 24, 2016
Eros International raises $30 million for Eros Now

MUMBAI: Indian Bollywood major Eros International is getting hotter on OTT. It announced this morning that two of its existing top 10 institutional shareholders have increased their holdings in the company through a private placement and are pumping in approximately $30 million. The proceeds of the allotment will be primarily used to fund the further expansion of Eros Now, its OTT platform.

Eros International group CEO & MD Jyoti Deshpande commented: “Our vision to transform Eros from a leading film studio to a leading digital company with a global footprint is well underway with Eros Now, our OTT platform crossing one million paid subscribers as of 30 June 2016. Our ownership of content and our strong balance sheet should provide tailwinds to grow the Eros Now subscriber base from one million to ten million and eventually hundred million within the next decade.”

Eros Now is Eros International Plc’s leading on-demand Bollywood entertainment network accessible anytime, anywhere, on nearly any Internet-connected screen. Eros Now offers users across 135 countries a large library of films (Eros Now has rights to over 5,000 films), as well as premium television shows, music videos and audio tracks.

Eros Now is also working on launching compelling original drama series for its viewers. It also has compelling product features such as offline viewing where premium subscribers can download the content and view it when not connected to the Internet make Eros Now a unique offering with focus on user experience.

Available on Apple and Android platforms, Eros Now has integration deals with Airtel, Idea and Reliance Jio and several other operators internationally. A crucial deal was struck with Reliance Jio, the 4G player that has rolled out the most aggressive plan for digital India. In its platform-agnostic strategy, Eros has struck deals with OEMs and telecom operators such as Micromax, Airtel, Idea, LeEco, and Maxis.

Through the Eros-Jio partnership, new and old movies including Bajirao Mastaani, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo and Tanu Weds Manu Returns, will be available on the JioOnDemand app. With 30 HD channels, Jio is offering live streaming of over 300 TV channels 10 genres and 15 languages.

Available on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and pre-installed in Android TV, Eros Now crossed over 50 million registered users worldwide across WAP, APP, and Web, as of 30 June 2016. It has already crossed over 1.1 million active unique paying subscribers who have paid for at least one month.

Eros released 14 films in Q1 FY17 of which three were high, two were medium and nine were low-budget films. Sardaar Gabbar Singh (Telugu),Housefull 3 (Hindi), 24 (Tamil), Marudhu (Tamil) and Ki and Ka (Hindi) were the main revenue earning films during the quarter. Eros Now is planning to acquire 10,000 additional films to add to its strong library.

Eros Now, in October 2015, partnered with Ortel, an MSO (multi system operator) and ISP, to offer a subscription-based movie streaming service. Eros had, in August last year, also negotiated a partnership with Airtel to offer video and movie content on Wynk. Eros Now tied up with WeChat in June 2015 so as to allow users to watch videos, listen to music, and get Bollywood gossip and news. Eros Now, in the same month, inked a content acquisition deal with Hum TV of Pakistan.

Eros Now has a five-year worldwide target of at least 15-20 million subscribers with a blended annual ARPU of $30 internationally and $5 from India. Trinity Pictures, owned by Eros International is building its franchises with two Sino-Indian co-productions, with a scheduled FY 2018 release.

Eros Now hopes to achieve at least two million paying subscribers by the end of FY 2017 and five million paying subscribers by the end of FY-18.

September 23, 2016
Eros International raises $30 million for Eros Now

MUMBAI: Indian Bollywood major Eros International is getting hotter on OTT. It announced this morning that two of its existing top 10 institutional shareholders have increased their holdings in the company through a private placement and are pumping in approximately $30 million. The proceeds of the allotment will be primarily used to fund the further expansion of Eros Now, its OTT platform.

Eros International group CEO & MD Jyoti Deshpande commented: “Our vision to transform Eros from a leading film studio to a leading digital company with a global footprint is well underway with Eros Now, our OTT platform crossing one million paid subscribers as of 30 June 2016. Our ownership of content and our strong balance sheet should provide tailwinds to grow the Eros Now subscriber base from one million to ten million and eventually hundred million within the next decade.”

Eros Now is Eros International Plc’s leading on-demand Bollywood entertainment network accessible anytime, anywhere, on nearly any Internet-connected screen. Eros Now offers users across 135 countries a large library of films (Eros Now has rights to over 5,000 films), as well as premium television shows, music videos and audio tracks.

Eros Now is also working on launching compelling original drama series for its viewers. It also has compelling product features such as offline viewing where premium subscribers can download the content and view it when not connected to the Internet make Eros Now a unique offering with focus on user experience.

Available on Apple and Android platforms, Eros Now has integration deals with Airtel, Idea and Reliance Jio and several other operators internationally. A crucial deal was struck with Reliance Jio, the 4G player that has rolled out the most aggressive plan for digital India. In its platform-agnostic strategy, Eros has struck deals with OEMs and telecom operators such as Micromax, Airtel, Idea, LeEco, and Maxis.

Through the Eros-Jio partnership, new and old movies including Bajirao Mastaani, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo and Tanu Weds Manu Returns, will be available on the JioOnDemand app. With 30 HD channels, Jio is offering live streaming of over 300 TV channels 10 genres and 15 languages.

Available on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and pre-installed in Android TV, Eros Now crossed over 50 million registered users worldwide across WAP, APP, and Web, as of 30 June 2016. It has already crossed over 1.1 million active unique paying subscribers who have paid for at least one month.

Eros released 14 films in Q1 FY17 of which three were high, two were medium and nine were low-budget films. Sardaar Gabbar Singh (Telugu),Housefull 3 (Hindi), 24 (Tamil), Marudhu (Tamil) and Ki and Ka (Hindi) were the main revenue earning films during the quarter. Eros Now is planning to acquire 10,000 additional films to add to its strong library.

Eros Now, in October 2015, partnered with Ortel, an MSO (multi system operator) and ISP, to offer a subscription-based movie streaming service. Eros had, in August last year, also negotiated a partnership with Airtel to offer video and movie content on Wynk. Eros Now tied up with WeChat in June 2015 so as to allow users to watch videos, listen to music, and get Bollywood gossip and news. Eros Now, in the same month, inked a content acquisition deal with Hum TV of Pakistan.

Eros Now has a five-year worldwide target of at least 15-20 million subscribers with a blended annual ARPU of $30 internationally and $5 from India. Trinity Pictures, owned by Eros International is building its franchises with two Sino-Indian co-productions, with a scheduled FY 2018 release.

Eros Now hopes to achieve at least two million paying subscribers by the end of FY 2017 and five million paying subscribers by the end of FY-18.

September 23, 2016
Five steps to build a strong brand: Kantar Millward Brown

MUMBAI: Curating the top 50 most valuable brands list in India was an eye-opener in many ways, said Kantar Millward Brown MD Dinesh Kapoor, referring to the valuable insights that brands can gather from the data available to the agency.

Studying the multiple variables that determined on what spectrum of the Top 50 chart it would rank, or whether it qualified at all, revealed the need of the hour for CMOs across categories to build a valuable brand.

This brought Kapoor to enlist the ‘must dos’ of building a strong brand in India. While the core principles echoes what gurus have passed down to the generation next for decades, it’s been adjusted to suit the current socio-economic and political flavour of the country, and how consumers are reacting to it.

Meaningful: With a fast paced economy, some marketers may forget the simplest and essential rule in the book, i.e, to build a meaningful brand that meets the consumer’s need and makes their life better.

Differentiate: When there is competition, and several new products are being launched in every category, it is essential to have a USP, or point of difference. Brands that improved on differentiator grew by 81% higher than brands which failed to differentiate, read a report by Kantar.

Innovation: Citing examples of Bajaj Auto, Kotak, and Airtel, Kapoor explained how differentiation made on top of innovation adds more value to the brands. While Bajaj V launch was a differentiation based on creativity, Kotak tried a unique proposition with its revised interest rates. On the other hand, Airtel has stayed ahead of the curve by setting trends. It is noteworthy that the emphasis to be different is far greater in the Indian market than the global or other Asian markets. 86 per cent of brands that grew on innovation also grew on differentiation, informed Kapoor.

Advertising: Appealing communication is a pillar of brand-building that helps the brand stay salient in the minds of the consumers, says Kapoor. Brand value growth is even greater when meaningfully different brands build salience with great creative advertising.

Brand Love: What comes out of the heady mix of the above mentioned variables is an increase in the brand love index that further helps to multiply a brand’s value.

What makes brand value an important trait to vie for is its direct relation to how the brand performs on the stock market.

“It’s not an assumption that a highly valuable brand is more likely to do well on the stock market. We have substantial data to back up the statement that strong brands generate superior shareholders’ return,” shared Kapoor, adding that a stronger brand is more likely to withstand a tough market situation, and augment revenue growth during favourable times.

September 23, 2016
Five steps to build a strong brand: Kantar Millward Brown

MUMBAI: Curating the top 50 most valuable brands list in India was an eye-opener in many ways, said Kantar Millward Brown MD Dinesh Kapoor, referring to the valuable insights that brands can gather from the data available to the agency.

Studying the multiple variables that determined on what spectrum of the Top 50 chart it would rank, or whether it qualified at all, revealed the need of the hour for CMOs across categories to build a valuable brand.

This brought Kapoor to enlist the ‘must dos’ of building a strong brand in India. While the core principles echoes what gurus have passed down to the generation next for decades, it’s been adjusted to suit the current socio-economic and political flavour of the country, and how consumers are reacting to it.

Meaningful: With a fast paced economy, some marketers may forget the simplest and essential rule in the book, i.e, to build a meaningful brand that meets the consumer’s need and makes their life better.

Differentiate: When there is competition, and several new products are being launched in every category, it is essential to have a USP, or point of difference. Brands that improved on differentiator grew by 81% higher than brands which failed to differentiate, read a report by Kantar.

Innovation: Citing examples of Bajaj Auto, Kotak, and Airtel, Kapoor explained how differentiation made on top of innovation adds more value to the brands. While Bajaj V launch was a differentiation based on creativity, Kotak tried a unique proposition with its revised interest rates. On the other hand, Airtel has stayed ahead of the curve by setting trends. It is noteworthy that the emphasis to be different is far greater in the Indian market than the global or other Asian markets. 86 per cent of brands that grew on innovation also grew on differentiation, informed Kapoor.

Advertising: Appealing communication is a pillar of brand-building that helps the brand stay salient in the minds of the consumers, says Kapoor. Brand value growth is even greater when meaningfully different brands build salience with great creative advertising.

Brand Love: What comes out of the heady mix of the above mentioned variables is an increase in the brand love index that further helps to multiply a brand’s value.

What makes brand value an important trait to vie for is its direct relation to how the brand performs on the stock market.

“It’s not an assumption that a highly valuable brand is more likely to do well on the stock market. We have substantial data to back up the statement that strong brands generate superior shareholders’ return,” shared Kapoor, adding that a stronger brand is more likely to withstand a tough market situation, and augment revenue growth during favourable times.

September 23, 2016
India lucrative market for 4K UHD STBs: Grand View Research

MUMBAI: Here’s a view on the demand for 4K or ultra high definition (UHD) set-top boxes (STBs) in India.

American research firm Grand View Research Inc has forecast in a new report that India is “poised to emerge as a lucrative market for UHD STBs with the country expected to witness a CAGR substantially higher than the regional (Asia Pacific) average. Several DTH operators such as Tata Sky, Videocon, and Airtel have launched UHD STBs and are attempting to achieve a higher rural penetration with affordable regional packages.”

The report says that the APAC 4K STB market was valued at just over $50 million in 2015 and will witness a high growth over the next eight years with India leading the charge.

The Grand View Research Inc analysis states that the global 4K STB market size is projected to reach $7.18 billion by 2024. The growing inclination of the global public towards UHD video viewing can be attributed as the major reason for the 4K STB market growth.

The demand for media-rich home entertainment services among consumers is increasing and is anticipated to fuel market growth. The growth is further fostered by favourable government initiatives, large-scale digitization programs, and mandatory installation of set-top boxes. Improved standard of living owing to increased purchasing power is positively impacting the industry growth.

The initiatives undertaken by the Federal Communications Commission for supporting third-party STB manufacturers is paving the way for the expansion of the Ultra High-Definition (UHD) STB industry. The market is anticipated to gain traction in Asia Pacific owing to the strong presence of low-cost set-top box manufacturers, especially in countries such as Korea, Taiwan, and China.

The increasing penetration of 3D and 4K TVs and escalating demand for large screen displays are fuelling the demand for UHD STBs. Smart features such as STB operability through voice commands given by remote control unit (RCU) is garnering high potential. The computational capabilities of STBs in combination with the advent of quality standards to satiate growing customer expectations have culminated in the STB market growth.

Further key findings suggest:

Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) 4K STBs accounted for over 20 per cent of the market share in 2015 and are expected to witness considerable growth over the forecast period. Increasing broadband penetration can be attributed as the major reason for the rise in the market share of IPTV 4K Set-top Box devices.

The IPTV STB product segment is projected to gain traction owing to benefits such as integration of TV, PC, home phone, and wireless devices offering a high quality of viewing experience to the end-users.

Key industry participants include ZTE Corporation, SAGEMCOM, Arion Technology, Roku, and Infomir. Manufacturers are emphasizing on UHD STBs incorporated with interactive 4K content to gain a competitive edge in the industry.

Technology giants such as Apple have managed to make their mark in this competitive industry. The Apple TV device aids the streaming of (Over-The-Top) OTT content and other videos over the internet. The launch of advanced OTT devices such as Google Chromecast media streaming device and Amazon’s Fire TV STBs have opened up new avenues in the industry

September 23, 2016
India lucrative market for 4K UHD STBs: Grand View Research

MUMBAI: Here’s a view on the demand for 4K or ultra high definition (UHD) set-top boxes (STBs) in India.

American research firm Grand View Research Inc has forecast in a new report that India is “poised to emerge as a lucrative market for UHD STBs with the country expected to witness a CAGR substantially higher than the regional (Asia Pacific) average. Several DTH operators such as Tata Sky, Videocon, and Airtel have launched UHD STBs and are attempting to achieve a higher rural penetration with affordable regional packages.”

The report says that the APAC 4K STB market was valued at just over $50 million in 2015 and will witness a high growth over the next eight years with India leading the charge.

The Grand View Research Inc analysis states that the global 4K STB market size is projected to reach $7.18 billion by 2024. The growing inclination of the global public towards UHD video viewing can be attributed as the major reason for the 4K STB market growth.

The demand for media-rich home entertainment services among consumers is increasing and is anticipated to fuel market growth. The growth is further fostered by favourable government initiatives, large-scale digitization programs, and mandatory installation of set-top boxes. Improved standard of living owing to increased purchasing power is positively impacting the industry growth.

The initiatives undertaken by the Federal Communications Commission for supporting third-party STB manufacturers is paving the way for the expansion of the Ultra High-Definition (UHD) STB industry. The market is anticipated to gain traction in Asia Pacific owing to the strong presence of low-cost set-top box manufacturers, especially in countries such as Korea, Taiwan, and China.

The increasing penetration of 3D and 4K TVs and escalating demand for large screen displays are fuelling the demand for UHD STBs. Smart features such as STB operability through voice commands given by remote control unit (RCU) is garnering high potential. The computational capabilities of STBs in combination with the advent of quality standards to satiate growing customer expectations have culminated in the STB market growth.

Further key findings suggest:

Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) 4K STBs accounted for over 20 per cent of the market share in 2015 and are expected to witness considerable growth over the forecast period. Increasing broadband penetration can be attributed as the major reason for the rise in the market share of IPTV 4K Set-top Box devices.

The IPTV STB product segment is projected to gain traction owing to benefits such as integration of TV, PC, home phone, and wireless devices offering a high quality of viewing experience to the end-users.

Key industry participants include ZTE Corporation, SAGEMCOM, Arion Technology, Roku, and Infomir. Manufacturers are emphasizing on UHD STBs incorporated with interactive 4K content to gain a competitive edge in the industry.

Technology giants such as Apple have managed to make their mark in this competitive industry. The Apple TV device aids the streaming of (Over-The-Top) OTT content and other videos over the internet. The launch of advanced OTT devices such as Google Chromecast media streaming device and Amazon’s Fire TV STBs have opened up new avenues in the industry

September 23, 2016