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Tag: GCC

  • Saraswathi Ramachandra joins Lightcast as managing director, India head

    Saraswathi Ramachandra joins Lightcast as managing director, India head

    MUMBAI:  Saraswathi Ramachandra has been appointed as the managing director & country head of Lightcast, marking a new chapter in her distinguished 25-year career in IT and data analytics. With a profound commitment to innovation and team building, Ramachandra sees her role as an opportunity to develop a world-class global capability center (GCC) that fosters collaboration and strategic decision-making.

    “Lightcast’s vision to establish a robust GCC aligns perfectly with my passion for innovation and talent development,” Ramachandra said. She aims to create an environment that not only supports global operations but also drives sustainable growth by leveraging Lightcast’s unique position in data, insights, and technology.

    In her previous role as director at Citi, Ramachandra led initiatives focusing on risk and fraud analytics while managing an innovation lab. She has a proven track record of building high-performing teams and enhancing operational efficiency across various organizations, including Danske IT, Cisco, and Accenture.

    Her academic credentials include a master’s degree in computer software engineering from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, with additional executive education from Yale University in decision-making. Ramachandra’s extensive experience in setting up GCCs and managing large-scale transformations positions her to make a significant impact at Lightcast.

    Ramachandra expressed her enthusiasm for this new role, saying, “Joining Lightcast is more than just a career move; it’s a chance to make a meaningful difference in the industry.” 

    She looks forward to working with a talented team dedicated to delivering transformative solutions.

  • Pickleball launches Pickleball World Rankings (PWR), PWR World Series & PWR World Tour

    Pickleball launches Pickleball World Rankings (PWR), PWR World Series & PWR World Tour

    Mumbai: Pickleball, widely regarded as the world’s fastest growing sport, has announced the launch of the new Pickleball World Rankings (PWR), the PWR World Series and the PWR World Tour. In a powerful evening of announcements for the sport, the GCC was also named as the region that will host the first PWR World Series in March 2025. This news is backed by Pickleball League Asia Pvt Ltd in partnership with The Times Group at a time when the sport is experiencing an unprecedented surge in popularity worldwide.

    PWR will bring together regional bodies under one unified structure to enhance sports governance and future longevity. The announcement was made by PWR, The Times Group, colleagues from international Pickleball bodies and some of the world’s top players, including women’s world number one on APP Tour, Megan Fudge DeHeart.

    PWR CEO and founder Pranav Kohli said: “Pickleball originated from relatively humble beginnings in the backyards of America in the sixties, and has now become one of the most exciting sports enjoyed by millions around the world. It is with great honour to be part of the creation of Pickleball World Rankings, PWR World Series and PWR World Tour and we are delighted to be the team taking Pickleball to the next level both on and off the court.”

    He continued, “We will be offering $15 million in prize money for the PWR World Tour and $1.5 million for the GCC stop PWR World Series. This is the highest prize money ever offered in the sport! It is my hope that existing stars and the champions of the future from the United States and all around the world can rise through the rankings and reach their full potential, all in front of millions of followers globally.”

    He concluded, “It is no coincidence that we selected the GCC as the location for this announcement and we are thrilled to confirm that our first PWR World Series – in a grand style will be hosted in the region. The ambition and visionary leadership within the region and the positive pace of societal change is in step with the growth of the sport and we are confident that the sport will enjoy a bright future here,”

    The Times Group MD Vineet Jain said: “The ‘Times Group is proud to be an anchor investor in PWR, a path breaking initiative that unifies the global pickleball community. Times Group is known for its innovation and its ability to be ahead of the curve in every one of its initiatives. We are happy that PWR is bringing the PWR Rankings, PWR tour and PWR World Series, and we really hope that this further accelerates growth of Pickleball globally. I personally believe that Pickleball will overtake Tennis in terms of participation in near future. PWR is a platform that will empower players from every corner of the globe to compete, excel, and showcase their talents on an international stage.”

    Pickleball is already a worldwide sensation, enjoyed by celebrity fans such as Bill Gates, Elon Musk, and Taylor Swift. It is the fastest-growing sport in the USA and is now on its way to becoming the fastest-growing sport in the world.

  • Nykaa partners with Apparel Group to enter Gulf markets; sees it as a multi-year growth opportunity

    Nykaa partners with Apparel Group to enter Gulf markets; sees it as a multi-year growth opportunity

    Mumbai: Nykaa, the Indian fashion and cosmetics retailer, has tied up with the Middle East based fashion and lifestyle retail giant, Apparel Group. With this strategic alliance, the former aims to utilise the latter’s robust retail infrastructure network and deep market relationships to recreate its beauty retail platform and build distinctive Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) focused beauty offerings in UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain.

    The joint venture will create an omnichannel, multi-retail brand for the Middle East with Nykaa holding a 55 per cent stake in the new entity and the remaining 45 per cent will be owned by Apparel Group.

    As per reports, Nykaa CEO Falguni Nayyar believes that the per capita consumption of beauty is very high in the GCC region, and the company views it as a multi-year growth opportunity.

    As per Elara Capital senior vice president – research analyst of media, consumer discretionary and internet Karan Taurani’s margins in the GCC market is far superior as compared to India (around 48-50 per cent gross margin). Nykaa’s gross merchandise value (GMV) contribution from private labels currently is 11.2 per cent, which can potentially lead to 10-15 per cent higher sales volume for this segment in the near term due to new market expansion, he points out.

    “As per our assessment, this joint venture will thereby have a positive impact of one-two per cent on growth rates for the overall beauty and personal care (BPC) segment; it may be margin dilutive initially due to investment in the overseas market (creating brand awareness) but will impact earnings positively, once they achieve scale,” says Taurani.

    Elara Capital has estimated 23.7 per cent revenue compound annual growth (CAGR) for the Nykaa BPC segment in the upcoming years, he adds.

    For the record, Nykaa has 112 retail stores in India (as of 30 June), catering to approximately 28,000 pin codes and offering over 4,500 brands across platforms. Apparel Group is a global fashion and lifestyle retail conglomerate headquartered in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is home to over 75 lifestyle and beauty brands with over 2,000 stores in 14 countries.

  • Gartner digital rights report lists Seclore as ‘rep vendor’

    MUMBAI: Seclore, a leading provider of Enterprise Digital Rights Management (EDRM) solutions, was mentioned in the Gartner Market Guide for Information-Centric Endpoint and Mobile Protection1. Gartner identified Seclore as a representative vendor for Cloud and EDRM information protection methods profiled in this research.

    Gartner stated: “Information theft pays big benefits to thieves, and plagues businesses with long-term damage. It is the hack that keeps on giving, since the extent of breaches is not always known, and business information can have long-term exploit value, extending into years and lifetimes in the case of some medical and financial knowledge. Once thieves have obtained your business information, they can unplug from your systems and they will be difficult to trace.”

    The report goes on to conclude that – “disk encryption remains the oldest and best defense against extraction from a lost, stolen or mishandled endpoint device. EDRM promises to be the most flexible and pervasive future technique to protect files regardless of where they travel. In between these extremes, choices should be made that match current information security concerns.”

    A recent survey from ESG, Securing Information in the Age of External Collaboration, concludes that more than 1 in 4 companies believes it’s very likely that sensitive data has been stolen by third party vendors. 98 per cent of respondents cited the loss of sensitive data as a top or significant concern. Commonly stated reasons for data loss include emails sent to the wrong person (67 per cent), unauthorized access (64 per cent) and lost portable storage devices (61 per cent).

    Seclore is expanding its GCC presence and operations in response to increasing demand for its award-winning solutions, with a new regional office in Dubai and the appointment of a new distributor in Saudi Arabia.

    “Ensuring the effectiveness of one’s security and risk management strategy is a critical component to the organization’s success,” said Seclore CEO Vishal Gupta, speaking at the Dubai office opening.

    “Despite today’s sluggish global economy, data losses are at all-time high and information centric security is gaining momentum. Our recent tie-ups with SAP and SolidWorks have further enriched our product offerings, for vertical markets worldwide,” Gupta said.

    “Most EDRM solutions on the market today have fatal security flaws that cause data leakage regardless of airtight network and server cybersecurity solutions,” stated Seclore CTO Abhijit Tannu.

    Seclore recently won prestigious awards like ‘The Security Industry’s Coveted Global Excellence Awards’.

  • Mulshi Springs all over GCC through Masafi

    MUMBAI: Masafi, the beverage giant of the Middle-East Asia, has signed a deal with Mulshi Natural Spring Water to distribute the luxury brand in the entire GCC region.

    The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf is known as the Gulf Cooperation Council. GCC, is a regional intergovernmental political and economic union consisting of all Arab states of the Persian Gulf, except Iraq. Its member-states are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The Charter of the Gulf Cooperation Council was signed on 25 May 1981, formally establishing the institution of the GCC.

    Mulshi is a gourmet natural spring water from India, which is fast gaining popularity in super luxury hotels, large corporate houses, the niche society and the film fraternity all over the world.

    Masafi bottled water and Masafi Juices are the largest selling bottled water and juices in GCC countries and Iraq. The group is owned by Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair. Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair, is the Chief Executive Officer of the publicly traded Mashreq Bank and billionaire. As of 2011, his net worth was estimated by Forbes to be $2.7 billion, making him the 420th richest person in the world.

    Some of Mulshi’s valuable and loyal patrons include the super luxury hotels like the Ritz Carlton, St. Regis, W Hotel, Shangri-la, Conrad, Lake Palace – Udaipur, Umaid Bhavan Palace – Jodhpur, Falaknuma Palace – Hyderabad. In the luxury hotels segment, Mulshi is present at the Oberoi Hotels, Leela Hotels, Taj Group of Hotels, ITC Hotels, Westin Hotels, Park Hyatt Hotels, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Hotels, Courtyard by Marriott Group, J W Marriott Group, Novotel, Hilton Group, Four Point by Sheraton Hotels, Holiday Inn hotels, The Resort – Mumbai, Aman – New Delhi, Sun-n-Sand hotel, O Hotels, Radisson Blu hotels, Intercontinental hotels, Ramada group, along with 300 other stand-alone restaurants in the country.

    Mulshi’s institutional clientele include Reliance ADAG Group, India Bulls, Gordrej Industries, Warburg Pincus and Bennett & Coleman to name a few.

    According to Mulshi Springs director Naveen Luthra, “At conservative estimates, 3,00,000 bottles will be exported every month in the first year which works out to exports of US$ 3.6 million a year.”

    Here is what some experts have to say about Mulshi water:

    1. Gayot, a highly reputed fine wine and fine dine magazine in U.S.A. rates Mulshi as ‘One Of The Top Bottled Water Of The World’.

    2. Fine Water is the Bible for the finest bottled waters across the world and lists the 100 top still and sparkling waters.

    3. Water Quality Association, U.S.A. is the apex international water authority. For creating awareness of the quality of water one drinks, Water Quality Association has laid down parameters where anyone can easily find out the quality of the water. Mulshi Natural Spring Water rates as “Excellent Water” by these parameters.

  • Inclined to stop watching pirated content, say 50% consumers: Irdeto

    NEW DELHI: Despite the high number of consumers around the globe watching pirated video content (52%), nearly half (48%) would stop or watch less illegal content after learning the damage that piracy causes the media industry.

    This willingness by nearly half of consumers to change their viewing habits would mean a huge impact that education could have on reducing the number of people who pirate video content.

    This was one of the main findings of The Global Consumer Piracy Survey of more than 25,000 adults across 30 countries conducted by major leader in digital platform security Irdeto. The report was made public in a Cable Congress in Brussles in Belgium.

    The positive outcome of an industry-wide education initiative could have the most impact in Latin America and Asia-Pacific regon.

    The survey showed that fifty-nine percent of consumers who watch pirated content in Latin America and 55% in APAC stated they would watch less or stop watching pirated video content after learning that piracy results in revenue loss from studios, affecting investments in future content creation.

    APAC (61%) and Latin America (70%) had the most consumers who admitted to watching pirated content, while those in Europe (45%) and the US (32%) said they pirate the least. These results indicate that consumers in Europe and the US have more access to the content they desire, reducing their need to watch pirated content.

    The survey also showed that 18 to 24 year old consumers in India (20%) were the most likely to watch pirated content on a streaming device. Around 52% percent of consumers in China in this age bracket indicated that mobile devices are their preferred method of consuming pirated content (that is, smartphones or tablets).

    Conversely, only 45% in Europe and 38% of respondents from the United States said that they would watch less or stop watching pirated content. This indicates that simply educating consumers in these regions about damages associated with revenue loss may not be enough.

    However, an education initiative focusing on piracy’s impact on the creative process of producing content, coupled with knowledge on how piracy is often linked to criminal organizations and that pirated content could include malware aimed at stealing consumer’s personal information, may resonate better in those markets, according to an Irdeto release.

    Irdeto CEO Doug Lowther said: “A battle is being waged in the media & entertainment industry. Legal content offerings are no longer only competing against each other. Pirates have undoubtedly grown into a formidable foe that should not be ignored. With more than half of consumers openly admitting to watching pirated content, it is crucial that the industry tackle piracy head-on. To do so will require technology and services to protect the legal content as well as a comprehensive education program to help change the behavior of consumers. Coupled with a 360-degree anti-piracy strategy, the market is fully prepared to take the battle against piracy to the next level.”

    The Irdeto Global Consumer Piracy Survey also showed an illegal vs legal awareness gap: While many consumers across the globe recognize that producing or sharing pirated video content is illegal (70%), far fewer people are aware that streaming or downloading (watching the content) is also against the law (59%). In Latin America, this gap was widest with 75% of respondents stating that producing or sharing pirated content is illegal, compared to only 60% recognizing that streaming or downloading is illegal.

    The overall survey results suggest that more education may be required around the globe to educate consumers that engaging in any form of piracy (producing, sharing, downloading or streaming) is illegal, Irdeto said.

    In nearly every country surveyed, many consumers recognize that producing or sharing pirated video content is illegal. But the survey found that this was not the case in Russia. A staggering 87% of respondents do not think that producing or sharing pirated video content is illegal. In addition, 66% believe that it is not illegal to download or stream pirated video content.

    Laptops were universally the preferred device for the consumption of pirated video content. Consumers in Europe (65%), APAC (45%), Latin America (53%) and the US (41%) stated that this was their most frequent method of consuming pirated content. However, a shift has already started, with many 18 to 24 year old youngsers surveyed indicating that they use mobile or streaming devices the most to watch or access pirated video content.

    The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) cracked the top five in both categories, indicating that its population of 18 to 24 year old people are ahead of the curve when it comes to using mobile or streaming devices instead of laptops to view pirated video content.

    Interestingly, the Kodi box only registered as a top device to pirate content in the UK, with 11% of pirating consumers using the streaming device to access illegal content. The second highest percentage was in Portugal where 6% of consumers use Kodi to access pirated content. The highest percentage of Kodi users in the UK were in the 35-44 and 55+ age groups at 18% each. This is in stark contrast to the 3% of 18-24 year old’s using a Kodi box to pirate content.

    Movies that are currently being shown in cinemas/theaters (27%) and TV series (21%) were the most popular types of pirated content. Also, while live sports piracy is a growing industry problem, one surprise in the survey results was the percentage of pirating consumers who indicated that live sports was the type of pirated video content they were most interested in. The only countries that listed it in their top two were Portugal (25%), Egypt (23%) and GCC (19%).

    While the negative impact of live sports piracy is already being felt by the industry, this indicates that the market still has an opportunity to educate consumers about the damage that piracy causes the live sports space before the problem grows even larger. This education will be especially important for males as more men in each country indicated that live sports is the type of content they are most interested in pirating, while a majority of women prefer to pirate TV series.

    “Education around the negative impact of piracy on both the industry and the consumers themselves is an important element of any anti-piracy strategy,” said Irdeto vice-president of services Rory O’Connor. “The results of this survey show that many countries are open to change. To elicit this change in consumer habits will take a concerted effort from all the industry players to not only educate consumers about the negative impact of piracy, but also continued innovation to address the three elements of consumer choice – content, value and convenience.”

    The survey was commissioned by Irdeto and conducted online from 29 December 2016 to 16 February 2017 by YouGov Plc. A total of 25,738 adults (aged 18+) in 30 countries agreed to take part in the survey. Countries surveyed include: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, China, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, GCC (GCC region cluster comprised of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman), Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, UK and US. Figures have been weighted appropriately to be representative of adults in each country (e.g. nationally representative, urban representative, online representative).

  • Clocks highest ever booking in last 5 weeks in MEA Announces 6 New Wins and 5 Go-lives

    Clocks highest ever booking in last 5 weeks in MEA Announces 6 New Wins and 5 Go-lives

    MUMBAI: Ramco Systems, an enterprise software product company focused on delivering ERP on Cloud, Tablets and Smart phones today showcased its all new HR & Talent Management solution, Ramco HCM on Cloud (Human Capital Management). Since the global launch of Ramco HCM on Cloud in June this year, Ramco has added some of the largest business conglomerates in the region as its customer. In the last five weeks, Ramco added 6 new customers for its ERP/ HCM on Cloud offering. This includes, Sharaf DG (leading retail chain with 8000+ employees across 13 countries covering UAE, GCC, Middle East & Far East), Engsol (Engineering Solutions company headquartered in Abu Dhabi), DaarYaas Group (retail group with presence spread across UAE, N.Africa and Egypt), Al Shabab Club (leading sports club in UAE), Blue Nile Mashreq Bank (a leading bank in N.Africa) and Nesma (a diversified business conglomerate in Saudi with a portfolio of 40+ companies and 25000+ employees). The six new customers will together add around 30,000+ users for Ramco HCM.

    The company also announced go-live of 5 HCM customers which added 15000+ users in the region on Ramco HCM.

    Ramco set up its operations in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in 2006. Since the launch of its cloud based solutions in 2011 in the Middle East, the market uptake for Ramco’s offerings (ERP, HCM and Aviation) has been growing significantly resulting in the number of new customers being added, doubling in 2012-13.

    Commenting on Ramco’s cloud offerings, Mr. Sunil Padmanabh, Research Director, Gartner Inc., said, “There is a sizeable market opportunity worldwide for HCM solutions on the Cloud, notably Talent Management. Many large and mid-sized organisations are looking to experiment with cloud and HR applications are emerging as the first choice. Ramco’s cloud solutions can be easily extended on mobile devices and can run In-memory based Payroll and Analytics. Ramco is also well positioned to take on the competition by embedding country specific localization and statutory needs in the base product. Ramco’s HCM solutions have interchangeable cloud and On-Premise deployment modeled. This has created a competitive advantage for Ramco and helped them take on mega vendors in the HCM marketplace.”

    Addressing the media, Mr. P R Venketrama Raja, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Ramco Systems, said “Our years of investment in developing a platform that is model-based has helped us offer solutions that are multi-tenanted, SOA-compliant and modular in nature. It is this architecture which has allowed us to easily adapt to new technologies and launch features such as Mobility, Social media integration, location-awareness through Google maps and others ahead of others. Our uber-cool user interface with alerts, notifications, portlets on transaction screens, role-specific WorkSpaces, and accessibility on mobile devices have been a great value-add and differentiator for us. We are happy that Ramco today has gained its rightful place in the global cloud market.”

    Mr. Virender Aggarwal, CEO, Ramco Systems, commented, “After launching Ramco HCM on Cloud we have been witnessing good traction globally. Having serviced multiple customers on home ground, we are now aggressively building our network and product features to compete in global markets. The success of the recently launched HCM on Cloud in the Middle East region is a testimony to the fact that the product brings a good mix of global standards with local requirements.”

    Mr. Ernest Hosking, CEO, RedTag, said “We chose Ramco HCM on Cloud as it offered us a suitable Model; a global solution which also addresses the unique statutory needs of the regions we operate in. We expect the scalability of the solution and the flexibility of a cloud model to ensure that our IT investments remain future-relevant. We have gone-live on Ramco HCM for our Retail business with over 5500+ employees across UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The initial user feedback has been positive and encouraging.”

    “Automating HCM Processes, generating reports and accessing real time information today is indeed a difficult task in any organization. Ramco’s HCM Solution with multi-country payroll on the Cloud will help us manage our workforce across locations in a streamlined manner”, added, Mr. Chandra Shekhar Jajware, CIO, Khimji Ramdas.

    Ramco HCM on Cloud is a comprehensive solution that covers every aspect of an employee lifecycle: Workforce Management, Recruitment, Talent Management, Employee Development, Workforce Planning and Payroll & Benefits. Ramco has been offering its on-premise HCM software globally, and has customers with employee size of 100,000+. The company also offers an integrated Payroll on Cloud solution for all GCC countries and most of Africa.

  • Strontium Hosts Channel Conference

    Strontium Hosts Channel Conference

    MUMBAI: Strontium Technology hosted its Channel Partner Conference on 25th October 2013 at The Oberoi Hotel, New Delhi. Strontium is a Singapore based Flash Storage and PC memory manufacturer. The conference was focused on changes in memory industry and how Strontium is turning market challenges into new opportunities.

    “Following the merger of Elpida Memory into Micron Technology and the exit of Tier 2 Taiwan manufacturers, the memory chip industry is moving to Oligopoly which means lower volatility in future,” Vivian Singh, President and CEO, Strontium Technology, said at the event.

    Strontium showcased its products and technologies during the conference besides presenting its roadmap for the year 2014.”The latest smart phones and tablets need high performing memory cards for capturing, storing and accessing HD videos, pictures, media files, apps and data. Strontium NITRO cards, with 60 to 85Mbps transfer speeds, are ideal solution,” Vivian added. “Strontium will continue to focus on selling retail products in emerging markets especially India through traditional channel, organized retailers and online stores.”

    Strontium also participated in Gitex Technology show in Dubai from 20th to 24th October 2013 to expand product reach into Africa, CIS and GCC. “As part of our growth and expansion plans, we are going to focus on African markets in the next 2 years. We see tremendous potential in these markets.” Vivian added.

  • Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort wins two prestigious awards as unrivalled golf destination

    Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort wins two prestigious awards as unrivalled golf destination

    Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort, a leading tourism destination in the Arab world, has been named by The Global Golf Tourism Organisation (IAGTO) as the ‘Golf Resort of the Year – Rest of the World’, based on the responses of some 480 specialist golf tour operators in 59 countries globally.

     

    This accolade was followed by CNN listing Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort among 10 Best Golf Courses in Africa. The report said that the continent hosts more than 800 golf courses, making Africa one of the best choices for golf lovers.

     

    Terrance Mohamed, Director of Golf at Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort said: “To be honoured with such prestigious awards is a true testament to the quality and service which is synonymous with 5-star standards. These standards have helped raise the profile of both Kerzner International and Troon Golf within the Golf tourism industry. Competing in today’s golfing climate with some of the great resorts and courses worldwide, we’re excited to have made such a significant impact.”

     

    Mazagan has emerged as prestigious choice of VIPs and celebrities, located just an hour’s drive from Casablanca, making it an ideal destination especially for GCC families looking for cooler weather throughout the year.

     

    Mazagan was developed by Kerzner International. El Jadida was selected as the location as it is one Moroccan ‘City That Never Sleeps’ in summer. The resort boasts a distinguished Portuguese architecture, blended with Moroccan and European touches.

     

    Located 90 km south of Casablanca in El Jadida, Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort is a coastal destination resort overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Set around a magnificent internal courtyard, the resort’s 500 rooms boast unspoilt views of the ocean, lagoons, golf course, landscaped gardens and a stunning swimming pool in the center.

     

    Mazagan encompasses a 250-hectare site including an 18-hole golf course designed by Gary Player, a 7km stretch of beach, a variety of restaurants and bars, a nightclub designed by Jeffrey Beers, an award-winning spa, a wide range of sport and leisure activities and one of the largest conference centers in the region. 67 luxurious villas are situated alongside the golf course with fantastic views of the Atlantic coastline.

     

    For reservations, please contact reservations@mazaganbeachresort.com or call +212 523 388 000 or visit http://www.mazaganbeachresort.com

  • Media One appoints Black Swan for creative duties

    MUMBAI: Kerala-based start up agency Black Swan India has won the creative duties of Media One, the upcoming general entertainment channel in Malayalam.

    Black Swan India will be responsible for the 360 degree campaign, predominantly print, outdoor and activations which cover Kerala as well as GCC (Gulf Co-operation Council) markets.

    The account win comes after a multi-agency pitch.

    Media One deputy CEO M Sajid said, ‘‘Black Swan clearly understood the principles Media One stand for and presented a creative platform that goes along with the kind of brand image we want to portray.”

    Black Swan India MD and CEO Raman P Namboothiri said, “Media One is a one-of-a-kind channel and our campaign reflects its uniqueness. It is an exciting brand to work on and the best thing that happened to Black Swan ever since its inception.”

    Media One is operated by Madhyamam Broadcasting Ltd and offers a mix of entertainment and news based programmes. Media One TV is headquartered at Kozhikode with news bureaus in New Delhi, Dubai, Riyadh, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Malappuram and has Dr Abdussalam Ahmad as its CEO.

    Black Swan India is a start-up agency co-founded by Raman P Namboodiri, Pradeep Menon and Rajesh Rajagopalan who each have more than 15 years experience in advertising industry. Black Swan India is predominantly a creative agency offering strategy and creative solutions to a varied clientele. The major accounts include Paul Alukkas Jewellery, Allieds Lifestyle, My Little Heart, Best FM, United Sanitation Devices and Rahna Homes.