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Tag: covid

  • Omicron Surge: Cinema halls, multiplexes shut in Delhi, ‘Jersey’ release put on hold

    Omicron Surge: Cinema halls, multiplexes shut in Delhi, ‘Jersey’ release put on hold

    Mumbai: Just when the theatrical business was limping back to normal, a sudden surge in Covid-19 cases has once again put a halt to the recovery plans, with fresh restrictions across several states. On Tuesday, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) announced the closure of cinema halls and multiplexes across the national capital with immediate effect.

    The decision was taken after Delhi recorded the highest single-day spike in Covid-19 cases since 9 June. As many as 331 fresh cases and one death was reported on Tuesday, while the positivity rate mounted to 0.68 per cent.

    Soon after the announcement, the makers of actor Shahid Kapoor starrer “Jersey” issued a statement regarding their decision to postpone the release of the film to a later date. The sports drama based on the life of a middle-aged cricketer who returns to the game for the love of his child was set to be released in theatres on 31 December.

    “In view of the current circumstances and new Covid guidelines, we have decided to postpone the theatrical release of our film ‘Jersey.’ We have received immense love from you all so far and want to thank you all for everything. Until then everyone please stay safe and healthy, and wishing you all the best for the new year ahead,” said the makers in a statement.

    Apart from cinemas, and theatres, schools, colleges as well as gyms have been directed to close with immediate effect. The restrictions have also been put on the functioning of shops, and public transport as a yellow alert was sounded under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi. Under the ‘yellow’ alert restrictions, shops and establishments of non-essential goods and services and malls will open based on odd-even formula from 10 a.m to 8 p.m.

    Also, the Delhi Metro will run at 50 per cent of its seating capacity, and buses too will ply at 50 per cent of capacity with exempted category passengers. Private offices can function with up to 50 per cent of the staff. “As the Covid-19 positivity rate has been above 0.5 per cent for the past few days, we are enforcing Level-I (Yellow alert) of the Graded Response Action Plan. A detailed order on restrictions to be implemented will be released soon,” said Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, adding that the decision was taken after a high-level meeting on Tuesday.

    According to the health ministry, India has logged 653 cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus across 21 states and UTs so far out of which 186 people have recovered or migrated. Maharashtra recorded the maximum number of 167 cases followed by Delhi at 165, Kerala 57, Telangana 55, Gujarat 49 and Rajasthan 46.

  • Sumit Vyas goes on an epic rant in Wakefit.co’s new campaign

    Sumit Vyas goes on an epic rant in Wakefit.co’s new campaign

    Mumbai: “Yeh Covid na…2020 ghar mein, aur 2021 darr mein!”

    From uncertainty about going back to work to worrying about a new variant of Covid-19 that might wreak havoc, 2021 has been a challenging year for everyone. And, this is exactly what Wakefit.co- the D2C home, and sleep solutions company is highlighting in its latest campaign- ‘The Honest Office-goer’s Rant’.

    The new campaign video features Sumeet Vyas as the protagonist, who encapsulates the emotional turbulence people have been going through in the past year, in a light-hearted manner. As several months passed and people transformed their homes into office-like environments, the relationship and the bond with homes and home furnishings have increased. ‘The Honest Office-goer’ Rant’ (which follows the viral Bartan Dho Liye video that was introduced as part of the Open Letters campaign by Wakefit.co) highlights how the new normal and WFH has fostered a close relationship between people and their homes.

    Wakefit.co head of brand Prateek Malpani said, “In the last two years, people have reoriented their way of living between the four walls of their homes. While doing so many people have naturally channelled their energies into livening up their surroundings, leading to an increasing interest in the home furniture segment. Through quirky and witty initiatives like these, we try and echo each other’s sentiments, while also addressing the importance of investing in their homes.”

    Spring Marketing Capital partner-branded content Sandeep Balan said, “The campaigns we collaborate with Wakefit.co on always have a dash of wit and humor, to go with the core brand messages. The Honest Office-goer’s rant is another out-of-the-box attempt to showcase the pulse of the average Indian citizen and build brand resonance”

    In 2020, when the first wave of Covid-19 broke out, Wakefit.co launched the Open Letters Campaign which attempted to evoke a sense of empathy and assure people that we are in this together, as a community, and will come out of it stronger, if we stand together. The videos were hosted on Wakefit.co’s branded content channel, Home Time. 

  • #Retrace2021: Entertainment trends that swept the media industry in 2021

    #Retrace2021: Entertainment trends that swept the media industry in 2021

    Los Angeles: As the credits roll on 2021 and the curtain prepares to rise on 2022, we’ve put together a few previews of entertainment trends to look forward to in the coming year and beyond. The convergence of new technologies, increasing domination of smart devices like smartphones and smart TVs, 5G internet, the growing demand for streaming content combined with the omnipresent Covid lockdowns have been the driving forces behind these trends.

    OTT STREAMING SERVICES

    The global over-the-top (OTT) streaming industry is booming. According to a report published by Research Dive, the OTT market is expected to generate a revenue of $438.5 billion by 2026, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.1 per cent. The outbreak of Covid-19 has contributed to this growth, however, leading players are focusing on developing strategies to bolster growth in a post-pandemic market. Netflix leads the pack of providers with 35 per cent of the global OTT streaming market share followed by Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, Prime Video, and HBO Max.

    SOCIAL VIDEO

    By 2022, it is estimated that online videos will make up more than 82 per cent of internet traffic. These clips may be short, only 30 seconds or so long, but the ones that go viral have been viewed over a million times. Social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube have been trying to retain the social video throne but rising star TikTok is working hard to overthrow them benefitting from Gen-Z users during the Covid lockdowns. Growth has also been seen on Instagram which has been putting a heavy focus on optimising users’ video experience. Likewise, LinkedIn users are increasingly preferring video content over other types of posts. Twitter, Snapchat, and Vimeo are also seeing a significant uptick in video content. However, no matter which platforms are able to increase their share of users, one thing is for sure: social videos are here to stay.

    CLOUD GAMING

    The ability to play the best video games out there without the need for a console has now become a reality and has pushed this industry forward. There are estimated to be about 3.2 billion gamers in the world and very few have the hardware required to play the latest, most demanding games. Cloud gaming solves this problem by streaming video game content from remote servers to your device. The range of video games is extensive from casino to adventure. Major offerings include Nvidia’s GeForce Now, Google’s Stadia, Sony’s PlayStation Now, and Xbox’s Project xCloud. It’s new and evolving technology but a growing trend to watch for in 2022. According to a report published by Allied Market Research, the global cloud gaming market generated $244.8 million in 2020 and is expected to reach $21.95 billion by 2030, seeing a CAGR of 57.2 per cent from 2021 to 2030.

    PODCASTS

    The number of people listening to podcasts in 2022 is expected to grow to 164 million and that’s just in the US alone. Podcasts have taken off and are no longer considered a hobby but a legitimate business model with new opportunities for brands and businesses. In a world where influencers are kings and people trust them more than traditional outlets, podcasts have been an effective way for their hosts to grow their influence and share their niche viewpoints and knowledge on specific topics. In addition, with increasing tolerance for advertising – a recent survey by Nielsen found 78 per cent of listeners don’t mind sponsorship ads – podcast ad revenue is expected to grow to $1.33 billion in 2022. Now, big-name companies like 20th Century Fox and Spotify are jumping onto the podcast bandwagon, backing and developing content and, in the process, increasing the production quality and value.

    GAME STREAMING

    Game streaming has been around since the early 2000s but now is gaining traction. It involves the streaming of video games where people broadcast themselves playing games to a live audience online. Professional streamers often combine high-level play and entertaining commentary and earn income from sponsors, subscriptions, ad revenue, and donations. Game streaming became popular on the US-based site Twitch before growing to other sites particularly in China.

    In 2014, Twitch was acquired by Amazon and since then it has experienced explosive growth. In Q1 2020 alone, Twitch had more than three billion hours watched, 100 million hours streamed, and an average of 1.4 million concurrent viewers, firmly cementing it as the number one platform for game streaming worldwide.

    THE KOREAN WAVE

    The Korean Wave or “Hallyu” refers to the rise in South Korea’s growing international popularity for its culture encompassing dance, music, TV dramas, movies, food, and more. In 2012, the music video for “Gangnam Style” by recording artist PSY was one of the first Korean hits to go global, became the first YouTube video to reach one billion views, and spun off an international dance craze. K-Pop bands exploded onto the music scene in the early 2000s and currently boy band, BTS is South Korea’s biggest cultural currency whose sales rival big names like Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, and Billie Eilish.

    In 2020, South Korea’s black comedy thriller, ‘Parasite’, written and directed by Bong Joon-ho, won a leading four awards at the 92nd Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film, becoming the first non-English language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.

    Now, this September, ‘Squid Game’, the South Korean survival drama series quietly premiered on Netflix and then took off like a rocket ship. With more fans coming on board every day, Bloomberg has reported that the show will bring in $900 million for Netflix (it was produced for 21.4 million). The Korean Wave is going strong and worldwide fans are enjoying the ride.

    It will be interesting to see how some of these trends fare in a post-pandemic world but, at least for now, we have come to value these forms of entertainment just as the devices we access them from – our mobile phones, smart devices, laptops, and PCs.

  • IBC cancels Amsterdam event amid surge in Covid cases

    IBC cancels Amsterdam event amid surge in Covid cases

    Mumbai: International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) has cancelled the in-person IBC2021 which was scheduled to be held in Amsterdam this December.

    The move follows growing concerns about the Covid-19 situation in The Netherlands, which has deteriorated over the past week, and the decision was taken after feedback from the IBC exhibitor and visitor community, it added. According to the IBC Partnership Board, the decision was made in order to prevent exhibitors and visitors from travelling to The Netherlands.

    IBC20201 will now focus on bringing the content and technology community together via IBC Digital, it announced late on Tuesday.

    On 13 November, The Netherlands government re-imposed lockdown measures on its 17.5 million population for a month to slow a resurgence of the virus, as daily infections have remained at their highest levels since the start of the pandemic. The cases have been surging despite over 84 per cent of the Dutch population being fully vaccinated.

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) has termed the situation serious, and warned that Europe and Central Asia could face another seven lakh Covid-19 deaths by 1 March.

    The annual trade show which is also touted as one of the world’s most influential media, entertainment and technology shows was scheduled to be held from 2-6 December at The RAI in Amsterdam.  The global event brings together broadcasters, content creators, equipment manufacturers, professional and technical associations and other industry players on one platform.

    The 2020 edition was also cancelled due to the pandemic.

  • GUEST COLUMN: OTT serves the nation while the internet counsels it

    GUEST COLUMN: OTT serves the nation while the internet counsels it

    Mumbai: The Covid-19 pandemic has upturned all walks of life. People’s lives have switched to a virtual setup and personal choices have moved from interacting with people to purchasing products, availing services, and even spending leisure time to a click or a swipe! The significance of this transition, however, has established itself as a big opportunity for the Internet. While the exponential growth of the Internet is undeniable, three sectors, in particular, continue to witness mammoth amounts of data traffic – collaborative communication tools, gaming, and OTT.

    A weekend without binge-watching or watch-parties today is more like a restaurant that’s taken your favorite food off the menu! Hence OTT is far from experiencing a post-Covid slackening. In fact, with such a large user base and the confidence, the content creators found in releasing content on OTT ever-growing platforms, OTT & VOD traffic rose by 139 per cent from January to August.

    March 2021 culminated with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) marking 825.30 million internet users in the country. Amongst these, active ad-support and paid streaming users accounted for 325 million. A phenomenal breakthrough was observed in rural India, and numbers as high as 65 per cent of India’s total OTT consumption were reported by the Broadband India Forum. At an all-time high, the OTT industry is only set to boom, and as reports by RBSA Advisors suggest, the OTT market is set to grow to $ four billion by 2025 and $12.5 billion by 2030. From 20 minutes to 50 minutes and one-hour average time spent on OTT platforms, from two OTT platforms to 40+ platforms, the OTT revolution in India has come a long way.

    One facet of this revolution that took the center stage included OTT platforms launching themselves into the hyper-competitive environment by catering to local tastes and preferences that enabled them to reach a wider audience in less than no time. As part of their content variety offerings and in an endeavor to bridge the gap beyond the urban setups, OTT platforms across the diverse geography of India, launched regional content in India. This led to one impressive surge in regional content viewership, and industry analysts suggest that 40 per cent of the total viewership in India now comprises regional content consumers. Additionally, this regional content also witnessed a surge overseas particularly in countries like the USA, UK, Dubai, Malaysia, Singapore, etc.

    Observing this stark rise and the massive demand from the Indian market, international players like Netflix, Disney, and Amazon got into an arms race by launching regional and India-centric content in addition to international content. This availability of content in both original and dubbed languages further boosted the momentum of OTT making it one of the hottest segments across the Indian subcontinent.

    However, while the demand is only set to grow, matching the growth of the sector at the same pace requires a stable, reliable, secured digital infrastructure making it more critical than it was ever expected to be thereby giving interconnection center stage.

    Internet exchanges have established their importance in the OTT world primarily on three grounds. Firstly, internet exchange points reside within data centers that offer world-class facilities and the ability to shoulder critical and customised digital infrastructures. Secondly, interconnectivity creates an ecosystem with widespread points of presence all converging at a single place while also providing peering, DirectCloud, and other similar services. This enables the reduction of latency, the ability to bypass as high as 90 per cent of the internet traffic, the scaling down of costs associated with bandwidth and transmission. Additionally, in an environment placing an urgency on security, internet exchange points provide network services that enhance data security.

    If you considered key runners in an OTT-hiccup race, latency would bring home a medal. While the live video experiences can be killed by high latency, even constant buffering in recorded content can lead consumers far from service. In fact, studies suggest that a two-second delay while loading a website can result in a 100 per cent bounce rate.  This emphasises the importance of keeping content as close to the user as possible. To quantify it, live streaming in HD/4K should ideally be less than 1,200 km away from the user. While it is easier for broadcast networks to circumvent congestion and avoid latency, the challenge lies in finding long-term, reliable, and cost-effective solutions. An Internet Exchange Point allows networks of all segments to exchange traffic while keeping local traffic local. This enables OTT providers to reach the Internet’s ‘long tail’—ISPs who distribute content to regional users. Keeping traffic local reduces the distance data must travel which in turn reduces latency thereby improving content performance and user experience. Interconnection services can give OTT players the secure and resilient digital infrastructure they require while also giving them the ability to upgrade a 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GE) port to a 100GE port.

    Digital entertainment is an ever-evolving medium and that the need for seamless and secure internet access will continue to soar high. It also brings in higher possibilities of network collisions and contentions. This can lead to a downstream or a slowdown of a platform’s functioning. That again finds answers in an Internet Exchange built to deal with peak internet traffic with also the ability to manage outages making it an indispensable solution even in the face of a major crises situation.

    India is the second-largest country in terms of internet users and is the fastest-growing OTT market globally and is predicted to become the sixth-largest by 2024. Reports by RBSA indicate that the industry has the potential to grow into a $15 bn industry over the next decade. This can also be accredited to OTT players partnering with telecom companies like Airtel, Jio, and VI, the entry of global players like Netflix, Amazon, Disney+ Hotstar through customised content and major investments, and the growth of home-grown booming OTT platforms. This aggressive pace of growth has further fueled the demand of the data-hungry nation which has trends across the industry as proof.

    This emphasises the need for a secure, scalable, and compliant infrastructure to support this demand now more than ever. It is only in the presence of an innovative and unfailingly reliable internet infrastructure that the OTT industry in the country will be able to meet the needs of the nation it has held firm to until now.

    (Sudhir Kunder is the country director of DE-CIX India. The views expressed in the column are personal and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them.)

  • ‘Ted Lasso’, ‘The Crown’ win big at the 73rd Emmys

    ‘Ted Lasso’, ‘The Crown’ win big at the 73rd Emmys

    Los Angeles: Netflix’s “The Crown” and Apple TV+’s “Ted Lasso” have won the Emmy for the Outstanding Drama and Comedy series respectively at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards, which returned with in-person glitz and glamour on Sunday, after going remote in 2020 due to the pandemic.

    The ceremony honored the best in the US prime time television programming from 1 June 2020 until 31 May 2021, as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences highlighting much of what folks have been watching during the pandemic.

    Among the closely watched categories were those in outstanding comedy, where a whopping 75 per cent of the nominees were new to the category. The big winner was “Ted Lasso” taking home the award for comedy series, as well as comedy lead actor, supporting actor, and supporting actress. The freshman comedy with 13 nominations walked away with four awards in all.

    “The Crown” which bagged a total of 11 nominations, won in the outstanding lead actor, drama (Josh O’Connor), lead actress, drama (Olivia Colman), and outstanding directing for a drama series (episode: ‘War’, directed by Jessica Hobbs) categories, in addition to five other wins.

    “The Queen’s Gambit” took home the award in the closely watched Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series race. “Mare of Easttown” surprised some pundits with wins for lead actress, supporting actor and supporting actress in the Limited or Anthology Series or Movie category.

    Cedric the Entertainer, hosting for the first time, kicked off the ceremony with a strong opening hip-hop performance set to Biz Markie’s iconic song, “Just a Friend.” Cedric enlisted the help of a few A-listers to the act including LL Cool J, Lil Dicky, Rita Wilson and more. “TV, you got what I need!” the group sang, as seemingly everyone in the audience joined in. 

    After a few trophies were handed out, Cedric brought his comedy A-game to the night with an opening monologue taking on Nicki Minaj, who was trolled online for her anti-vax commentary, the Jeopardy! host fiasco and also the royal family. Noting so much talent in the room, Cedric retorted, “Lock the doors, we’re not leaving until we find a new host for Jeopardy!”

    Television Academy CEO and chairman Frank Scherma gave an impassioned speech as he took the stage to introduce and present the winner of this year’s Governor’s Award. “It’s so great to see that television and the stories we tell are finally becoming a reflection of every part of our society,” said Scherma.

    Although television programming has seen a definitive rise in the representation of diverse characters, this year’s Emmy Awards is already being scrutinised since it had its most diverse field of nominees yet but failed to deliver. By the end of the night, no actors of color or LGBTQ actors had won any of the major acting awards.

    Multi-talented actress and dancer, Debbie Allen accepted the 2021 Governor’s Award from Scherma and with tears in her eyes shared a heartfelt tribute to women in Texas and Afghanistan and called on women worldwide to let the moment resonate. “It is time for you to claim your power, claim your voice, say your song, tell your stories,” she said. Allen, a Black woman was one of only a few people of color who won an award.

    RuPaul, the host and executive producer of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” became the most-awarded Black artist in Emmys history with 11 wins after the VH1 series won the award for top competition program for the fourth year in a row during Sunday’s ceremony.

    The attendees were drastically scaled back to around a reported 500 and were required to follow Covid-19 protocols that mimic safety measures put in place on Hollywood sets. This included proof of vaccinations and requiring guests to wear masks when not on camera.

    Complete list of winners:

    Outstanding Variety Talk Series: “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”

    Outstanding Competition Program: “RuPaul’s Drag Race”

    Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Jean Smart, “Hacks” 

    Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Jason Sudeikis, “Ted Lasso” 

    Outstanding Comedy Series: “Ted Lasso” 

    Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or a Movie: Ewan McGregor, “Halston”

    Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or a Movie: Kate Winslet, “Mare of Easttown”

    Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series: “The Queen’s Gambit” 

    Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Olivia Colman, “The Crown” 

    Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series: Josh O’Connor, “The Crown”

    Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Brett Goldstein, “Ted Lasso”

    Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Hannah Waddingham, “Ted Lasso”

    Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Tobias Menzies, “The Crown” 

    Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Gillian Anderson, “The Crown” 

    Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: Evan Peters, “Mare of Easttown” 

    Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: Julianne Nicholson, “Mare of Easttown”

    Outstanding Drama Serie: “The Crown”

    Outstanding Variety Sketch Series: “Saturday Night Live”

    Outstanding Variety Special (Live): “Stephen Colbert’s Election Night 2020: Democracy’s Last Stand Building Back America Great Again Better 2020”

    Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded): “Hamilton” 

    Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series: “Hacks” (Episode: ‘There Is No Line’), Directed by Lucia Aniello

    Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series: “The Crown” (Episode: ‘War’), Directed by Jessica Hobbs

    Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: “The Queen’s Gambit,” Directed by Scott Frank 

    Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series: “Hacks” (Episode: ‘There Is No Line’), written by Lucia Aniello, Paul W Downs, and Jen Statsky

    Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series: “The Crown” (Episode: ‘War’), written by Peter Morgan

    Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: “I May Destroy You,” written by Michaela Coel

    Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series: “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” 

  • Titan launches ‘Solidarity Collection’ celebrating human compassion

    Titan launches ‘Solidarity Collection’ celebrating human compassion

    Mumbai: The year 2020 has nudged the world to prioritise the values of community and enhanced empathy towards each other. It is this mass movement of coming together in the hour of need, leaving self-interest aside is one that deserves recognition and celebration, said Titan as it releases its new collection.

    The watch brand’s latest collection is a symbolic special edition set of watches where the dial has a circular design represented by people coming together – showing solidarity. The communication is aligned with the current consumer sentiments and helps to bring out the larger cause of celebrating human compassion and solidarity, said the company.

    “The Solidarity collection is a tribute to the people who stood by each other in their hour of need. It celebrates the human spirit of solidarity, that triumphed against all odds to bring hope in bleak times. So, it was only fitting that we do our bit too,” said Titan marketing head Sirish Chandrasekhar. “The watches are made with recycled metal and vegan straps, making it a timeless piece for the social and ecologically conscious. To further this initiative, we have ensured that all proceeds go to the Taj Public Welfare Trust.”

    The brand has also released an ad film created by Ogilvy Bangalore to celebrate the launch.

    EMBED : https://we.tl/t-gvCgiUhigw 

    Ogilvy India (South) CCO Mahesh Gharat said, “When Titan told us about their initiative to create a special watch as a tribute to everyone who helped fight the second wave, we knew it deserved different communication. The film showcases the interconnectedness of humanity. It is meant to serve as a reminder to us all that when people come together, they become invincible.” 

  • Online is second most consumed media after TV in rural India: Report

    Online is second most consumed media after TV in rural India: Report

    Mumbai: There has been an internet revolution in rural India, with online being the most consumed media after television, according to a joint report released by media agency GroupM and insights and consulting firm Kantar on Wednesday.

    With respect to online content consumption, music/audio leads the pack at 69 per cent followed by news at 49 per cent and gaming at 33 per cent. Usage of video/OTT apps is driven by YouTube at 87 per cent (most in Rajasthan, AP/ Telangana, TN, and Bihar), followed by Disney+ Hotstar at 30 per cent (highest usage in UP, TN, Gujarat, Kerala), the report said.

    WhatsApp and Facebook are the most used social media/ messenger platforms at 87 per cent (most in Rajasthan, AP / Telangana, Karnataka) and 66 per cent (most in Odisha, UP, Gujarat and West Bengal) usage respectively, according to the second edition of the Rural COVID Barometer report. 

    The report explores rural India’s concern about the impact of the second wave and how it alters consumer behaviour and purchase patterns. The research was conducted with Kantar’s data and insights network and Dialogue Factory’s rural marketing intelligence in eighteen Indian states, across rural adults (18+ years in age) with representation across gender, NCCS, and age groups.

    Phone Pe is the most used digital payments app with 19 per cent of rural consumers having used these services in the last 6 months, says the report. Usage of Phone Pe is driven by Karnataka at 46 per cent followed by Rajasthan at 38 per cent.

    Growth in the consumer durables and automotive (two-wheeler) sectors is likely to slow down in the next six months. However, the smartphone category is expected to see fast growth in the near future.

    The construction sector is also expected to see a bounce-back with consumers expected to spend on building a house/undertake smaller construction work in the next six months.

    As a result of the pandemic, rural consumption and shopping patterns have witnessed a major shift. With respect to retail channels, 56 per cent of consumers prefer local village shops for purchasing groceries, and 49 per cent for personal hygiene, and 45 per cent for cleaning products. Even big-ticket items like consumer electronics and durables are preferred to be bought at these local shops at 50 per cent and 46 per cent respectively. 

    Rural consumers are saving 25 per cent of their income, the report stated. Southern India (except for Tamil Nadu) is saving more in comparison to other parts of the country. As expected, expenses are higher on personal care, hygiene and cleaning products while spends on indulgence and beauty products have been deprioritised.

    “The pandemic has evolved the rural consumer’s decision-making process. They are watching their spending and prioritising their buying patterns by the need of the hour,” said GroupM Dialogue Factory, head of experiential marketing – APAC, Dalveer Singh. “There is a positive acceptance of the vaccination and the upper- and middle-class rural Indians are being more proactive in financial planning to deal with covid constraints, which make these markets a significant place to introduce investment and savings products. There is a deep sense of uplift on the subject of India’s economic future.”

    While rural India is concerned about the COVID situation in the second wave, most are also positive about economic recovery once the situation normalises. Nearly three in four rural households have received some form of assistance via government schemes, thus providing the much-needed financial cushion to consumers, the report stated.

    “With a highly concerned rural consumer, rural India is planning finances better and inclined towards a savings mindset,” stated Kantar Insights Division, senior executive director, Puneet Avasthi. “We are witnessing a significant rise in digital payments as an important mode of transaction. With the change in consumption priorities in favor of health and hygiene products, FMCG marketers should leverage this trend for planning their innovation pipeline.”

  • Mankind Pharma releases anthem 2.0 to celebrate Covid heroes

    Mankind Pharma releases anthem 2.0 to celebrate Covid heroes

    MUMBAI: These unprecedented times have taken a toll on people all over the country. And yet the spark of optimism remains ignited and the ray of hope has still not faded. In a celebration of this spirit, Pharmaceutical company, Mankind Pharma has launched ‘anthem 2.0’ along with singer & music director Sonu Nigam, that captures and highlights the resilience of our healthcare staff, frontline workers and police officers, who worked ceaselessly day and night in India’s fight against COVID-19. The song – a salute to the Covid heroes and doctors playing with their life to save others’ lives – has been both composed and rendered by Nigam.

    The anthem is an initiative to bring the true essence of the nation, ingrains a sensation of nationalism and reinforces the need of standing together as one nation. The message it aims to send out is that, together we all can come out of the pandemic healthy, hearty, and strong, if we stay united and help each other out in these testing times, the pharma company said.

    Speaking on the occasion, Sonu Nigam, said, “Mankind Pharma was keen that I compose the song myself besides singing the anthem. So, it has my soul wrapped all around it. I feel this is one of my most precious creations of all time.”

    Mankind Pharma managing director and vice chairman Rajeev Juneja said, “It is a proud moment to launch our anthem 2.0 sung by Sonu Nigam, his voice has uplifted the mood and energy of the anthem. Through this anthem we want the belief of a beautiful India to grow within us. Thank you and salute to all our frontline workers, specially doctors, policemen, army, pharmacists and nurses who have put their life in danger to save others. The anthem helps spread a positive message of staying together at all times and at the same time being optimistic about the future. Together we all can come out of the pandemic healthy, hearty, and strong.”

    The pharma company has stepped forward to set aside a total sum of approximately Rs 270 crore to help those impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. This year when India was hit by the second wave, Mankind Pharma has allocated a total sum of Rs 140 crore, of which the major contribution has been for the families of deceased doctors, police officers, pharmacists, and other healthcare workers who have lost their lives fighting the pandemic.

  • ZEE MPCG launches new conversation series ‘Chhattisgarh Ki Baat’

    New Delhi: ZEE Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh has announced a series of events and conclaves called Chhattisgarh Ki Baat, which will be held in various Tier two cities, where both the economy and the society have been deeply affected by the pandemic.

    The channel aims to establish a direct connection with the general viewers through these events & help them raise their concerns. All local and micro-level issues will be discussed and put forward in front of the stakeholders and the policymakers. The initiative will also provide a platform for businessmen and industrialists to put forward their challenges and discuss possible solutions.  

    The first event of the series will start from Bilaspur, the administrative capital of Chhattisgarh on 20 June. Multiple panel discussions and interviews with the policymakers, industrialists, and subject experts will be held on topics varying from the ways to tackle the effect of COVID to the further development of the city. ZEE MPCG will also recognize and honour those people who went out of their way during these tough times and contributed significantly to the development of the state and the region.

    Speaking on the occasion, ZMCL CEO Cluster three, Dileep Tiwari said, “ZEE MPCG has always worked as a bridge between the people of the state and the authority. We felt that at this time when the economy is recovering from the impact of the pandemic it is extremely important to take such initiatives at the city level so that each city and their industries get a platform to connect with the policymakers, discuss their challenges, and have a significant impact on the development of their city.”

    ZMCL, chief revenue officer, Manoj Jagyasi said, “With ZEE MPCG’s wide reach, this initiative will engage the viewers, the leaders, and the facilitators to develop a constructive discussion for the development. We are more than just a news channel, we want to be the ultimate solution provider to our business associates and our viewers. We will take this to 60 cities of MP, CG, UP Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana & Himachal. This will be the biggest outreach program done by a network.”