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Tag: Flipkart

  • Salute heroes for women empowerment through HDFC

    Salute heroes for women empowerment through HDFC

    NEW DELHI:Cardholders from HDFC Bank can nominate their special hero who has been contributing towards the cause of women empowerment and stand a chance to win exciting prizes.

    This is part of a “#CelebrateHERoes” Priceless Surprises campaign by Mastercard in partnership with HDFC Bank in which Flipkart is the marquee retail partner. This is for the first time that Mastercard is inviting cardholders to give back to society through its collaboration with other partners.

    Mastercard Country Corporate Officer and Division President, South Asia Porush Singh said: “Women empowerment remains at the heart of Mastercard and with the launch of this campaign, we will further raise awareness and support the unsung heroes who are working towards this cause. Mastercard is excited to have partnered with HDFC Bank and Flipkart in celebrating this wonderful cause and rewarding our cardholders with Priceless Surprises.”

    “At HDFC Bank, we believe that by empowering women we can make a difference in the lives of an entire household and help create sustainable communities. This philosophy is embedded in a number of our businesses and projects that we undertake as a socially responsible corporate citizen. Through this campaign, which is closely aligned with our philosophy, we hope we can encourage even more people to be a part of this endeavor,” said Parag Rao, Country Head – Card Payment Products and Merchant Acquiring Services, HDFC Bank.

    Also speaking on the campaign, Flipkart Head- Category Design Kalyan Krishnamurthy said, “Flipkart has always believed in transforming commerce and adding value to customers in India through innovative modes of engagement. This initiative by Mastercard is a unique way to instill the thought of women empowerment and we are happy to partner with them and inspire millions of individuals who shop on Flipkart.

    As part of this initiative, Mastercard cardholders from HDFC Bank can submit nominations on impactful stories relating to a person or their hero making a meaningful difference to the lives of women in India.

    The participant who sends in the best nomination will stand a chance to win a grand prize of a free trip for two people to the United States of America and the nominee will get a grant of Rs 10 lakh. Seven more finalists will receive Flipkart vouchers of Rs 50,000 each. The gratification for the seven nominees will also expand to felicitate and recognize these leading heroes in everyday life through a reward of Rs 8 lakhs each to contribute to a cause of their choice.

    The campaign kicks off with the launch of a video showcasing actor-producer Anil Kapoor urging people to come forward and make that difference towards encouraging and supporting women in their own little ways. The video has been planned and created by McCann Erickson and produced by Sniper.

    Kapoor said, “I am excited to be part of this campaign. I am happy to celebrate the real heroes who make a difference in women’s lives for a better and empowered society. This is my chance to be part of Something Priceless.”

    Nominations can be sent on CelebrateHeroes@hdfcbank.com or on Mastercard Facebook page – with #CelebrateHERoes. The best nominations would be adjudged by a distinct panel of jury selected by Mastercard and HDFC Bank.

  • Salute heroes for women empowerment through HDFC

    Salute heroes for women empowerment through HDFC

    NEW DELHI:Cardholders from HDFC Bank can nominate their special hero who has been contributing towards the cause of women empowerment and stand a chance to win exciting prizes.

    This is part of a “#CelebrateHERoes” Priceless Surprises campaign by Mastercard in partnership with HDFC Bank in which Flipkart is the marquee retail partner. This is for the first time that Mastercard is inviting cardholders to give back to society through its collaboration with other partners.

    Mastercard Country Corporate Officer and Division President, South Asia Porush Singh said: “Women empowerment remains at the heart of Mastercard and with the launch of this campaign, we will further raise awareness and support the unsung heroes who are working towards this cause. Mastercard is excited to have partnered with HDFC Bank and Flipkart in celebrating this wonderful cause and rewarding our cardholders with Priceless Surprises.”

    “At HDFC Bank, we believe that by empowering women we can make a difference in the lives of an entire household and help create sustainable communities. This philosophy is embedded in a number of our businesses and projects that we undertake as a socially responsible corporate citizen. Through this campaign, which is closely aligned with our philosophy, we hope we can encourage even more people to be a part of this endeavor,” said Parag Rao, Country Head – Card Payment Products and Merchant Acquiring Services, HDFC Bank.

    Also speaking on the campaign, Flipkart Head- Category Design Kalyan Krishnamurthy said, “Flipkart has always believed in transforming commerce and adding value to customers in India through innovative modes of engagement. This initiative by Mastercard is a unique way to instill the thought of women empowerment and we are happy to partner with them and inspire millions of individuals who shop on Flipkart.

    As part of this initiative, Mastercard cardholders from HDFC Bank can submit nominations on impactful stories relating to a person or their hero making a meaningful difference to the lives of women in India.

    The participant who sends in the best nomination will stand a chance to win a grand prize of a free trip for two people to the United States of America and the nominee will get a grant of Rs 10 lakh. Seven more finalists will receive Flipkart vouchers of Rs 50,000 each. The gratification for the seven nominees will also expand to felicitate and recognize these leading heroes in everyday life through a reward of Rs 8 lakhs each to contribute to a cause of their choice.

    The campaign kicks off with the launch of a video showcasing actor-producer Anil Kapoor urging people to come forward and make that difference towards encouraging and supporting women in their own little ways. The video has been planned and created by McCann Erickson and produced by Sniper.

    Kapoor said, “I am excited to be part of this campaign. I am happy to celebrate the real heroes who make a difference in women’s lives for a better and empowered society. This is my chance to be part of Something Priceless.”

    Nominations can be sent on CelebrateHeroes@hdfcbank.com or on Mastercard Facebook page – with #CelebrateHERoes. The best nominations would be adjudged by a distinct panel of jury selected by Mastercard and HDFC Bank.

  • After Jabong, Flipkart owned Myntra acquires majority stake in Hrithik Roshan’s brand HRX

    After Jabong, Flipkart owned Myntra acquires majority stake in Hrithik Roshan’s brand HRX

    NEW DELHI: It seems Flipkart owned online fashion retail outlet Myntra is on an acquisition spree, in a bid to curb all competition and become the sole leader in the market. We saw the eCommerce giant acquire Jabong last month USD 70 million.It hasn’t been a whole month since then and Myntra is yet again in news for buying out majority stakes in Hrithik Roshan and Exceed Entertainment owned active lifestyle brand HRX.

    HRX, one of the first home grown Indian active lifestyle brand, was incepted in 2012 and was exclusively licensed to Myntra in 2013. Since then, HRX has been one of the top selling brands on Myntra. This strategic investment is a first of its kind in the industry, wherein a celebrity incubated brand has aligned with the country’s leading e-fashion retailer in an equity model.

    HRX is on track to double its revenues to Rs.200 crore in the current financial year and is gearing up to go offline in the next financial year.

    The move will enable the popular HRX brand to leverage certain benefits exclusive to Myntra’s in-house brands, leveraging technology to provide better consumer experience, access to data on consumer preferences etc.

    It also lays down the structure to build the brand through collaborative efforts, of both Myntra and Hrithik to offer products and experiences for the brand’s enthusiasts. Speaking on the occasion, leading Bollywood Actor and the Inspiration behind HRX, Hrithik Roshan said, “The mission of our brand is to impact, transform and empower a billion people in their journey to be the best version of themselves.

    The new partnership with Myntra is a stride closer towards fulfilling this mission. I’ve always been passionate about physical and mental fitness and the changes it brings to everyone’s life, and this collaboration is a big positive step we have taken towards the change”

    Rajesh Narkar who is Brand Director and VP of Myntra Fashion Brands said, “Myntra has a sound understanding of consumer preferences and trends specific to various categories, including sportswear. This is made possible by a strong technology platform that gives us a clear perspective on the consumption of fashion in the country. Our brands greatly benefit from such insights and brands looking at partnering with us have the advantage of achieving greater scale in a short span of time. With healthy lifestyles on the rise and customers increasingly looking for fashionable and functional active wear choices, we believe the strategic acquisition of a majority stake in HRX will help in propelling the brand to the forefront of the active lifestyle wear segment.”

    Afsar Zaidi, who is founder of Exceed Entertainment and Co-Founder of HRX with Sid Shah said, “HRX is a perfect example of building long term IP and creating a legacy around a celebrity’s core values and stardom. Our association with Myntra has been very fruitful and it is now time to leverage this new partnership and use it as a launch pad to propel itself to the league of the top active lifestyle brands in the country.

    Incepted in 2012, Mumbai-based HRX combines fashion and fitness with inspiration drawn from the actor himself. The range includes sports and training apparel, casual apparel, footwear and accessories for both men and women. The entire collection sports vibrant colours and brings the latest active lifestyle fashion on par with global fashion trends. Women and footwear will be the new areas of focus with more fashion and function being an integral part of each line. Menswear will however continue to dominate the line-up.

  • After Jabong, Flipkart owned Myntra acquires majority stake in Hrithik Roshan’s brand HRX

    After Jabong, Flipkart owned Myntra acquires majority stake in Hrithik Roshan’s brand HRX

    NEW DELHI: It seems Flipkart owned online fashion retail outlet Myntra is on an acquisition spree, in a bid to curb all competition and become the sole leader in the market. We saw the eCommerce giant acquire Jabong last month USD 70 million.It hasn’t been a whole month since then and Myntra is yet again in news for buying out majority stakes in Hrithik Roshan and Exceed Entertainment owned active lifestyle brand HRX.

    HRX, one of the first home grown Indian active lifestyle brand, was incepted in 2012 and was exclusively licensed to Myntra in 2013. Since then, HRX has been one of the top selling brands on Myntra. This strategic investment is a first of its kind in the industry, wherein a celebrity incubated brand has aligned with the country’s leading e-fashion retailer in an equity model.

    HRX is on track to double its revenues to Rs.200 crore in the current financial year and is gearing up to go offline in the next financial year.

    The move will enable the popular HRX brand to leverage certain benefits exclusive to Myntra’s in-house brands, leveraging technology to provide better consumer experience, access to data on consumer preferences etc.

    It also lays down the structure to build the brand through collaborative efforts, of both Myntra and Hrithik to offer products and experiences for the brand’s enthusiasts. Speaking on the occasion, leading Bollywood Actor and the Inspiration behind HRX, Hrithik Roshan said, “The mission of our brand is to impact, transform and empower a billion people in their journey to be the best version of themselves.

    The new partnership with Myntra is a stride closer towards fulfilling this mission. I’ve always been passionate about physical and mental fitness and the changes it brings to everyone’s life, and this collaboration is a big positive step we have taken towards the change”

    Rajesh Narkar who is Brand Director and VP of Myntra Fashion Brands said, “Myntra has a sound understanding of consumer preferences and trends specific to various categories, including sportswear. This is made possible by a strong technology platform that gives us a clear perspective on the consumption of fashion in the country. Our brands greatly benefit from such insights and brands looking at partnering with us have the advantage of achieving greater scale in a short span of time. With healthy lifestyles on the rise and customers increasingly looking for fashionable and functional active wear choices, we believe the strategic acquisition of a majority stake in HRX will help in propelling the brand to the forefront of the active lifestyle wear segment.”

    Afsar Zaidi, who is founder of Exceed Entertainment and Co-Founder of HRX with Sid Shah said, “HRX is a perfect example of building long term IP and creating a legacy around a celebrity’s core values and stardom. Our association with Myntra has been very fruitful and it is now time to leverage this new partnership and use it as a launch pad to propel itself to the league of the top active lifestyle brands in the country.

    Incepted in 2012, Mumbai-based HRX combines fashion and fitness with inspiration drawn from the actor himself. The range includes sports and training apparel, casual apparel, footwear and accessories for both men and women. The entire collection sports vibrant colours and brings the latest active lifestyle fashion on par with global fashion trends. Women and footwear will be the new areas of focus with more fashion and function being an integral part of each line. Menswear will however continue to dominate the line-up.

  • Will LeEco’s device-content bundling strategy pay off in India?

    Will LeEco’s device-content bundling strategy pay off in India?

    MUMBAI: There’s a content acquirer on the prowl in India. And it is carrying a fat purse to buy and create the content. Chinese company Leshi Internet Information & Technology aka LeEco – introduced its Super3 TV sets in India last week – and a day later a whisper campaign started that it was going to spend top dollar to build a robust OTT content ecosystem to encourage uptake of the screens by Indian consumers.

    The figure being bandied about is US$200 million or Rs 1,330 crore, according to media reports. It reportedly is in talks with Netflix in the US to offer its content on its devices – which includes smart phones, TV sets, and even smart cars. And it has appointed a content head Harini Calamur whose job is to work with local producers, and distributors to build up its Indian content roster further.

    Its LeEco content ecosystem was launched earlier this year (in May 2016) when it introduced its Le 1S Eco phone at a price tage of Rs 10,899 (discounted to Rs 9,999 in the early flash sale period). Existing phone owners wanting to subscribe to the content package would have to ante up Rs 450 a month separately or Rs 4,990 annually.

    LeEco’s plan to sell 100,000 of these phones through a flash sale on Flipkart on 12 May was a resounding success with the ecommerce site having to shut the registrations quickly. 70,000 of its devices were sold in two seconds.

    LeEco later launched the Le Eco Le 2 and Le Max 2 phones in India in July.

    And finally its latest line of LeEco Super 3 smart TVs launched in early August. The Super3 X55 is priced at Rs 59,790, Super3 X65 at Rs 99,790 and Super3 Max X65 at Rs 1,49,790. These are being made available for pre-sale on Flipkart, as well as LeEco’s e-commerce platform LeMall, from 10-12 August.

    It announced that the LeEco content ecosystem would be available to buyers of its Super TVs also which would allow them to access the movies and TV channels. All that they would have to do is download a software update.

    The LeEco content ecosystem has content from YuppTV, Eros Now, and Hungama.

    Its Yupp TV deal, under the brand Le Live, allows customers to watch Sony Entertainment, NDTV, Gemini Movies, 9X Tashan, Sun TV, Times Now, Nickelodeon, Colors, and others, in multiple Indian languages.

    Its Eros Now partnership allows it to offer 2,000 plus movie titles in various languages under the brand Le Vidi.

    Its Hungama relationship has resulted in the Le Music app under which users can listen to 3.5 million tracks and another bunch of live concerts (in partnership with iConcerts).

    The Le View app which users also have access to consists of curated YouTube content categorized into news and politics, science and technology.

    Will this strategy of bundling content with TV sets and phones work in India? Especially at a time when data usage costs are a dampener? And when cable TV and DTH are offering a slew of channels at low sticker prices. Observers doubt that the content that is on offer in the LeEco content system currently could be a driver for sparking off TV set sales; the TV sets would be bought on their own merit in comparison to the LG, Samsung, Sony, Vu, Videocon and Haier offerings.

    As far as phones are concerned it could be a different story on account of LeEco’s perceived quality and lower prices.

    “Whether they will use the services in their homes on their TV sets or not is a moot question,” points out a senior media observer. “The audience that is using Wifi to watch video in their homes is in nano proportions compared to DTH and cable TV. The content library is also not exclusive and alluring enough.”

    Adds another media expert: “Consumption on the phone seems a more likely bet because there is some amount of on the go viewing happening in India. Mobile service providers have already resorted to a round of bandwidth cost cuts in advance of the Reliance Jio launch. But even so costs are still too high for consumers to binge watch on the phone. Maybe another round of price cuts will come to pass and that will bring costs down further. We will have to wait and watch. ”

    LeEco could draw some inspiration from what it did in Hong Kong earlier this year. It coughed up $400 million for exclusive rights for the region for the English Premier League, probably the highest for Asia, to add to its catalogue of other sports and entertainment content.

    It then bundled its hardware and software into a promotional pack wherein customers subscribing to the Premier League matches for two years at a cost of HK $1,690 a year got a 40 inch TV set free. If customers opted for a more premium Premier League package at a cost of HK$2,490 per year for two years, they got their hands on a 43 inch TV set at no cost to them. The super sports plan also included access to LeEco’s newly secured English FA Cup and other international sporting events such as Major League Baseball (MLB), men’s and women’s China Super League and the Copa Libertadores soccer tournament in South America.

    LeSports chief executive Cheng Yizhong had then stated that “The days that users have to pay for their own device have gone and we are trying to develop a content-led platform for our users. They only have to pay for the content and the device will be given free.”

    “The promotion worked very well and the company notched up HK$27 million in buy-ins in over just two days,” says a Hong Kong based media expert.

    Indian media observers believe that LeEco will have to pick up rights to sports events like cricket or top Bollywood movies and these need to be exclusive for its device-content ecosystem package to work with the masses.

    “Tieups with Netflix are just incremental steps as its has barely 50,000-70,000 paying subscribers and the content there is not that expansive,” says the head of an ad agency. “If it has to get into the mass market it needs to offer fiction and non-fiction shows which will then pit it in competition with the existing majors such as Star, Sony, Colors and Zee. Now that is totally a different ball game. Exclusive sports and films could be alluring as well as sticky for subscribers. Look at how well Star’s hotstar does when the cricket comes up.”

    Another media observer points out that its game strategy could attract buyers. LeEco plans to put out more than 500 plus high end games on its content ecosystem, eliminating the need for consoles.

    “That could be a game changer for its content play,” says she. “Let’s not worry too much however. We are in the very early days of the OTT industry’s play out in India. Go back to the late nineties: no one believed that satellite TV and cable TV would really explode the way it has in the country. Yes, the different players will make mistakes, they will course correct, they will spend money, they will lose money, they will make profits, they will course correct again. But the good thing is that another optional mode of video delivery and for entertainment is being given the push in this country.”

  • Will LeEco’s device-content bundling strategy pay off in India?

    Will LeEco’s device-content bundling strategy pay off in India?

    MUMBAI: There’s a content acquirer on the prowl in India. And it is carrying a fat purse to buy and create the content. Chinese company Leshi Internet Information & Technology aka LeEco – introduced its Super3 TV sets in India last week – and a day later a whisper campaign started that it was going to spend top dollar to build a robust OTT content ecosystem to encourage uptake of the screens by Indian consumers.

    The figure being bandied about is US$200 million or Rs 1,330 crore, according to media reports. It reportedly is in talks with Netflix in the US to offer its content on its devices – which includes smart phones, TV sets, and even smart cars. And it has appointed a content head Harini Calamur whose job is to work with local producers, and distributors to build up its Indian content roster further.

    Its LeEco content ecosystem was launched earlier this year (in May 2016) when it introduced its Le 1S Eco phone at a price tage of Rs 10,899 (discounted to Rs 9,999 in the early flash sale period). Existing phone owners wanting to subscribe to the content package would have to ante up Rs 450 a month separately or Rs 4,990 annually.

    LeEco’s plan to sell 100,000 of these phones through a flash sale on Flipkart on 12 May was a resounding success with the ecommerce site having to shut the registrations quickly. 70,000 of its devices were sold in two seconds.

    LeEco later launched the Le Eco Le 2 and Le Max 2 phones in India in July.

    And finally its latest line of LeEco Super 3 smart TVs launched in early August. The Super3 X55 is priced at Rs 59,790, Super3 X65 at Rs 99,790 and Super3 Max X65 at Rs 1,49,790. These are being made available for pre-sale on Flipkart, as well as LeEco’s e-commerce platform LeMall, from 10-12 August.

    It announced that the LeEco content ecosystem would be available to buyers of its Super TVs also which would allow them to access the movies and TV channels. All that they would have to do is download a software update.

    The LeEco content ecosystem has content from YuppTV, Eros Now, and Hungama.

    Its Yupp TV deal, under the brand Le Live, allows customers to watch Sony Entertainment, NDTV, Gemini Movies, 9X Tashan, Sun TV, Times Now, Nickelodeon, Colors, and others, in multiple Indian languages.

    Its Eros Now partnership allows it to offer 2,000 plus movie titles in various languages under the brand Le Vidi.

    Its Hungama relationship has resulted in the Le Music app under which users can listen to 3.5 million tracks and another bunch of live concerts (in partnership with iConcerts).

    The Le View app which users also have access to consists of curated YouTube content categorized into news and politics, science and technology.

    Will this strategy of bundling content with TV sets and phones work in India? Especially at a time when data usage costs are a dampener? And when cable TV and DTH are offering a slew of channels at low sticker prices. Observers doubt that the content that is on offer in the LeEco content system currently could be a driver for sparking off TV set sales; the TV sets would be bought on their own merit in comparison to the LG, Samsung, Sony, Vu, Videocon and Haier offerings.

    As far as phones are concerned it could be a different story on account of LeEco’s perceived quality and lower prices.

    “Whether they will use the services in their homes on their TV sets or not is a moot question,” points out a senior media observer. “The audience that is using Wifi to watch video in their homes is in nano proportions compared to DTH and cable TV. The content library is also not exclusive and alluring enough.”

    Adds another media expert: “Consumption on the phone seems a more likely bet because there is some amount of on the go viewing happening in India. Mobile service providers have already resorted to a round of bandwidth cost cuts in advance of the Reliance Jio launch. But even so costs are still too high for consumers to binge watch on the phone. Maybe another round of price cuts will come to pass and that will bring costs down further. We will have to wait and watch. ”

    LeEco could draw some inspiration from what it did in Hong Kong earlier this year. It coughed up $400 million for exclusive rights for the region for the English Premier League, probably the highest for Asia, to add to its catalogue of other sports and entertainment content.

    It then bundled its hardware and software into a promotional pack wherein customers subscribing to the Premier League matches for two years at a cost of HK $1,690 a year got a 40 inch TV set free. If customers opted for a more premium Premier League package at a cost of HK$2,490 per year for two years, they got their hands on a 43 inch TV set at no cost to them. The super sports plan also included access to LeEco’s newly secured English FA Cup and other international sporting events such as Major League Baseball (MLB), men’s and women’s China Super League and the Copa Libertadores soccer tournament in South America.

    LeSports chief executive Cheng Yizhong had then stated that “The days that users have to pay for their own device have gone and we are trying to develop a content-led platform for our users. They only have to pay for the content and the device will be given free.”

    “The promotion worked very well and the company notched up HK$27 million in buy-ins in over just two days,” says a Hong Kong based media expert.

    Indian media observers believe that LeEco will have to pick up rights to sports events like cricket or top Bollywood movies and these need to be exclusive for its device-content ecosystem package to work with the masses.

    “Tieups with Netflix are just incremental steps as its has barely 50,000-70,000 paying subscribers and the content there is not that expansive,” says the head of an ad agency. “If it has to get into the mass market it needs to offer fiction and non-fiction shows which will then pit it in competition with the existing majors such as Star, Sony, Colors and Zee. Now that is totally a different ball game. Exclusive sports and films could be alluring as well as sticky for subscribers. Look at how well Star’s hotstar does when the cricket comes up.”

    Another media observer points out that its game strategy could attract buyers. LeEco plans to put out more than 500 plus high end games on its content ecosystem, eliminating the need for consoles.

    “That could be a game changer for its content play,” says she. “Let’s not worry too much however. We are in the very early days of the OTT industry’s play out in India. Go back to the late nineties: no one believed that satellite TV and cable TV would really explode the way it has in the country. Yes, the different players will make mistakes, they will course correct, they will spend money, they will lose money, they will make profits, they will course correct again. But the good thing is that another optional mode of video delivery and for entertainment is being given the push in this country.”

  • Face-off between Amazon Prime, Netflix & Hulu

    Face-off between Amazon Prime, Netflix & Hulu

    MUMBAI: Folks at Amazon India are popping champagne bottles. The e-commerce giant has launched its Prime service for a free 60 day trial after which the annual subscription will be available at a special introductory price of Rs 499. Though Prime in the US and UK, offers more than the free one or two day deliveries, early access to offers and same day deliveries, the company also promises to bring its streaming video and music services here soon. Prime Video will include Amazon original TV series and movies besides other Indian and global content, is expected to be launched as a part of this service later.

    The Prime membership subscription fee in India might later be increased to Rs 999., which is much lower as compared to its other market like $99 (Rs 6,633) for US and £96 (Rs 8,691) for UK. Benefit to the US subscribers being that they can also enjoy other features like access to over a million e-books via Kindle Owners’ Lending Library and free unlimited photo storage, in addition to music and video.

    Prime will be available to customers in 100 cities, and members in 20 cities can also choose same-day, morning or scheduled delivery at a discounted fee of Rs 50 per order on over 10,000 products. These deliveries typically cost Rs 150.

    Amazon is not launching their content service which includes Amazon Video and Amazon Music. Although the company said that the video streaming is coming soon. Amazon Prime Video includes shows such as Mr. Robot and The Man In The High Castle. Reports suggest that the company will be investing a huge sum of $300 million for the original Prime video content in India.

    The biggest prime competitor for Amazon still would be Flipkart who also has a similar service called Flipkart first. The membership fees of Flipkart first is 500 per year. Like Amazon Prime, it also offers free fast deliveries and discounted one-day deliveries. Although, Flipkart customers get a Priority Customer Service or early access to deals and offerings. But returns, replacements and exchange policy remains the same.

    But the streaming showdown does not stop here. In the past, we have seen global streaming services Netflix and Hulu Plus entering Indian markets. With subscription fee of Rs 650 per month, Netflix offers a wide selection of movies and TV shows, with several series being exclusive to the platform or even made and funded by Netflix like House of Cards, Orange is the New Black and Marvel original TV shows, like Daredevil and Jessica Jones. In terms of films, it is mainly back catalogue stuff, although the occasional partnership deal will throw up a modern movie, such as The Hobbit trilogy. It has also started to produce and release films on Netflix at the same time as a cinematic release for example Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny. Adam Sandler flick, The Ridiculous 6, was made by and especially for Netflix.

    InstantWatcher.com, a site plugged into the databases of both Netflix and Amazon Prime. On one hand, Amazon Prime offers more than 17,000 standard- and high-definition movies and TV series, significantly more than Netflix, which had more than 10,000. But Netflix pulled ahead overall by offering more than 7,500 HD videos vs. almost 3,500 for Amazon Prime.

    The one thing Netflix and Amazon both falter at is recent shows. There’s almost always a several month long delay between a season wrapping up and its arrival on streaming services. This is where Hulu Plus picks up the slack. Hulu Plus had 92 of the 250 shows surveyed. However, only 40 of them included backlogs of older seasons. 52 of the shows Hulu Plus carried were either the most recent season or a rotating set of the most recent few episodes of a show.

    It offers a one-week trial period in which if the viewers dislike the service, they must cancel it before the week is up otherwise will automatically be charged for a full month of service. It has original content which mostly comes from other countries and production companies, including the UK’s BBC. There are a few original web series that have made a dent, however, at the service, including The Awesomes, Deadbeat and Behind The Mask. However, Hulu Plus needs to buck up seeing the competition it has.

    Talking about compatibility, Netflix leads as you can watch it via your PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo Wii, Internet-ready TV, Roku, Android, Blu-ray player, Nook or other e-reader table, and iOS devices.

    Hulu Plus comes in at a close second, offering compatibility and support for many of the same devices that Netflix does. Unfortunately, Hulu currently lacks compatibility for many Internet-ready TVs and Blu-ray players. Still, it can show movies through gaming devices, Android, iOS devices, Roku, and various tablet computers.

    Amazon Prime doesn’t yet feature the extensive compatibility of the other two services, but it is slowly building its network. Presently, you can watch shows via internet-ready TV, Blu-ray player, Roku, Kindle Fire tablet, and iOS or Android phone. However, it cannot yet be streamed via any gaming devices.

    With this new entry, Amazon Prime is set to further intensify the competition and the intensity will only compel Amazon, Flipkart and others to improve services that can be offered to customers.

  • Face-off between Amazon Prime, Netflix & Hulu

    Face-off between Amazon Prime, Netflix & Hulu

    MUMBAI: Folks at Amazon India are popping champagne bottles. The e-commerce giant has launched its Prime service for a free 60 day trial after which the annual subscription will be available at a special introductory price of Rs 499. Though Prime in the US and UK, offers more than the free one or two day deliveries, early access to offers and same day deliveries, the company also promises to bring its streaming video and music services here soon. Prime Video will include Amazon original TV series and movies besides other Indian and global content, is expected to be launched as a part of this service later.

    The Prime membership subscription fee in India might later be increased to Rs 999., which is much lower as compared to its other market like $99 (Rs 6,633) for US and £96 (Rs 8,691) for UK. Benefit to the US subscribers being that they can also enjoy other features like access to over a million e-books via Kindle Owners’ Lending Library and free unlimited photo storage, in addition to music and video.

    Prime will be available to customers in 100 cities, and members in 20 cities can also choose same-day, morning or scheduled delivery at a discounted fee of Rs 50 per order on over 10,000 products. These deliveries typically cost Rs 150.

    Amazon is not launching their content service which includes Amazon Video and Amazon Music. Although the company said that the video streaming is coming soon. Amazon Prime Video includes shows such as Mr. Robot and The Man In The High Castle. Reports suggest that the company will be investing a huge sum of $300 million for the original Prime video content in India.

    The biggest prime competitor for Amazon still would be Flipkart who also has a similar service called Flipkart first. The membership fees of Flipkart first is 500 per year. Like Amazon Prime, it also offers free fast deliveries and discounted one-day deliveries. Although, Flipkart customers get a Priority Customer Service or early access to deals and offerings. But returns, replacements and exchange policy remains the same.

    But the streaming showdown does not stop here. In the past, we have seen global streaming services Netflix and Hulu Plus entering Indian markets. With subscription fee of Rs 650 per month, Netflix offers a wide selection of movies and TV shows, with several series being exclusive to the platform or even made and funded by Netflix like House of Cards, Orange is the New Black and Marvel original TV shows, like Daredevil and Jessica Jones. In terms of films, it is mainly back catalogue stuff, although the occasional partnership deal will throw up a modern movie, such as The Hobbit trilogy. It has also started to produce and release films on Netflix at the same time as a cinematic release for example Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny. Adam Sandler flick, The Ridiculous 6, was made by and especially for Netflix.

    InstantWatcher.com, a site plugged into the databases of both Netflix and Amazon Prime. On one hand, Amazon Prime offers more than 17,000 standard- and high-definition movies and TV series, significantly more than Netflix, which had more than 10,000. But Netflix pulled ahead overall by offering more than 7,500 HD videos vs. almost 3,500 for Amazon Prime.

    The one thing Netflix and Amazon both falter at is recent shows. There’s almost always a several month long delay between a season wrapping up and its arrival on streaming services. This is where Hulu Plus picks up the slack. Hulu Plus had 92 of the 250 shows surveyed. However, only 40 of them included backlogs of older seasons. 52 of the shows Hulu Plus carried were either the most recent season or a rotating set of the most recent few episodes of a show.

    It offers a one-week trial period in which if the viewers dislike the service, they must cancel it before the week is up otherwise will automatically be charged for a full month of service. It has original content which mostly comes from other countries and production companies, including the UK’s BBC. There are a few original web series that have made a dent, however, at the service, including The Awesomes, Deadbeat and Behind The Mask. However, Hulu Plus needs to buck up seeing the competition it has.

    Talking about compatibility, Netflix leads as you can watch it via your PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo Wii, Internet-ready TV, Roku, Android, Blu-ray player, Nook or other e-reader table, and iOS devices.

    Hulu Plus comes in at a close second, offering compatibility and support for many of the same devices that Netflix does. Unfortunately, Hulu currently lacks compatibility for many Internet-ready TVs and Blu-ray players. Still, it can show movies through gaming devices, Android, iOS devices, Roku, and various tablet computers.

    Amazon Prime doesn’t yet feature the extensive compatibility of the other two services, but it is slowly building its network. Presently, you can watch shows via internet-ready TV, Blu-ray player, Roku, Kindle Fire tablet, and iOS or Android phone. However, it cannot yet be streamed via any gaming devices.

    With this new entry, Amazon Prime is set to further intensify the competition and the intensity will only compel Amazon, Flipkart and others to improve services that can be offered to customers.

  • NDTV presents its first ever Unicorn start-up awards 2016

    NDTV presents its first ever Unicorn start-up awards 2016

    MUMBAI: The world of start-ups is bursting at the seams and India is becoming the start-up capital of the world. NDTV’s series Unicorn — Chasing the start-up dream has been leading the charge in discovering the next big idea from India’s belly which can be the next billion-dollar valued start-up.

    Carrying forward this anticipation NDTV presents the first ever Unicorn Start-up Awards in association with Vestige and Indigo Nation to honour those who have astonished the market with simple ideas and some great execution. The awards will witness some of the biggest mentors and venture capitalists from the start up space in attendance, including Deep Kalra, Founder and CEO, MakeMyTrip, and Sandeep Aggarwal, Founder, Shopclues & Droom.

    The awards will recognise the most credible dream-chasers who are going to change the way India does business with a stellar jury panel including R Chandrashekhar, President, NASSCOM, Suchi Mukherjee, Founder and CEO, Limeroad, and Raman Roy, a seasoned investor, to name a few.

    Start-ups like Grofers, Oyo Rooms, Ola, FlipKart and Shopclues will compete for coveted titles. NDTV has tied up with NASSCOM 10,000 Startups, as knowledge partner for the awards, and with Tracxn, a start-up intelligence and market research platform, as research partner.

    The exciting evening will be hosted by the glamorous Mandira Bedi, tech guru Rajiv Makhni and Vikram Chandra, Group CEO, NDTV.

    Vikram Chandra, Group CEO, NDTV is all geared up for the first innings of these awards. “We have entered a new business era of start-ups, and it could transform India. NDTV too has expanded its wings in the e-commerce arena and we are growing rapidly. The Unicorn Start-Up Awards is our attempt to honour the unique ideas which have made a mark. From here on, we expect the awards to get bigger and better, and to be the benchmark for entrepreneur recognition.”

    Rajiv Makhni, MD Technology, who is the brainchild behind these awards said, “From nascent ideas cooked up in a warehouse to booming ventures that are eating up market share and attracting consumers at breakneck speed, NDTV Unicorn Start-Up Awards will lift the iron curtain off them all. This is the highest form of recognition for those that have blazed a trail of their own. This is the start-ups’ moment to shine and occupy centre-stage on a prestigious platform like NDTV.”

    The awards will be presented and the webcast will be live on ground on July 29th at the Taj Palace, New Delhi, 7 pm onwards.

    • Bootstrapped start-up of the year – this category will award start-ups that are bootstrapped all the way and have made notable progress without external funding or support and own nothing outside of their start-up.
    • New Kid on the Block– this category will award the start-up that has an exceptional idea and is now attempting to scale up into a business. It should be an original idea with the potential to disrupt the market.
    • Dream-chaser of the year– this category will award the start-up that has a concrete plan and is now scaling up through funding.
    • Woman Entrepreneur of the year– this category will recognise a start-up helmed by a woman entrepreneur which has disrupted the market.
    • Health start-up of the year– this category includes health start-ups across wellness and fitness and more that have made an impact.
    • Unicorn of the Year– this category will be awarded to the billion-dollar start-up, or Unicorns that has shown highest year-on-year growth in the financial year gone by.
    • Start-up of the future– this category will award the start-up that has the ability to be the next big thing and has a fantastic idea at its core and is looking at establishing itself in a developing market.
    •  Global Start-up of the Year– this category will award an international start-up that has revolutionised its segment and has shown remarkable growth in the last financial year.
    •  Start-up mentor of the year–  this category will recognise an investor, a big shark, an incubator, which has funded start-ups. This individual or venture capital firm will be awarded for great investment acumen and success rate.
    •  Good Samaritan of the year– this category will award start-ups that are making a social impact through their idea.
    •  People’s Start-up of the Year: this will be the only category thrown open to public voting through a microsite and will not be part of the jury’s decision-making process. This convenience start-up will be awarded for pleasing consumers through great service, marketing, and brand retention.
    •  Start-up Person of the Year– this category will award and recognise Indian personalities who have played an important role in shaping India’s start-up sector. He or she could be a government representative, a leading investor, a Unicorn founder.
    •  Brand Ambassador of the Year– this category will award the person who has upheld his/her responsibilities as a start- up brand ambassador and is a true start up evangelist!

     

  • NDTV presents its first ever Unicorn start-up awards 2016

    NDTV presents its first ever Unicorn start-up awards 2016

    MUMBAI: The world of start-ups is bursting at the seams and India is becoming the start-up capital of the world. NDTV’s series Unicorn — Chasing the start-up dream has been leading the charge in discovering the next big idea from India’s belly which can be the next billion-dollar valued start-up.

    Carrying forward this anticipation NDTV presents the first ever Unicorn Start-up Awards in association with Vestige and Indigo Nation to honour those who have astonished the market with simple ideas and some great execution. The awards will witness some of the biggest mentors and venture capitalists from the start up space in attendance, including Deep Kalra, Founder and CEO, MakeMyTrip, and Sandeep Aggarwal, Founder, Shopclues & Droom.

    The awards will recognise the most credible dream-chasers who are going to change the way India does business with a stellar jury panel including R Chandrashekhar, President, NASSCOM, Suchi Mukherjee, Founder and CEO, Limeroad, and Raman Roy, a seasoned investor, to name a few.

    Start-ups like Grofers, Oyo Rooms, Ola, FlipKart and Shopclues will compete for coveted titles. NDTV has tied up with NASSCOM 10,000 Startups, as knowledge partner for the awards, and with Tracxn, a start-up intelligence and market research platform, as research partner.

    The exciting evening will be hosted by the glamorous Mandira Bedi, tech guru Rajiv Makhni and Vikram Chandra, Group CEO, NDTV.

    Vikram Chandra, Group CEO, NDTV is all geared up for the first innings of these awards. “We have entered a new business era of start-ups, and it could transform India. NDTV too has expanded its wings in the e-commerce arena and we are growing rapidly. The Unicorn Start-Up Awards is our attempt to honour the unique ideas which have made a mark. From here on, we expect the awards to get bigger and better, and to be the benchmark for entrepreneur recognition.”

    Rajiv Makhni, MD Technology, who is the brainchild behind these awards said, “From nascent ideas cooked up in a warehouse to booming ventures that are eating up market share and attracting consumers at breakneck speed, NDTV Unicorn Start-Up Awards will lift the iron curtain off them all. This is the highest form of recognition for those that have blazed a trail of their own. This is the start-ups’ moment to shine and occupy centre-stage on a prestigious platform like NDTV.”

    The awards will be presented and the webcast will be live on ground on July 29th at the Taj Palace, New Delhi, 7 pm onwards.

    • Bootstrapped start-up of the year – this category will award start-ups that are bootstrapped all the way and have made notable progress without external funding or support and own nothing outside of their start-up.
    • New Kid on the Block– this category will award the start-up that has an exceptional idea and is now attempting to scale up into a business. It should be an original idea with the potential to disrupt the market.
    • Dream-chaser of the year– this category will award the start-up that has a concrete plan and is now scaling up through funding.
    • Woman Entrepreneur of the year– this category will recognise a start-up helmed by a woman entrepreneur which has disrupted the market.
    • Health start-up of the year– this category includes health start-ups across wellness and fitness and more that have made an impact.
    • Unicorn of the Year– this category will be awarded to the billion-dollar start-up, or Unicorns that has shown highest year-on-year growth in the financial year gone by.
    • Start-up of the future– this category will award the start-up that has the ability to be the next big thing and has a fantastic idea at its core and is looking at establishing itself in a developing market.
    •  Global Start-up of the Year– this category will award an international start-up that has revolutionised its segment and has shown remarkable growth in the last financial year.
    •  Start-up mentor of the year–  this category will recognise an investor, a big shark, an incubator, which has funded start-ups. This individual or venture capital firm will be awarded for great investment acumen and success rate.
    •  Good Samaritan of the year– this category will award start-ups that are making a social impact through their idea.
    •  People’s Start-up of the Year: this will be the only category thrown open to public voting through a microsite and will not be part of the jury’s decision-making process. This convenience start-up will be awarded for pleasing consumers through great service, marketing, and brand retention.
    •  Start-up Person of the Year– this category will award and recognise Indian personalities who have played an important role in shaping India’s start-up sector. He or she could be a government representative, a leading investor, a Unicorn founder.
    •  Brand Ambassador of the Year– this category will award the person who has upheld his/her responsibilities as a start- up brand ambassador and is a true start up evangelist!