ITV

Tag: Bharti Airtel

  • Airtel Digital TV launches new standard STB with recording facility

    Airtel Digital TV launches new standard STB with recording facility

    NEW DELHI: Airtel Digital TV the direct to home (DTH) arm of Bharti Airtel, has launched a set-top-box for Rs 2,000 that allows customers to record by plugging-in an external storage device such as a pen drive.

    “The new standard definition (SD) set-top-box will allow customers to enjoy recording by just plugging-in an external storage device,” the company said in a statement.

    The company said that customers can just plug-in their pen drive or other external storage device into the set-top box to start recording and can schedule the recordings even via mobile or Internet.

    “Customers can record on an external storage device of up-to two terabytes and create an unlimited personal content library by using multiple storage devices for the recordings,” it added.

    The recorded programmes can be watched with a DVD like control of TV viewing with features such as pause, rewind, slow-motion viewing and fast-forward, the company said.

    Airtel Digital TV had 8.5 million customers as on June 2013 and it offers 373 channels, including 17 HD channels and five interactive services.

  • Broadband base up in July, with monthly growth at rate of 0.33%

    Broadband base up in July, with monthly growth at rate of 0.33%

    NEW DELHI: The total Broadband subscriber base in the country has increased from 15.19 million at the end of June 2013 to 15.24 million at the end of July 2013. This is a monthly growth of 0.33 per cent. The yearly growth in broadband subscribers is 3.79 per cent during the last one year (July 2012 to July 2013).

    The top five internet service providers in terms of market share (based on subscriber base) are: BSNL (9.97 million), Bharti Airtel (1.43 million), MTNL (1.10 million), Hathway (0.37 million) and You Broadband (0.32 million).

    According to the latest telecom subscription data as on 31 July 2013 released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, there are 161 internet service providers (ISPs) which are providing broadband services in the country. Out of these, 121 ISPs (having 98.48 per cent market share) have provided broadband subscription data for the month of July 2013, for the rest of the ISPs data from previous month has been retained.

    Meanwhile, Indian rural telecom has faced downturn – despite service providers’ special packages – as mobile user base declined by two million in July 2013. TRAI said net mobile additions declined 0.57 per cent or by 2 million to 349.09 million from 351.10 million in June.

    In July – according to TRAI data – Indian urban mobile user base increased by 3.52 million or 0.67 per cent to 525.78 million from 522.27 million in June.

    The share of urban wireless subscribers has increased from 59.80 per cent to 60.10 per cent whereas share of rural wireless subscribers has decreased from 40.20 per cent to 39.90 per cent.

    TRAI statistics says total wireless subscriber base increased from 873.36 million in June to 874.88 million in July 2013, registering a monthly growth of 0.17 per cent. The overall wireless Teledensity in India has reached 71.13 per cent in July from 71.08 per cent of previous month. Wireless subscription in urban areas increased to 525.78 million in July.

    The urban wireless teledensity has increased from 139.16 to 139.87 whereas rural teledensity has decreased from 41.14 per cent to 40.88 per cent.

    Wireline subscriber base declined from 29.73 million in June 2013 to 29.58 million in July. The net reduction in wireline subscriber base was 0.15 million at the rate of 0.50 per cent.

    The share of urban subscribers has decreased from 78.11 per cent to 78.0 per cent whereas share of rural subscribers has increased from 21.89 per cent to 22.0 per cent. The overall wireline Teledensity has decreased from 2.42 per cent in June 2013 to 2.40 per cent in July 2013, with urban and rural Teledensity being 6.14 per cent and 0.76 per cent respectively.

    BSNL and MTNL, the two PSU operators hold 78.65 per cent of the Wireline market share.

  • Romil Ramgarhia is new commercial head for ZEEL

    Romil Ramgarhia is new commercial head for ZEEL

    MUMBAI: From V to Z. Z as in ZEEL. That’s how Romil Ramgarhia’s route is taking him up the ladder. From handling just one channel at Viacom 18 – Colors – he will now be the commercial head of ZEEL with the responsibility of a larger band of channels in the Zee Network.

    He will be reporting directly to ZEEL MD and CEO Punit Goenka. Speaking on his appointment Goenka said, “I am glad to have Romil join the ZEE family, and I am confident that his rich experience will bring in immense value to the organisation.”

    Ecstatic about his new role with Zee, Ramgarhia said, “It is always an honour to join a global brand like ZEEL. I have personally been an admirer of the pioneering steps taken by this organisation in the past 20 years, and I look forward to being a part of the ZEE family.”

    The appointment is effective from 13 September 2013 and the whole commercial team will report to Ramgarhia. Prior to Viacom 18, he was also associated with Bharti Airtel, Asian Paints and ACC.
    Last month, ZEEL’s former commercial head Utpal Das shifted to Viacom 18 as its new chief commercial officer. It looks like the two networks are busy playing musical chairs with each other.

  • Airtel’s Aapli Boli, Aapla Network campaign rings in Maharashtra

    Airtel’s Aapli Boli, Aapla Network campaign rings in Maharashtra

    MUMBAI: Bharti Airtel, a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa says Hello to Maharashtra with a new campaign – “Aapli Boli, Aapla Network”. The new advertisement reiterates Airtel’s commitment to offer seamless network connectivity and enrich lives of its customers.

    The new TVC showcases varied cultural background of different districts in Maharashtra yet connected with one network anywhere, anytime! It highlights the strength of Airtel’s network across the state helping customers to stay connected with their loved ones wherever they go – from Kolapur to Solapur, Nasik to Nagpur , Auranagabad to Pune!

    Mr. Ashok Ganpathy, Hub CEO – Maharashtra, Goa & Gujarat, Bharti Airtel said “Our new campaign, “aapli boli aapla network” reinforces the seamless network experience Airtel provides in the state of Maharashtra- a large state with a rich and diverse culture. The campaign connects the brand with the region through its catchy and inclusive lyrics- bringing in a feeling of togetherness. We believe this campaign will further strengthen our brand in the minds of consumers, whilst they enjoy the superior network experience.”

    Powered by its extensive coverage reach, Airtel has delivered on all network quality benchmarks in Maharashtra as defined by TRAI – for instance Availability of Network, Ease of originating a Call or a Data Session, Voice Clarity and Ability to successfully complete the Calls and Data Sessions.

    Airtel has planned a strong 360- degree campaign spread using TV, outdoor, radio, print (selective) and retail signage’s to support the campaign.

    Created by the media agency Taproot, the campaign complements its earlier brand campaigns ‘Har Friend Zaroori Hai Yaar’ campaign and ‘Jo Tera Hai Woh Mera Hai’ to tap the youth audience.

  • Millward Brown appoints Surekha Poddar as MD

    Millward Brown appoints Surekha Poddar as MD

    Mumbai: Brand media and communications research company Millward Brown has appointed Surekha Poddar as MD for its Mumbai operation. Poddar replaces Muder Chiba who has decided to leave the company to pursue other interests.

    Poddar will report to recently appointed South Asiamanaging director Prasun Basu. In her core responsibility, she will lead the largest of Millward Brown’s operations in South Asia.

    The company also has offices in Gurgaon, Bangalore, and newly-opened Dhaka.

    Poddar has over 20 years of experience in marketing, research and strategic management from both, the agency and the client side.

    Prior to this, Poddar worked as executive director of consumer research at Nielsen India. She has also worked with Bharti Airtel as VP market research and consumer insight. Apart from this, Poddar has worked in the capacity of VP in the CSMM division at IMRB and GM for Asian Information Marketing & Social Research (AIMS).

    In 2005, she worked with Millward Brown as regional director for the company’s Asia Pacific region based in Singapore.

    Talking about the appointment Surekha Poddar said, “I am very excited to have the opportunity to lead such a talented group of researchers and to represent a world leader in consumer insights in the Mumbai marketplace. The company works with some of the most respected brands in the region helping them to maximise their marketing investments so its a perfect fit given my passion for marketing, brand-building and consumer insight”.

    Millward Brown MD of South Asia Prasun Basu said, “I am delighted to welcome Surekha to the Millward Brown family again. Her extensive experience will provide our clients and employees with a partner and trusted advisor who truly understand the important role research plays in building strong brands and making a meaningful impact in driving businesses forward.”

  • Marico in list of top advertisers by volume as Bharti Airtel slips out

    MUMBAI: Bharti Airtel has cut down its advertising on television and shifted allocations to other mediums in 2012, a year marked by slowdown and a difficult market condition for telecom companies.

    Bharti Airtel has fallen off the list of top 10 advertisers on television in terms of volumes, according to TAM AdEX‘s ranking in 2012. The telecom major held the number 10 spot in the TAM AdEx‘s list of top ten advertisers in 2011.

    Replacing Bharti Airtel is fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) manufacturer Marico. Not figuring in the list in 2011, Marico has marked its aggression to gain the tenth spot with one percent share in advertising volume on television.

    Top 10 Advertisers in 2012 on TV
    Rank
    		 Advertisers
    % Share
    1
    		 Hindustan Lever Ltd
    8
    2
    		 Cadburys India Ltd
    2
    3
    		 Reckitt Benckiser (india) Ltd
    2
    4
    		 Itc Ltd
    2
    5
    		 Procter & Gamble
    2
    6
    		 Colgate Palmolive India Ltd
    1
    7
    		 Ponds India
    1
    8
    		 Coca Cola India Ltd
    1
    9
    		 Samsung India Electronics Ltd
    1
    10
    		 Marico Ltd
    1

    Bharti Airtel has upped its ad inventory on digital and on ground marketing initiatives. Agrees a top media buyer who is familiar with the ad spends of telecom companies, “The shift to digital and on ground in case of Bharti Airtel would be the main reason why its volume of advertising on television has decreased. If you see the whole picture, the overall media spends may not have gone down so much, but resources have been shifted to focus on other aspects of a 360 degree media plan. The BCCI and F1 sponsorships are no small investments.”

    Top 10 Advertisers in 2011 on TV
    Rank
    		 Advertisers
    % Share
    1
    		 Hindustan Lever Ltd
    8
    2
    		 Reckitt Benckiser (india) Ltd
    3
    3
    		 Cadburys India Ltd
    2
    4
    		 Itc Ltd
    2
    5
    		 Procter & Gamble
    2
    6
    		 Ponds India
    1
    7
    		 Coca Cola India Ltd
    1
    8
    		 Colgate Palmolive India Ltd
    1
    9
    		 Bharti Airtel Ltd
    1
    10
    		 Smithkline Beecham
    1

    Bharti Airtel is one of the major ad spenders in India and has been on expensive mediums like cricket. The telecom major bagged the BCCI sponsorship rights of all international cricket matches played in India for the period 2010-2013.

    “While telecom companies in general have reduced their ad inventory on television, in case of Bharti Airtel this fall has been sharp. Even on TV, some of the focus has shifted to niche channels,” says Zeel chief sales officer Ashish Sehgal.

    Bharti Airtel’s consolidated net profit has been falling for the past 12 quarters on rising expenses. The company is also faced with large cash outflows in 2013-14 on account of one-time spectrum fees and licence renewal fees, for which it is expected to preserve cash.

    The reduction in TV ad volumes by Bharti Airtel could also be a reflection of the general economic slowdown that the industry is experiencing. While advertisers in general have either cut back on advertising and promotion spends or refrained from increasing them, FMCG companies have been increasing the same and this has been reflected in more FMCGs figuring in the top ten advertisers.

    Of the top ten advertisers on television, nine belong to the FMCG category (same as in 2011). Samsung India Electronics Ltd, a consumer durables company, is the only outsider at number nine. HUL is the number one advertiser with eight per cent of the television ads share by volume followed by Cadbury India, Reckitt Benckiser, ITC Ltd and P&G (in that order), all claiming two per cent of ad volume.

    MediaCom CEO Debraj Tripathi says, “Now that the slowdown has hit the industry, the telecoms are keeping a check on their spends and investing sparingly, while the FMCGs are robust on advertising.”

    Though TAM AdEx only gives ad volumes, Marico has also increased its spends in value terms. The company, which has been selling brands such as Saffola and Parachute, has upped its ad spends for the period of January-December by 16.67 per cent from Rs 3.54 billion in 2011 to Rs 4.13 billion in 2012.

    “Marico has been making efforts to increase market share. It has also launched new products and been trying to aggressively grow its brands. The aggression is marked with the acquisition of personal care brands of Paras Pharma from Reckitt Benckiser,” says a media analyst.

  • Airtel Digital TV Q3 operating profit up amid strong subscriber growth

    Airtel Digital TV Q3 operating profit up amid strong subscriber growth

    MUMBAI: Airtel Digital TV, Bharti Airtel‘s direct-to-home (DTH) arm, continued to post operating profit for the second straight quarter amid healthy net subscription additions and a rise in ARPUs while churn rate has improved.

    The operating profit was at Rs 147 million in the fiscal third-quarter ended 31 December, up from Rs 33 million in the trailing three-month period.

    Airtel Digital TV added net 439,000 subscribers compared to a weak earlier quarter in which it grew just 55,000 new customers.

    “Digitisation and the festive season helped us grow our subscriber base in the third quarter. We expect this quarter (beginning January) to be good. Some of the gains from digitisation (38 cities by 31 March as mandated by government), though, will be captured in April,” Airtel Digital TV chief executive officer Shashi Arora told Indiantelevision.com.

    Airtel Digital TV‘s subscriber base grew 6 per cent to total 7.9 million.

    The company narrowed its fiscal third quarter loss before tax and interest to Rs 1.83 billion from Rs 2.23 billion in the earlier quarter. Revenue grew 29 per cent to Rs 4.28 billion from Rs 3.94 billion.

    A striking feature this quarter has been how Airtel Digital TV has lifted its average revenue per user (ARPU) while at the same time improving its churn rate. ARPU increased 5 per cent to Rs 186 from Rs 177 in the previous quarter. The monthly churn decreased to 1.3 per cent in the third quarter from 1.9 per cent.

    The improvement in ARPU has been achieved through product innovations, pricing corrections and upselling.

    “Our HD (high definition) contribution is relatively higher than the other DTH companies. This has led to a rise in ARPUs for us,” said Arora.

    Dish TV, India‘s largest DTH operator by subscribers, marginally increased its ARPU to Rs 160 from Rs 159 in the trailing quarter.

    During the quarter ended 31 December, Airtel Digital TV incurred a capital expenditure of Rs 1.35 billion in digital TV services.

  • Vishwaroopam’s theatrical release postponed to 25 Jan

    Vishwaroopam’s theatrical release postponed to 25 Jan

    MUMBAI: Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan‘s upcoming film ‘Vishwaroopam‘ will now release on 25 January instead of 11 January, the earlier decided date of release.

     

    The Rajkamal Films International‘s movie that was to release on DTH platforms on 10 January was called off by Haasan after the opposition from the theatre owners as it would have affected their business. It is now uncertain when the movie will air on DTH platforms.

     

    Haasan said in a press statement, “Based on the unstinted support of theatre owners and distributors fraternity, ‘Vishwaroopam‘ will release in over 500 screens across the State of Tamil Nadu. I appreciate the exhibitors and distributors brethren for having understood my vision for creating a new revenue stream for the film producing community through DTH.”

     

    “In line with the postponement of the release date of the movie ‘Vishwaroopam‘ (Tamil and Telugu)/‘Vishwaroop‘ (Hindi)‘ across theatres and on the DTH platform by Rajkamal Films, we have stopped taking bookings for the movie premiere that was scheduled for 10 January at 9.30 p.m. on Airtel DTH,” Bharti Airtel CEO-DTH/Media Shashi Arora said in a statement issued by the company.

     

    Haasan has acted, directed and produced the movie. In a press meet on Wednesday, he said that he is considering releasing the movie simultaneously in both theaters and DTH platforms.

     

    The other DTH operators with which Haasan had tied up for the movie premiere of ‘Vishwaroopam‘ included Tata Sky, Dish TV and Videocon d2h, Sun Direct and Reliance Digital TV.

  • Bharti Airtel launches mEducation services

    Bharti Airtel launches mEducation services

    MUMBAI: Bharti Airtel has launched mEducation services to bring education on the mobile device.

    The new service platform now enables Airtel mobile customers across the country to easily access a host of education services including courses for language skills, entrance exam preparation and career counseling from the best of universities and professors in the country with their mobile phones.

    Bharti Airtel president – consumer business K Srinivas said, "In many parts of the country, access to formal education is still restricted. Mobile platform has the potential to bridge this restriction using technology. Airtel mEducation service uses technology-enabled platforms to address the challenging issues of education with an endeavor to enrich the lives of our customers. Airtel mEducation has been designed to replicate a classroom experience for a mass market and enable learning at a convenient, accessible and affordable platform."
    With the service, customers can now improve their capabilities with new skills and build self-confidence by improving their use of English language, through test preparations for entrance exams or personality development sessions. Regular assessment tests also help customers to evaluate their progress. Additionally, customers can also easily access the details of campuses and the scholarships on their fingertips.

  • Sandeep Goyal’s firm to manage Airtel’s ad inventory

    Sandeep Goyal’s firm to manage Airtel’s ad inventory

    MUMBAI: In a first of its kind move, telecom giant Bharti Airtel has awarded its entire advertising inventory management to Sandeep Goyal-promoted Mogae Media.

    A senior executive in the company, who did not want his name to be revealed, confirmed the news to Indiantelevision that there was a pitch involved and Mogae was selected to sell all advertising on Bharti Airtel’s mobile, DTH (Airtel Digital TV) and broadband platforms.

    The revenue-share deal will see Mogae operating Airtel’s full mobile commerce initiative including special offers.

    Goyal‘s Mogae will, thus, handle the Bharti Airtel‘s ad inventory that includes space on text messages, multi-media messages, IVR and recharge coupons in mobile services.

    Direct-to-home (DTH) service providers are also tapping advertising to supplement their main subscription fees that they charge from subscribers.

    Goyal, former Dentsu India chairman, was not available for his comments.

    When contacted, Airtel spokesperson said the company would not comment on market speculations.