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Tag: FICCI Frame

  • AI writes the next scene in storytelling

    AI writes the next scene in storytelling

    MUMBAI: From scripts to circuits, storytelling just got smarter. At FICCI Frames 2025, the stage buzzed with ideas as tech titans from Jiohotstar, Meta, and Google explored how artificial intelligence is reshaping the way India watches, interacts, and connects with stories.

    In a session titled “The AI-Powered Media Revolution: From Personalisation to Interactive Storytelling,” the panel featured Jiohotstar chief product officer Bharath Ram, Meta India group director – finserv, media, travel and services Shweta Bajpai, and Google India head of industry for tech, media & telecom Siddharth Shekhar, moderated by NDTV Entertainment editor Abira Dhar

    Bharath Ram highlighted how Jiohotstar’s India-built AI is revolutionising both content and advertising. “The biggest advantage of developing AI solutions in India is the ability to iterate fast, learn fast, and build products rooted in local sensibilities,” he said, adding that Jiohotstar’s vast catalogue, from Special Ops to Bigg Boss, provides fertile ground for AI-driven insights.

    “Our AI helps us decode what truly captures viewers’ imagination and connects brands to audiences more meaningfully,” he explained, noting that smarter prediction models are already enabling advertisers to reach the right audience at the right moment.

    Taking storytelling beyond the screen, Bharath also spoke about the rise of fandom participation, where viewers don’t just watch content, they live it. “People want to be part of the story. The future lies in building interactive experiences that let fans express their passion,” he said, hinting at Jiohotstar’s plans to boost audience engagement across its entertainment properties.

    The discussion painted a vivid picture of a media landscape in motion, one where AI transforms viewers into collaborators, and platforms like Jiohotstar, Meta, and Google are scripting a new era of personalised, participatory entertainment.

    Because in the age of AI, the story doesn’t just unfold, it evolves with you.

  • Shark Tank-like govt-run show to tie up with TV prod house

    Shark Tank-like govt-run show to tie up with TV prod house

    MUMBAI: India’s Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), on 4 March, gave a primary in-principle approval for a government-made reality show on the terms of American TV show Shark Tank so as to give a fillip to the startup culture.

    The DIPP may allow public voting so as to decide the ‘Most Popular Startup’, the Indian Express reported. At a 9 November 2016 meeting, it was also decided that 60 finalists will be given a reward of Rs 10 lakhs each.

    Shark Tank is a popular American show features a panel of potential investors called ‘sharks’ who consider offers from aspiring entrepreneurs seeking investments.

    The programme, to be simultaneously broadcast on the pubcaster Doordarshan, radio and digital platforms, would have startups pitch to an investors’ panel for impromptu investments.

    The DIPP plans to partner with a TV production house to oversee the implementation, production and execution of the TV show. The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) may be the coordinating agency for managing daily operations.

    The first round of evaluation is set to take place in seven cities — Mumbai, Delhi, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Bangalore, Indore and Guwahati. In all, 440 participants would be selected, of which 35 would be declared as “regional winners”. These winners would further proceed to the second round of evaluation or the “grand finale”.

    DIPP secretary Ramesh Abhishek said that the department is facing finance issues. NASSCOM told the government the show would require a budget of Rs 64 crore. While Rs 34 crore may be raised from states and sponsors, the DIPP would have to invest approx Rs 30 crore from their side.

    The show will be simultaneously aired across a number of platforms to “allow greater reach and connect with both the urban and rural audience across different sections of the society”.

    While the DIPP will have complete rights over the programme, NASSCOM may ‘managing’ day-to-day operations. “For implementation, a task force will be constituted with a partner leading in each region, who will be responsible for the execution of the entire show. This will include running day to day operations and for management of all deliverables, timelines, agencies and interfacing regularly with all sponsors and partners in each of the regions,” the DIPP note says.

    The proposed partners for north, east, west, south and central regions are — FICCI, The Indus Partners (TiE), Indian Science and Technology Entrepreneurs Parks and Business Incubator Association (ISBA), NASSCOM, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), respectively.

    A steering committee to oversee the programme management would include representatives from NITI Aayog, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the HRD Ministry, and Department of Biotechnology, as well as Axis Bank and Yes Bank.

  • Hotstar targets Rs 150 crore plus revenue from IPL 2017 streaming

    MUMBAI: Is video on demand streaming service Hotstar cooking up a good revenue platter this IPL 10 season? Well, if some media reports are to be believed, then, it is. Anywhere between Rs 150-200 crore is what it is likely to serve onto the Star India top line. The figure for IPL was a much lower estimated Rs 65 crore.

    The Novi Digital-owned service yesterday announced the on-boarding of Chinese mobile maker Vivo and auto major Maruti Suzuki as presenting sponsors for Vivo IPL 2017. The sticker price has not been specified. All that the release states is that the sponsorships are “believed to be sizeable investments from companies of a scale that has not been seen in the Indian digital market to date and indicate their belief in Hotstar’s promise of delivering the largest global sporting event on digital this summer.”

    Media reports have speculated that the figure each is anteing up is Rs 20 crore.

    According to Hotstar, advertisers and media agencies are signing fatter cheques because of the fact there has been a meaningful shift from television to digital — especially, as far as cricket viewing is concerned. The release states that “the most recent India vs England ODI series saw Hotstar’s reach challenging that of television consistently. The reach hit 120 per cent of television in cities with more than a million in population and 147 per cent reach in the largest six cities in India (M15+, NCCS AB). At the same time, the platform has seen new records established for digital with the short format cricket matches regularly exceeding 20 million in viewership.”

    Hotstar CEO Ajit Mohan is quite confident that the pioneering app is going to be the primary screen for this IPL season considering the 130 million viewers who are streaming video nationally.

    “Marketers are recognizing that these are audiences that are TV light or not present on television at all,” he points out. “We are reinventing the experience of cricket on a mobile and India is changing the way it watches its favourite sport.” Mohan told the media that the OTT player crossed had 200 million downloads by end February 2017. This is against the 50 million downloads, Star India CEO Uday Shankar had announced during the FICCI Frames inaugural keynote in March 2016.

    The streaming service’s contract with the BCCI is slated to end this year as it had paid Rs 302.2 crore to acquire the global internet and mobile rights three years ago.

    Vivo India CMO Vivek Zhang says he took the decision to partner with Hotstar as it appeals to the youth and enjoys tremendous brand recall. “Its desire to constantly invest on innovative technology which is in line with Vivo’s marketing objectives made it a preferred choice for Vivo We are truly excited about the delightful cricket experience that the platform is driving and were indeed keen to be a part of this drive,” he stated

    Maruti Suzuki marketing head Sanjeev Handa acknowledged that an increasing number of the auto firm’s target customer is engaging with the company’s products on digital. According to him, almost 50 per cent of users are researching cars online and hence a diffusion of the purchase cycle is taking place here. “Hence, our approach is integrating offline and online, (it is a ground sponsor of this year’s IPL),” points out Handa.

    “We wanted to embody the spirit of Play Glamourous for Vitara Brezza across the markets, and found a perfect fit by reaching out to the audiences via their closest screens, i.e. mobiles. An average user is spending over 150 mins each day on mobile. Our tie-up as co-presenting sponsor on Hotstar will give us the mileage and the engagement with the most glamourous sport in the nation!”