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Tag: Amazon

  • Shopmatic helps SMEs and individual entrepreneurs in APAC

    Shopmatic helps SMEs and individual entrepreneurs in APAC

    MUMBAI: Shopmatic, a Singapore-based e-commerce company providing a platform for any merchant to take their business online, has joined hands with leading e-commerce marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, Lazada. The alliance will seamlessly enable Shopmatic merchants in Singapore to develop their own webstores for a global presence and sell their products or services on these marketplaces in a convenient, hassle-free manner.

    A financial and business management hub, Singapore provides a strong digital infrastructure with the highest internet penetration in Southeast Asia. Industry analysts estimate that three out of every four residents in the country will use the internet at least once a month [1], a figure well above that for any other country in the region. The platform is focused on helping not only the small and medium businesses of the Asian countries to find their feet in the online world, but also give these firms global exposure.

    Commenting on this alliance Shopmatic CEO Anurag Avula said, “As a global e-commerce company, our primary focus is to empower merchants and individual business owners with an online platform which can help them in reaching out to a bigger audience and boost their business through greater speed and efficiency. By tying up with these successful e-commerce powerhouses, we are enabling our user base in Singapore to leverage the penetration and popularity of these portals and gain instant access to millions of customers across the globe. Meanwhile, they will also continue enjoying the benefits of being enlisted on our platform that provides them with an entire ecosystem to grow their business in the virtual world.”

    Shopmatic has established partnerships with numerous international and local companies in order to make it easier for its users to sell online. Recently, Shopmatic signed deals with global online payments giant PayPal to enable its merchants in expanding their sales across the globe. On the logistics front, Shopmatic has made strategic partnerships with local and global logistics players like Delhivery and Aramex. These tie-ups have been instrumental in helping individual entrepreneurs manage everything that is required to let their business grow, including exposing them to international markets with the help of Shopmatic’s global footprint.

  • Amazon business head join Housing.com, to strengthen full-service transactions

    Amazon business head join Housing.com, to strengthen full-service transactions

    MUMBAI: Housing.com has appointed Vivek Jain as chief product and technology officer to focus on strengthening the product and engineering aspects of the business to help steer Housing.com towards its goal of becoming a full-service transaction player.

    Housing.com CEO Jason Kothari said, “Our goal is to become the most trusted and the leading end-to-end real estate transaction platform in the country, and robust product and technology innovation will be important for us to achieve that. Vivek comes with best-in-class product and technology leadership experience, global exposure and an entrepreneurial mind-set, which is a unique mix, and one that blends seamlessly with the thinking and culture at Housing.com. I believe Vivek’s addition to our senior team will greatly benefit us in realizing our vision for the Company.”

    Jain is an industry veteran with over 14 years of experience in the technology and digital domains in India and the US. In his last role at Amazon, he was the business head for the cloud division where he helped define the value proposition, differentiation strategy, pricing and feature roadmap to create a sustainable competitive advantage for the company.

    “As technology continues to play an increasingly important role in our day-to-day lives, Housing.com has managed to bring the benefits of technology to the real-estate segment through path-breaking product innovations. As the company gears-up for the next phase of growth and transformation, product and engineering will define the contours of success, and with an immensely talented team, I believe Housing.com is well-poised to fulfil the potential.” added Jain.

    He started his career as an early member of Texas-based start-up Ashley Laurent and later joined Motorola Mobility, a division of Google. While in the US, Jain was associated with the US Department of Commerce where he reviewed business plans at Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) to help assist President Obama and the Federal Government deliver on the promise of economic recovery (ARRA) through the $7.2 Billion Recovery Act’s BTOP & Broadband Initiatives.

  • Amazon business head join Housing.com, to strengthen full-service transactions

    Amazon business head join Housing.com, to strengthen full-service transactions

    MUMBAI: Housing.com has appointed Vivek Jain as chief product and technology officer to focus on strengthening the product and engineering aspects of the business to help steer Housing.com towards its goal of becoming a full-service transaction player.

    Housing.com CEO Jason Kothari said, “Our goal is to become the most trusted and the leading end-to-end real estate transaction platform in the country, and robust product and technology innovation will be important for us to achieve that. Vivek comes with best-in-class product and technology leadership experience, global exposure and an entrepreneurial mind-set, which is a unique mix, and one that blends seamlessly with the thinking and culture at Housing.com. I believe Vivek’s addition to our senior team will greatly benefit us in realizing our vision for the Company.”

    Jain is an industry veteran with over 14 years of experience in the technology and digital domains in India and the US. In his last role at Amazon, he was the business head for the cloud division where he helped define the value proposition, differentiation strategy, pricing and feature roadmap to create a sustainable competitive advantage for the company.

    “As technology continues to play an increasingly important role in our day-to-day lives, Housing.com has managed to bring the benefits of technology to the real-estate segment through path-breaking product innovations. As the company gears-up for the next phase of growth and transformation, product and engineering will define the contours of success, and with an immensely talented team, I believe Housing.com is well-poised to fulfil the potential.” added Jain.

    He started his career as an early member of Texas-based start-up Ashley Laurent and later joined Motorola Mobility, a division of Google. While in the US, Jain was associated with the US Department of Commerce where he reviewed business plans at Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) to help assist President Obama and the Federal Government deliver on the promise of economic recovery (ARRA) through the $7.2 Billion Recovery Act’s BTOP & Broadband Initiatives.

  • 4K content, TV and OTT players: Why India needs to take note

    4K content, TV and OTT players: Why India needs to take note

    MUMBAI: Here’s why Indian OTT players, TV broadcasters and content creators need to take 4K seriously. A new research report Digital TV & Video: Network and OTT Strategies 2016-2021 from Juniper Reseatch has predicted that 4K OTT services will attract over 189 million unique users globally by 2021, up from just 2.3 million this year, driven by greater content availability and compatible devices.

    While connected TVs will be the dominant platform, viewership will take place through a range of devices, including smartphones, tablets and PCs.

    The report points out that a large part of the adoption will take place in the US, as an increasing amount of viewers there take to 4K internet TV and video content watching taking number of the tribe up to 1 in 10 by 2021 as against the 1 in 500 consuming it, there will be offtake in India too. With the dropping of bandwidth and data costs courtesy telecom price wars, and the spread of 4G LTE, India which is a mobile rich country, should see increasing video – even 4K – being consumed on the go on hand held devices and at home.

    The new research found that although YouTube, Netflix and Amazon already offer some 4K video, network providers have been waiting for a critical mass of content to become available before launching their own 4K offer. However, 2016 has seen roll-out of a number of new 4K offerings, such as the launch of the Sky Q 4K service in the UK, coupled with new hardware launches to provide a means of streaming online 4K content.

    Indeed, device compatibility in the past has proved to be a significant barrier for online 4K video.

    Research author Lauren Foye explained: ‘The popularity of online video has seen the use of set-top boxes from vendors such as Roku and Amazon soar. However, delivery mechanisms for content have seen slower adoption, as the availability of 4K capable streaming devices is limited. New device launches, such as the 4K capable Xbox One S this month, among others, are likely to spur a boost in 4K usage.’

    Juniper is cautiously optimistic about the progress of 8K. Whilst there is one commercially available 8K TV currently on the market (priced at $133,000), 8K content is a long way from becoming mainstream. In a similar form to 4K, Juniper sees 8K smart TVs emerging first, followed by streaming devices and set-top boxes, making this a drawn out process.

    With Japan seeking to broadcast the 2020 Olympics in 8K, the industry is likely to use this as an opportunity to drive sales of 8K smart TVs. Juniper forecasts that 8K smart TV shipments will grow more than threefold between 2020 and 2021, to reach over 400,000 per annum by the end of the forecast period.

  • 4K content, TV and OTT players: Why India needs to take note

    4K content, TV and OTT players: Why India needs to take note

    MUMBAI: Here’s why Indian OTT players, TV broadcasters and content creators need to take 4K seriously. A new research report Digital TV & Video: Network and OTT Strategies 2016-2021 from Juniper Reseatch has predicted that 4K OTT services will attract over 189 million unique users globally by 2021, up from just 2.3 million this year, driven by greater content availability and compatible devices.

    While connected TVs will be the dominant platform, viewership will take place through a range of devices, including smartphones, tablets and PCs.

    The report points out that a large part of the adoption will take place in the US, as an increasing amount of viewers there take to 4K internet TV and video content watching taking number of the tribe up to 1 in 10 by 2021 as against the 1 in 500 consuming it, there will be offtake in India too. With the dropping of bandwidth and data costs courtesy telecom price wars, and the spread of 4G LTE, India which is a mobile rich country, should see increasing video – even 4K – being consumed on the go on hand held devices and at home.

    The new research found that although YouTube, Netflix and Amazon already offer some 4K video, network providers have been waiting for a critical mass of content to become available before launching their own 4K offer. However, 2016 has seen roll-out of a number of new 4K offerings, such as the launch of the Sky Q 4K service in the UK, coupled with new hardware launches to provide a means of streaming online 4K content.

    Indeed, device compatibility in the past has proved to be a significant barrier for online 4K video.

    Research author Lauren Foye explained: ‘The popularity of online video has seen the use of set-top boxes from vendors such as Roku and Amazon soar. However, delivery mechanisms for content have seen slower adoption, as the availability of 4K capable streaming devices is limited. New device launches, such as the 4K capable Xbox One S this month, among others, are likely to spur a boost in 4K usage.’

    Juniper is cautiously optimistic about the progress of 8K. Whilst there is one commercially available 8K TV currently on the market (priced at $133,000), 8K content is a long way from becoming mainstream. In a similar form to 4K, Juniper sees 8K smart TVs emerging first, followed by streaming devices and set-top boxes, making this a drawn out process.

    With Japan seeking to broadcast the 2020 Olympics in 8K, the industry is likely to use this as an opportunity to drive sales of 8K smart TVs. Juniper forecasts that 8K smart TV shipments will grow more than threefold between 2020 and 2021, to reach over 400,000 per annum by the end of the forecast period.

  • What’s driving the APAC broadcasting equipment market’s growth

    What’s driving the APAC broadcasting equipment market’s growth

    MUMBAI: Here’s another research report, which echoes what everyone has been saying about the growth of OTT services in the Asia Pacific region. But it is from the perspective of the equipment that is used to produce, and transmit and distribute content.

    Persistence Market Research’s latest report predicts that the overall broadcast equipment market in Asia Pacific is expected to grow healthily, along with traditional TV broadcast equipment, even as the IP converged broadcasting equipment segment shows the maximum growth.

    Consumers, especially in APAC, prefer access to audio-visual content over multiple devices such as tablets, smartphones and desktops. OTT players such as YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon Prime offer multimedia content that can be accessed across various platforms. This is a major factor driving growth of the market, says the report.

    Another peculiarity of the region is that various countries have low electricity penetration that is creating significant challenges for broadcasters. Infrastructure challenges such as lack of electricity and mismatch cabling can negatively affect growth of APAC broadcasting equipment market.

    Most key players in the APAC broadcasting equipment market are focused on carrying out promotional activities via industrial exhibitions to advertise their products and form strategic alliances with other broadcasting service providers to expand the reach of their business.

    For the report, Persistence Market Research has classified the sector into traditional TV broadcast, traditional radio broadcast, IP converged broadcasting and asset management systems.  And the APAC region has been broken down as follows: China, Japan, India, ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand and the  rest of APAC.

    The report has concluded that the overall APAC broadcast equipment market was valued at $2.49 billion in APAC in 2015.  It predicts that it will grow at an 8.1 per cent CAGR to touch $5.10 billion by 2024.

    And this is primarily being driven by the convergence of high definition (HD)  technologies such as 4K with IP. As per the report, 4K services are expected to be available on IP networks over the next four to five years via satellite launching and cable platforms.

    Traditional TV broadcast equipment

    The traditional TV broadcast segment accounted for 45.1 per cent share in terms of value of the total APAC broadcasting equipment market in 2015. Consumption of HD content in the region is increasing at a rapid clip, supported by rising sales of HD ready TVs. Valued at US 1.123 billion in 2015, it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.1 per cent between 2016 and 20124.

    The traditional TV broadcast equipment market is further segmented into cameras, monitors, routers, switchers, cable, transmitter, receiver and other accessories. The routers sub-segment is projected to expand at the highest CAGR of 9.2 per cent during the forecast period.
    Content creators across the region are shifting towards 4K cameras in order to capture high definition video. This is being supported by sales of 4K UHD televisions that has gained momentum due to rising disposable income in the region.

    IP converged broadcast equipment

    The IP converged broadcasting is projected to be the fastest growing segment in the APAC broadcasting equipment market, exhibiting a CAGR of 10 per cent during the forecast period. IP converged broadcasting is the emerging segment in broadcasting equipment market, where the IP network is used for the content delivery by broadcasters. The convergence of IP with broadcasting has enabled broadcasters to deliver content in real time in a more secure and reliable manner. It was valued at $453.3 million in 2015 and is expected to hit $1.06 billion by 2024.

    The Persistence Market Research report has further sub-segmented this category into media over IP, media contribution over IP and IP in studios and campuses.

    The traditional radio broadcast segment was valued at US$ 544 Mn in 2015 and is anticipated to register a CAGR of 7.5% during the forecast period.

    The key players in the APAC broadcasting equipment market include Media Excel Inc.(US), ChyronHego Corporation (US), TVU Networks Corporation (US), XOR Media Inc.(US), FOR-A Company (Japan), ORACLE Corporation (US), Unlimi-Tech Software Inc. (US), Grass Valley (Canada) and General Dynamics Mediaware (Australia).

  • What’s driving the APAC broadcasting equipment market’s growth

    What’s driving the APAC broadcasting equipment market’s growth

    MUMBAI: Here’s another research report, which echoes what everyone has been saying about the growth of OTT services in the Asia Pacific region. But it is from the perspective of the equipment that is used to produce, and transmit and distribute content.

    Persistence Market Research’s latest report predicts that the overall broadcast equipment market in Asia Pacific is expected to grow healthily, along with traditional TV broadcast equipment, even as the IP converged broadcasting equipment segment shows the maximum growth.

    Consumers, especially in APAC, prefer access to audio-visual content over multiple devices such as tablets, smartphones and desktops. OTT players such as YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon Prime offer multimedia content that can be accessed across various platforms. This is a major factor driving growth of the market, says the report.

    Another peculiarity of the region is that various countries have low electricity penetration that is creating significant challenges for broadcasters. Infrastructure challenges such as lack of electricity and mismatch cabling can negatively affect growth of APAC broadcasting equipment market.

    Most key players in the APAC broadcasting equipment market are focused on carrying out promotional activities via industrial exhibitions to advertise their products and form strategic alliances with other broadcasting service providers to expand the reach of their business.

    For the report, Persistence Market Research has classified the sector into traditional TV broadcast, traditional radio broadcast, IP converged broadcasting and asset management systems.  And the APAC region has been broken down as follows: China, Japan, India, ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand and the  rest of APAC.

    The report has concluded that the overall APAC broadcast equipment market was valued at $2.49 billion in APAC in 2015.  It predicts that it will grow at an 8.1 per cent CAGR to touch $5.10 billion by 2024.

    And this is primarily being driven by the convergence of high definition (HD)  technologies such as 4K with IP. As per the report, 4K services are expected to be available on IP networks over the next four to five years via satellite launching and cable platforms.

    Traditional TV broadcast equipment

    The traditional TV broadcast segment accounted for 45.1 per cent share in terms of value of the total APAC broadcasting equipment market in 2015. Consumption of HD content in the region is increasing at a rapid clip, supported by rising sales of HD ready TVs. Valued at US 1.123 billion in 2015, it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.1 per cent between 2016 and 20124.

    The traditional TV broadcast equipment market is further segmented into cameras, monitors, routers, switchers, cable, transmitter, receiver and other accessories. The routers sub-segment is projected to expand at the highest CAGR of 9.2 per cent during the forecast period.
    Content creators across the region are shifting towards 4K cameras in order to capture high definition video. This is being supported by sales of 4K UHD televisions that has gained momentum due to rising disposable income in the region.

    IP converged broadcast equipment

    The IP converged broadcasting is projected to be the fastest growing segment in the APAC broadcasting equipment market, exhibiting a CAGR of 10 per cent during the forecast period. IP converged broadcasting is the emerging segment in broadcasting equipment market, where the IP network is used for the content delivery by broadcasters. The convergence of IP with broadcasting has enabled broadcasters to deliver content in real time in a more secure and reliable manner. It was valued at $453.3 million in 2015 and is expected to hit $1.06 billion by 2024.

    The Persistence Market Research report has further sub-segmented this category into media over IP, media contribution over IP and IP in studios and campuses.

    The traditional radio broadcast segment was valued at US$ 544 Mn in 2015 and is anticipated to register a CAGR of 7.5% during the forecast period.

    The key players in the APAC broadcasting equipment market include Media Excel Inc.(US), ChyronHego Corporation (US), TVU Networks Corporation (US), XOR Media Inc.(US), FOR-A Company (Japan), ORACLE Corporation (US), Unlimi-Tech Software Inc. (US), Grass Valley (Canada) and General Dynamics Mediaware (Australia).

  • DEN Networks takes control of Snapdeal home shopping JV

    DEN Networks takes control of Snapdeal home shopping JV

    MUMBAI: Jasper Infotech CEOs Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal are working on getting their ecommerce platform Snapdeal in ship shape by focusing on customer satisfaction and net revenues instead of gross merchandise value (GMV). This follows the march that rivals such as Flipkart and Amazon have stolen from it.

    Getting rid of any diversifications and other assets that are not scaling up is probably part of the fitness plan. And that explains why the company has decided to divest its equity stake in Macro Commerce Private Ltd, which operates the DEN-Snapdeal home shopping channel.

    When it was launched as a 50:50 joint venture with cable TV MSO DEN Networks with much hype last year, Bahl had stated that he was targeting Rs 500 crore in revenues from TV commerce in year one.
    The numbers did not stack up and Snapdeal TV did a turnover of Rs 3.17 crore in 2015 and Rs 28 crore in 2017.

    DEN Network promoter Sameer Manchanda probably has more faith in the home shopping television initiative than Bahl. Hence, late last week DEN informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that it was buying an additional 32.87 per cent stake in the company from Jasper Infotech at a cost of Rs 60 million. Rs 10 million is for purchase of existing shares and Rs 50 million is through a rights issue, which will lead to an infusion of funds into Macro Commerce.

    Post the acquisition, DEN Networks’ shareholding will rise to 82.87 per cent in Macro from the 50 per cent currently.

    The purpose of the deal, the cable MSO says, is to take a controlling stake in the venture, expand the business and effectively manage the operations of the TV channel.

    The market responded well to DEN Networks’ announcement: its shares rose to Rs 94.70 in early morning trades, then dropped to Rs 89.90 – a rise of 0.35 paise over its previous close by day’s end.

  • DEN Networks takes control of Snapdeal home shopping JV

    DEN Networks takes control of Snapdeal home shopping JV

    MUMBAI: Jasper Infotech CEOs Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal are working on getting their ecommerce platform Snapdeal in ship shape by focusing on customer satisfaction and net revenues instead of gross merchandise value (GMV). This follows the march that rivals such as Flipkart and Amazon have stolen from it.

    Getting rid of any diversifications and other assets that are not scaling up is probably part of the fitness plan. And that explains why the company has decided to divest its equity stake in Macro Commerce Private Ltd, which operates the DEN-Snapdeal home shopping channel.

    When it was launched as a 50:50 joint venture with cable TV MSO DEN Networks with much hype last year, Bahl had stated that he was targeting Rs 500 crore in revenues from TV commerce in year one.
    The numbers did not stack up and Snapdeal TV did a turnover of Rs 3.17 crore in 2015 and Rs 28 crore in 2017.

    DEN Network promoter Sameer Manchanda probably has more faith in the home shopping television initiative than Bahl. Hence, late last week DEN informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that it was buying an additional 32.87 per cent stake in the company from Jasper Infotech at a cost of Rs 60 million. Rs 10 million is for purchase of existing shares and Rs 50 million is through a rights issue, which will lead to an infusion of funds into Macro Commerce.

    Post the acquisition, DEN Networks’ shareholding will rise to 82.87 per cent in Macro from the 50 per cent currently.

    The purpose of the deal, the cable MSO says, is to take a controlling stake in the venture, expand the business and effectively manage the operations of the TV channel.

    The market responded well to DEN Networks’ announcement: its shares rose to Rs 94.70 in early morning trades, then dropped to Rs 89.90 – a rise of 0.35 paise over its previous close by day’s end.

  • Rajinikanth, Kabali’s marketing overdrive

    Rajinikanth, Kabali’s marketing overdrive

    MUMBAI: Rajini Sir has proved lucky for them. Over the weekend, low cost carrier Air Asia announced the names of three fans who will be given a ticket each to fly to Bangkok and Kaula Lumpur and visit the location where Rajinikanth’s latest film Kabali has been shot. It also announced the names of 10 fans who came out tops in the Air Asia Kabali Video Contest thus winning first day first show tickets to the movie.

    The Air AsiaKabali Video Contest commenced last month and entrants had to film themselves mouthing Rajani’s dialogues from Neruppa Da and upload the videos. Kabali has Rajinikanth playing a underworld Don who fights for Tamils in Malaysia.

    However, the video contest was just one of the initiatives that Air Asia innovated along with Kabali producer-director Kalaipuli S Thanu’s V. Creations. The official airline association deal that the two signed has set a benchmark for film promotion and marketing in India – at least.

    For the last fortnight or so, Air Asia passengers between Bengaluru, New Delhi, Goa, Pune, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Guwahati, Imphal, Vizag and Kochi, have been greeted by a special aircraft as they have walked on to the tarmac. The plane has the salt and pepper haired Rajinikanth splattered all over the exterior of the aircraft.

    Come 22 July, the A-320 aircraft (which took about a month to design) will be flying exclusively between Bengaluru and Chennai. Passengers boarding the aircraft will be given Kabali memorabilia which includes T-Shirts and mugs, audio CDs and even tickets. They will also be able to munch a special Rajinikanth meal. Other merchandise that has been created to coincide with the film’s upcoming release includes: silver coins with the superstar’s image embossed on it and brought out by the Kerala-based Muthoot Pappachan Group. A Kabali Rajinikanth doll has also been designed by the producer and is being sold at Rs 999.

    Air Asia, on its part, has disclosed that it will continue to fly the special Rajini aircraft much after the film’s release as a tribute to the thespian actor. The film features the veteran actor taking Air Asia flights on several occasions.

    Apart from Air Asia, Kabali’s producer V.Creations has snared tieups with Mondelez for chocolates, PVR Cinemas for multiplexes, Airtel for mobile, Muthoot FinCorp for finance, VS Hospitals for health, Amazon for merchandise, and Emami for healthcare products.

    The brand that Mondelez has chosen for the partnership is 5 Star. Special TVCs featuring the goofy brothers Ramesh and Suresh promoting Kabali have been created and have been running on social media and on television. Advertising panels on buses in Tamil Nadu touting the film with the tagline SuperStar ka 5 star and Superstar in 5 Star. Buses with LED panels screening Kabali trailers, teasers, songs have taken part in road shows covering colleges, schools and malls. The chocolate maker has also put out 18,000 cutouts promoting the film and 5 Star nationally in retail outlets and at the point of sale.

    Keychains, posters, T-shirts, mugs, posters, the Kabali Rajinikanth doll are to be sold on the ecommerce platform as part of its partnership with Amazon.

    Like other partners, the media partners agreed to extend the promotional period when the film release date was extended from 1 July to 15 July to 22 July.

    Apart from Rajinikanth, the film stars Attakathi Dinesh, John Vijay, Dhanika, Koshire, Roshan, Nassar and Winston Cho along with Radhika Apte. Helming it is the young but successful director P.A. Ranjith.

    Estimates are that the valuation of the various tieups that Kabali has managed is in the region of Rs 70-80 crore. The film’s makers are targeting a box office revenue of Rs 500 crore for the film which was made at a budget of around Rs 80 crore.

    It is slated to be released in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, Thai, Chinese and Japanese. Broadcast, audio, dubbing, digital and overseas rights sales had already netted close to Rs 150 crore for V. Creations. The Hindi version of the film is being distributed by FoxStar Studios India and is expected to debut1,000 screens nationally. In the US, distributor CineGalaxy has lined up a 400 cinema hall release. The sourthern market is expected to see a release in about 2,000 screens even as Kabali is released simultaneously in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

    Rajinikanth’s previous two films Lingaa and Kochadaiiyaan did not do as well as expected at the box office. And questions were being asked whether Thalaivar is a bankable star. If the push that has been being given to Kabali courtesy its marketing tieups gets the cash registers ringing, the critics and naysayers will have been silenced.