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Tag: ASEAN

  • Johor to host ASEAN’s biggest digital content summit in 2025

    Johor to host ASEAN’s biggest digital content summit in 2025

    JOHOR BAHRU: Game, set… animation! Johor Bahru gears up to host the ASEAN Digital Content Summit (ADCS 2025) from 2–4 September.

    Organised by the Ministry of Digital through the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), in collaboration with the Johor State Government, the summit is set to transform the Persada Johor International Convention Centre into the beating heart of ASEAN’s creative economy.

    Timed with Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2025, ADCS will bring together more than 50 global thought leaders, over 100 exhibitors, and country pavilions from more than 10 nations, all under one roof. Policymakers, studios, start-ups, investors and creators will unite to script the next chapter in animation, gaming and immersive technology.
    The summit opens with the ASEAN Roundtable on 2 September, a high-level dialogue designed to spark regional collaboration in animation, games, and creative technology. Fans of Japanese anime will also find a treat: Koji Morimoto, co-founder of Studio 4°C and one of the creative minds behind Akira, will headline the speaker sessions.

    Meanwhile, the Kre8tif! Business Xchange will act as a matchmaking arena for creators, connecting them with broadcasters, distributors, and investors. The exhibition hall promises a visual feast, from new game solutions to immersive interactive content, showcasing the latest from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and beyond.

    In a nod to talent and research, ADCS 2025 will also feature 50 global technical papers and 60 plus university projects, giving students and young creators a launchpad to shine. The initiative is supported by KL ACM SIGGRAPH and DICE 3.0, ensuring academia meets industry in the most creative of ways.

    MDEC CEO Anuar Fariz Fadzil called the summit a “game-changer” adding, “ADCS 2025 marks Johor’s bold leap toward becoming the beating heart of ASEAN’s digital content revolution. By bringing together innovators, storytellers, and tech leaders, Johor is stepping into the spotlight as the epicentre of gaming, animation, and immersive content.”

    And it’s not all about business. The summit has a festival flavour, too. Public visitors can look forward to e-sports tournaments, outdoor movie screenings, exclusive giveaways, and family fun at B5 Johor Street Market. The celebrations culminate with the Malaysia Animation Film Festival on 4 September, followed by nationwide screenings at GSC cinemas from 16 October.

  • Henrique Braun gets promoted to EVP & COO at The Coca-Cola Co

    Henrique Braun gets promoted to EVP & COO at The Coca-Cola Co

    MUMBAI: Come the new year and Henrique Braun will be carrying a new designation at The Coca-Cola Co. Last week, he was named executive vice-president & chief operating officer.  In his expanded role, Braun will be responsible for all of the company’s operating units worldwide. He will report to chairman &  CEO James Quincey.

    Braun currently serves as EVP & president, international development, overseeing the company’s operating units for Latin America; Japan & South Korea; Asean & south Pacific; Greater China and Mongolia; Africa; India & southwest Asia; and Eurasia and Middle East.

    As COO, Braun will  add oversight of the north America and Europe operating units.

    “Henrique has built an impressive track record of driving our growth strategy along with numerous operational accomplishments, all while keeping the consumer as the center of decisions,” Quincey said. “He has proven to be a trusted, strategic leader with a reputation for developing talent and delivering results.”

    Prior to his current role, Braun served as president of the Latin America operating unit from 2020 to 2022 and as president of the Brazil business unit from 2016 to 2020. From 2013 to 2016, he was president of the company’s Greater China & Korea business unit.

    Braun, 56, joined The Coca-Cola Co in 1996 in Atlanta and progressed through roles of increasing responsibilities in north America, Europe, Asia and Latin America. Those positions included supply chain, new business development, marketing, innovation, general management and bottling operations. Braun has served in regional, business unit and corporate functions.

    “I am energised and honored to take on this broader role and look forward to partnering with James, our executive leadership team, bottling partners and associates to deliver on our total beverage strategy and drive growth across the company and our system worldwide,” Braun said.

    The following leaders will report to Braun:
    Selman Careaga, president, ASEAN & South Pacific operating unit;
    Nikos Koumettis, president, Europe operating unit;
    Gilles Leclerc, president, Greater China and Mongolia operating unit;
    Jennifer Mann, EVP and president, North America operating unit;
    Luisa Ortega, president, Africa operating unit;
    Murat Ozgel, president, Japan & South Korea operating unit;
    Bruno Pietracci, president, Latin America operating unit;
    Sanket Ray, president, India & Southwest Asia operating unit;
    Sedef Salingan Sahin, president, Eurasia and Middle East operating unit.

    Braun holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering from the University Federal of Rio de Janeiro, a master’s of science degree from Michigan State University and an MBA from Georgia State University.

  • Citi selects Rituparna Ghosh as VP- strategic communications

    Citi selects Rituparna Ghosh as VP- strategic communications

    MUMBAI She’s landed in Citi. Former Linde head corporate communications south Asia, Asean, and CSR-Asean  Rituparna Ghosh has moved into the position vice-president -strategic communications at Citi.  

    Rituparna who’s dabbled in several fields from being a copywriter (Continental Advertising), instructional designer (Brainvisa Tech, Accenture and Unisys), business content solutions provider (Fidelity Business Services), and business and creative services (EY), finally found her mojo in the area of communications when she  signed a contract with Unilever as a strategic communications consultant.

    Since then, the MBA  in marketing   has stuck to basics, to the knitting. Her journey has been in the field of image management over  the past five years.

    And she appears to be doing  a good job, going by the way she was drafted from Linde by Citi for a super relevant post. 
     

  • Cisco ups Prerna Suri to Asean communications head

    Cisco ups Prerna Suri to Asean communications head

    MUMBAI: IT and  networking major Cisco has promoted Prerna Suri as head of communications, southeast Asia as of August 2020. She joined Cisco from Facebook as communications manager APJC in March 2020, and in six months she has been pushed up the ladder and will be based in Singapore.

    Her job profile consists of leading Cisco’s communications efforts in Asean (south east Asia), a diverse region, with unique perspectives and opportunities. Her work includes collaborating with senior leaders, crafting strategic messaging, managing media relations, responding to crises and helping teams with their communications’ needs across Asean.

    Prerna has previously worked for organisations such as the UN in information roles, and in news outlets such as Channel News Asia, NDTV, and Al-Jazeera as a journalist.

    She holds a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and a bachelor of arts in journalism from India's prestigious Lady Shri Ram College for Women.

  • STB import duty doubled to 20%

    STB import duty doubled to 20%

    NEW DELHI: In a fresh bid to boost domestic production under the Make in India project, the Indian government has increased the import duty on set-top boxes (STBs) to 20 per cent, including a host of other electronic items such as TVs sets and smartphones.

    The duty hike from 10 per cent could impact the ongoing digitisation of TV services in India. Experts and stakeholders in the country’s broadcast and cable industry are still assessing the directive, including the fact whether the move is aimed at arresting imports from China.

    A ministry of finance notification dated 14 December 2017 stated the federal government was “satisfied” that the import duty on certain goods, including electronics, should be increased as “circumstances exist” that render it “necessary to take immediate action”.

    Though officially over, India’s digitisation of TV services is still a work in progress with many big MSOs admitting in private that the last and fourth phase is still far from over.

    A cable industry source highlighted that India’s DTH operators annually import about 10 million STBs, while an additional 20 million boxes approximately would still be needed to fully cover areas falling under phase IV of digitisation.

    While many India companies, including big companies like the Hero group, are manufacturing and/or assembling STBs in India, the supply, according to industry sources, isn’t enough to meet the demand. It is also expected that whenever the next round of survey is undertaken, the total number of TV homes in India would increase much beyond the figure of 183 million (as indicated by BARC India).

    Will this increase in import duty also up the cost of STBs for consumers via a mixed business model of rentals and outright purchase of the product? It’s still not clear.

    An industry source, however, said whether this government move would give a fillip to domestic manufacturing is not yet known. Most Indian DTH operators have already started importing STBs from countries like Thailand and Vietnam to take advantage of an ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) trade pact, which is aimed at lowering trade barriers and help economic growth in general.

    STBs can be now imported by Indian companies from ASEAN countries at very low tax rate that is in the range of 2-3 per cent, the source elaborated.

    ALSO READ:

    Budget 2016: STBs exempt from basic customs duty

    DAS: Even official figures show digitization is incomplete

    DAS phase IV pace slack; MIB to make Indian STB makers

     

  • Culture Machine reorganises sales team

    MUMBAI: Digital media network Culture Machine has reorganised its sales team. Siddharth Narula, who served as the president – revenue, has been promoted to chief revenue officer. He will overlook the expansion of the firm’s technology sales footprint in international markets, starting with South East Asia and North America. He will continue to report to Culture Machine CEO and co-founder Sameer Pitalwalla.

    Aditya Aima has joined as the business head – ASEAN for Culture Machine, operating out of Malaysia. Aima will overlook the expansion of Culture Machine’s Intelligence Machine and Video Machine offerings to its brand and advertisers. Minal Sharma has joined as the national sales head, overlooking all sales for Culture Machine’s Studios and media brands. She joins the team with over 16 years of experience across leading media and entertainment brands.

    Both, Aima and Sharma will report to Narula.

    Pitalwalla said, “Our Indian media brands lead the charts in each of their verticals, and the core technology platforms that have helped scale them are already in use by Fortune 500 clients globally, with large demand the world over. We are excited about growing this opportunity, while continuing to focus on our domestic Media business.”

    Narula added, “2016 has been one of the most active years for Culture Machine in terms of revenue escalation and content creation. We created trendsetting videos which have led to hundreds of global and local brands to collaborate with us, resulting in award winning campaigns. In the embryonic days of digital entertainment and technology, the addition of Minal and Aditya will help catalyse the process.”

    Since its inception, Culture Machine’s vision of using technology and storytelling to build great media brands that people love has led the way in the digital content revolution that the country is currently witnessing. Culture Machine’s digital brands Being Indian, Blush, Put Chutney, Viva and Awesome Sauce have carved a distinctive identity and an undisputed space among the top three in their respective genres.

  • Indian equipment makers keen to export telecom goods

    NEW DELHI: The Indian Government is keen to partner with ASEAN countries in enabling Digital Connectivity between India and ASEAN region and also for enabling broadband within ASEAN countries.

    India said these digital connectivity projects are of strategic importance and can have a transformative impact on the economy and cooperation between ASEAN and India.

    This was stated during talks between India and telecom ministers, senior government officials and industry leaders from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos PDR, Indonesia and Bhutan to commemorate the 25th year of the ASEAN India relations

    Organized by the TEPC (Telecom Equipment and Services Export Promotion Council), the inter-ministerial meeting was led on the Indian side by Communications Minister Manoj Sinha.

    India has committed to provide financial as well as technological support for projects that could include-high-speed fiber optic networks, digital villages, rural broadband, national knowledge network, secured communication networks and telecom training and skill development.

    Taking part in the discussions, Vihaan Networks Limited (VNL) Chairman Rajiv Mehrotra said “To take the telecom revolution in India to its new level of growth, the domestic equipment manufacturers should come forward and take the lead. Today such a concerted move will also fulfill the government’s vision of Make In India and bring in significant indigenization which is the need of the hour.”

    Telecom Secretary J S Deepak said “The potential of partnership between India and ASEAN in the arena of telecom is significant. There is a huge demand for capacity building which the Indian partners can contribute.”

    Indian companies have created world-class products and solutions which are not only of the highest quality and are also very cost-competitive. They are therefore keen to export to customers in ASEAN region, who have similar requirements like India.

  • NHK WORLD TV expands IPTV footprint in ASEAN

    NHK WORLD TV expands IPTV footprint in ASEAN

    MUMBAI: NHK World TV continues to reach out to new subscribers in ASEAN with its IPTV launch on 17 March, 2016 on Advanced Info Service Public Company Limited (AIS) which is one of the largest mobile phone network providers in Thailand.

    This launch sees NHK WORLD TV’s extensive programs being made available in HD to AIS Fibre broadband subscribers on its TV platform, AIS PLAYBOX, as well as its mobile application, AIS PLAY, running on both Android and iOS systems.

    “Thailand, being a vibrant and robust ASEAN country, is an important market for us. We are confident Thai viewers will continue to find our news coverage objective and accurate, and our lifestyle programs entertaining and enlightening,” said Yoshihiko Shimizu, President and CEO, Japan International Broadcasting.

    Operating from Japan, NHK WORLD TV is a 24-hour English language television service for international viewers; providing the latest Asia-centered informative and entertainment programs. NHK WORLD TV is available to 290 million households in 150 countries and regions. It is accessible via free mobile app, online live-streaming and video-on-demand on its website.

  • NHK WORLD TV expands IPTV footprint in ASEAN

    NHK WORLD TV expands IPTV footprint in ASEAN

    MUMBAI: NHK World TV continues to reach out to new subscribers in ASEAN with its IPTV launch on 17 March, 2016 on Advanced Info Service Public Company Limited (AIS) which is one of the largest mobile phone network providers in Thailand.

    This launch sees NHK WORLD TV’s extensive programs being made available in HD to AIS Fibre broadband subscribers on its TV platform, AIS PLAYBOX, as well as its mobile application, AIS PLAY, running on both Android and iOS systems.

    “Thailand, being a vibrant and robust ASEAN country, is an important market for us. We are confident Thai viewers will continue to find our news coverage objective and accurate, and our lifestyle programs entertaining and enlightening,” said Yoshihiko Shimizu, President and CEO, Japan International Broadcasting.

    Operating from Japan, NHK WORLD TV is a 24-hour English language television service for international viewers; providing the latest Asia-centered informative and entertainment programs. NHK WORLD TV is available to 290 million households in 150 countries and regions. It is accessible via free mobile app, online live-streaming and video-on-demand on its website.

  • JWT bags creative duties of Vietnam’s first international DTH company

    JWT bags creative duties of Vietnam’s first international DTH company

    MUMBAI: Vietnam’s satellite television operator VSTV/K+ has named J. Walter Thompson as its creative agency of record in Vietnam after a recently concluded multi-agency pitch.

     

    VSTV/K+ is a joint venture between state-owned VTV and Canal+ Overseas, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canal+ Group of France.

     

    A total of three agencies were invited for this pitch, which was overseen by VSTV/K+ team from Vietnam and representatives from Canal+ Overseas.

     

    K+ entered the Vietnam market in 2009 as a DTH pioneer with exclusive English Premier League content. Since then it has garnered a subscriber base of more than 800,000.

     

    By using direct to home and advanced technologies, K+ brings quality national level satellite TV service to Vietnamese households via SD and HD set-top-boxes at competitive prices, offering 4 K+ premium and exclusive channels, up to 130 SD channels and 10 HD channels across genres: sports, movies, general entertainment, news, music, and documentaries.

     

    VSTV/K+ COO and CFO Frederic Berardi said, “Whilst K+ has made a name in the Vietnam television space, our brand now needs to take the high ground as an entertainment hub for Vietnamese homes via exclusive, premium content. JWT demonstrated to us strong understanding of the big picture, the road map and they combined that with an entrepreneurial mentality, so essential as we seek to drive change in a fast evolving market.”

     

    As part of the restage program, K+ has been enriching the content on its four exclusive channels with key investments in 2015. This includes strategic partnerships with leading film studios, BHD (Vietnam) and CJ (Korea) to beam latest Vietnamese movies into Vietnamese homes, only few months after their release in cinema. Another one is the exclusive acquisition of ATP World Tour series for the next three seasons (2016/2017/2018) which has just been announced.

     

    JWT Vietnam CEO Saby Mishra, who led the pitch effort, added, “For J. Walter Thompson this is a real honor to work with the country’s premier broadcasting venture. We are excited about the opportunity to work with the VSTV/K+ team and pioneer a true premiumization inflection-point in a broadcast market where free-to-air analogue terrestrial has been the norm for long.”

     

    “The challenges of digital switchover will however vary significantly across ASEAN region, depending on market conditions. In case of Vietnam, its 23 million TV households in a population of 90 million, is showing an appetite for quality content so we believe that there is now headroom for creating a mass-premium segment via exclusive content, smart value propositions, branding and creativity,” Mishra said.