Tag: India

  • Nickelodeon continues to dominate the pole position as top kids’ network in India

    Nickelodeon continues to dominate the pole position as top kids’ network in India

    Mumbai: Building the category through immersive storytelling and path-breaking innovation, Viacom18’s kids’ franchise, Nickelodeon has established leadership in the kids’ entertainment space and enjoys a cumulative network share of 32 per cent within the genre. The franchise today delivers the highest reach of 48 million kids’ weeks on week and boasts of the largest home-grown content library created through launching 11 successful IPs in 11 years, it said in a statement.

    Closing the year on a high note and with a spirit to deepen engagement and connect, the pioneering franchise continues to top the charts with two channels, Nick and Sonic. With Nick in the first spot and Sonic at second in the kids’ genre for FY22, Nickelodeon continues to cement its position as a category leader.

    Viacom18 Hindi mass entertainment and kids TV network head Nina Elavia Jaipuria said, “The kids’ category is one of the most exciting and dynamic categories in India. The young viewer has always been at the centre of our universe and understanding their evolving preferences has been of prime importance to us. Continuing to lead the demanding kids’ space is a testimony of our sincere efforts to ensure that we create stories and introduce kids to characters that are relatable, relevant and capture their minds and hearts.  It is this connect that has allowed us to garner immense love from kids as well as patronage from our brand partners. As the leader of the category, we will continue to engage and innovate with our stories and reach out meaningfully to kids across screens and touch points.”

    Building on an unparalleled leadership story, Nickelodeon leaves no stone un-turned as it plans for a fun-filled and unforgettable summer for kids that will bring back the touch, feel and play experience. The franchise is all geared to entertain its young viewers with an engaging and fun line up of characters, stories and priceless experiences replete with comedy, action and adventure. The stories will come to life across screens on the franchise channels Nick, Sonic, Nick Jr and Nick HD+ with all our home-grown character stories also being available on our digital destination Voot Kids.

    Stories galore

    Nick will see new stories of all of kid’s favourite toons with all new episodes of “Rudra,” “Shiva,” “Motu Patlu” and “Chikoo aur Bunty” as well as many blockbusters made for TV film premieres. This will include “Motu Patlu & The Secret of Devil’s Heart” that will premiere on 29 May and the first ever combo movie premiere of the super cool Shiva and Rudra film called “Rudra Shiva Vs Pirates Of Universe” that is all set to premiere on 24 April at 11:30 a.m on Nick and Voot Kids.

    Further Soniv, the second leading channel in the kids’ space is all set to bring back the fun and thrill with new episodes of “Golmaal Jr,” “Pakdam Pakdai,” “Pinaki and Happy The Bhoot Bandhus.” Further catering to the ever-growing content demands of its young viewers the summer season is all set to introduce a new adventure filled ‘smurfiness’ with the much-loved international franchise, The Smurfs all set to entertain kids with their comic capers starting this June.

    Kids will continue to be entertained on Nick Jr with many fairy-licious treats, pawsomeness overload and oinkastic adventures with all new episodes of “Butter Bean Café,” “Paw Patrol” and “The Peppa Pig.” The entertainment on Nick Jr will further see kids have a great time with the premiere of the year’s most popular pre-school series “Baby Shark,” making its Indian television debut in the month of May

    Engagement galore

    The summer will see fun and engagement galore on the franchise with key tentpoles that will spread the cheer amidst kids. Nick will see a fun banter fest helmed by the bros Chikoo and Bunty called “Roast Your Bro.” This will include a contest where kids get a chance to vote for their fav sibling and stand a chance to win exciting prizes like iPhone 13, laptops and tablets and engage in a whole lot of fun sibling banter. For Nickelodeon we have also partnered with Time Zone and Funcity as well as other malls across the country for fun meet and greets where kids will get to meet their favourite Nick toons. Apart from meeting their favourite toons, kids will also get to enjoy special combos through summer at Nirula’s and Dr Bubbbles. Sonic will continue to enthral kids and make them shout #SonicisHappyGoLucky with the super fun Bhoot Bandhus Happy and Pinaki through a cool watch and win content.  The campaigns on Nick and Sonic will extend on digital and social media through fun games and virtual interactivity sessions. A high reach marketing blitz planned across markets that will include cross channel, outdoor, van activations, influencer marketing as well as presence in the ongoing IPL will ensure that kids across the nation are part of the summer-time fun on the franchise.

    This summer is going to be special for kids. The entertainment bonanza has already begun with the ongoing celebration of World Creativity Week and inspiring kids to get creative with Nick. This has loads of fun activities planned for kids through the week including fun online creativity sessions with Playdate while also having fun on ground sessions with Bombay Drawing Room and Slam out loud amongst others.

  • Mitsubishi Electric launches new digital campaign in India

    Mitsubishi Electric launches new digital campaign in India

    Mumbai: Mitsubishi Electric, a global player in electric and electronic equipment for residential, commercial and industrial use has launched its new campaign about how the company is solving the social challenges of industry, infrastructure, life & mobility in India through its integrated products and solutions. In the first phase of the campaign, two digital films of 120-seconds each has been created on the themes of infrastructure and industry which will be launched and promoted through digital media in a phased manner.

    The films have been conceptualised by Hakuhodo India, directed by Sahil Shah and the music has been created by Anand Bajpai, vocals for two songs by Suvarna Trivedi and Anand Bhaskar along with voiceovers from Industry veterans like Rajat Kapoor, Nimisha Shrohi and Sameep Nanda.

    Mitsubishi Electric marked its presence in India in the late 1950s with its first business for electric locomotives. Since then, it has been an endearing journey for Mitsubishi Electric as a premium electric and electronic equipment manufacturer which represents quality. The company is into a wide range of innovative and high-quality products which includes products and solutions for air conditioners, automotive equipment, elevators & escalators, factory automation and industrial systems, semiconductor and devices and transportation systems, said the statement.

    The company launched its corporate strategy on 3 June 2021 with an aim to provide integrated solutions to address diversifying social challenges, in the four fields of industry, infrastructure, life and mobility, uniting all the capabilities inside and outside of the group. For this purpose, the company will enhance its business foundation fostered over the past 100 years and transform its business models to create a sustainable society for all.

    “The campaign resonates the brand’s belief of keeping the society as a central element in whatever we do,” said Mitsubishi Electric India MD Kazuhiko Tamura. “Mitsubishi Electric is an established and quality conscious company which offers a wide range of products. The challenge for the agency was to transform the product-based company image to an image of a company that talks about solutions and problems of the society that it can solve. We kept empathy in the core of communication basis the brief to bring out the essence of Mitsubishi Electric as a corporate citizen which is ready to solve social challenges of India through its products and solutions keeping the society central to it’s thought.”

  • India is no longer a follower in digital space: Newgen’s Arvind Jha

    India is no longer a follower in digital space: Newgen’s Arvind Jha

    Mumbai: Newgen Software, which has recently completed its 30 years of enterprise journey is extensively working to make communication personalised. From helping brands across the globe to simplify data to providing efficient platforms to manage large volumes of documents, the company has many products to offer.

    In a conversation with IndianTelvision.com, Newgen SVP for software development Arvind Jha speaks about their products, top trends in the digital space, and the new products in the pipeline.

    Jha has been associated with Newgen since November 2020 and is responsible for product development at Newgen. He is recognised by the Indian tech community as an innovator and community builder. Before joining Newgen, Jha also held the position of Pariksha Labs CEO and led the product development team at Polaroid, Adobe, Monsoon Multimedia, and Movico Technologies.

    In an exclusive chat, Jha shares that India is no longer a follower in the technology space, rather the country is leading towards rapid growth, leveraging cutting-edge technology.

    Top digital trends for future

    According to Jha, India was a follower of technology two years ago but looking at the latest numbers, 30 per cent of business now comes from India. “We can say that India is definitely no longer a follower (in this regard),” he asserts.

    Jha feels that over the years India has moved from the backend to the front end. He further explains the digital trends which will lead the industry in the upcoming years.

    Noting the first digital trend, Jha says, “Earlier we had a lot of paperwork and the majority of the work was being done physically, now we have it all in digitised form on our screens. People do not want anything to be hidden, they want everything to be done in front of their eyes on their smartphones.”

    He emphasised that companies who will not adopt the technology on time will be left behind in the competition. “We have clients from across the world and we process huge amounts of data every day, but one thing which all leading companies want is a transparent CMS. They want the live data to be shared with their customers,” he adds.

    Coming to the second trend, Jha says fast processing is the need of the hour. “How fast you serve your customers will be a major factor in deciding the growth rate of any company, especially in the BFSI sector,” he highlights.

    He feels that 24*7 availability of the business will be the third most important trend. “Ever since the first lockdown happened, how we operate in our everyday lives has changed. With this transition, people want things to be available as per their own time and preferences. They do not want to be bound between ten to five business hours,” he tells.

    Technology is no more restricted to particular age group

    While comparing the Indian market to the global market, he says, the user behavior of the Indian population has drastically changed over the period of last two years.

    “Before the pandemic hit the world, technology was a thing of millennials in India, however, now it is not limited to a certain age group or gender,” Jha shares. “Be it a five-year-old kid or a 60-year old man, nobody wants to stand in long queues to get their work done in physical format. They all want it all instantly. From opening a bank account to buying their everyday household stuff, people have become so used to digital,” he adds.

    Technological development & policies

    According to the Global Innovation Index, India is witnessing a burgeoning start-up and innovation culture. Jha says that this shift has accelerated the momentum in India’s development on the global platform in the technology space.

    “India is not just becoming self-reliant but also offering its service across the globe,” he notes. Coinciding with his 30-years-long career, he shares how he has seen everything changing- from what we consume, how we conduct our lives, the entire economy of the country, and the businesses growing in India, everything is disrupted by Covid-19. “If we have to scale down the differences, the health crisis actually turned out to be an opportunity for the digital brands in India.”

    On being asked how government initiatives have helped in this change? He says that policies and regulations play a vital role.”In the last five to six years, the government has done much to encourage digital transformation in the country. Today we have a robust infrastructure that allows any business to make a shift to digital easily,” Jha explains.

    Spending patterns of Indian brands

    In the concluding section, Jha talks about how spending patterns of Indian brands have evolved during this time. “Despite the major growth and transformation in the industry, Indian brands are still very conservative when it comes to their marketing budgets,” he points out.

    Comparing the behavior of Indian brands to the global ones, he says global players start marketing 10 months prior to even launching their products, whereas, in India brands still follow a slow pace.

    However, Indian brands have shifted their focus from those regular elements of budgets. While Indian brands were known to spend more on their HR teams than infrastructure, today it is completely changed. “Now brands have started to realise the importance of having a robust digital presence and a seamless infrastructure where employees can operate the business flawlessly,” Jha remarks. 

  • Unacademy launches its first on-ground store in Delhi

    Unacademy launches its first on-ground store in Delhi

    Mumbai: Online learning platform Unacademy has announced the launch of the Unacademy Store – its first experience store in New Delhi. The on-ground store aims to extend the awareness of the platform’s offerings to learners, it said.

    Unacademy has designed the store to serve as an offline touchpoint for learners who want to experience and browse through the various platform offerings. The store is conceptualised to help learners stay updated about their chosen career pathways and connect with like-minded people, according to the brand statement. 

    “On-ground counseling with experts and frequent meetings with top educators and several other elements will provide a holistic experience at the stores to expand their knowledge about their chosen goals. Students can purchase subscriptions at the store for any chosen goals after counseling and browsing through the content offering,” it added.

    In the next phase of the initiative, the company has plans to establish similar touchpoints across the country starting with Kota, Jaipur, and Lucknow.

    “The journey which started with a Youtube channel to democratise high-quality knowledge for everyone is taking a new shape with our Unacademy Stores today. With these stores, we are taking a step forward towards creating a community of like-minded learners,” commented Unacademy Group co-founder and CEO Gaurav Munjal. “We hope these experiential stores with expert and educator connects, libraries, classrooms, and much more will help Learners gain significant insights into their chosen career paths.”

  • SPNI to broadcast Davis Cup tie between India-Denmark on 4 and 5 March

    SPNI to broadcast Davis Cup tie between India-Denmark on 4 and 5 March

    Mumbai: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has acquired the exclusive media rights to broadcast Davis Cup tie between India and Denmark on 4 and 5 March.

    As part of the deal signed with the All India Tennis Association, SPNI will broadcast the tournament on Sony Ten 2 channels across India and the subcontinent including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka as well as live-stream the tournament on their OTT platform, SonyLIV.  

    The Davis Cup World Group play-off tie between India and Denmark will be played at Delhi Gymkhana Club’s grass court. Under the leadership of captain Rohit Rajpal and mentorship of coach Zeeshan Ali, the Indian team comprises Ramkumar Ramanathan, Yuki Bhambri, Prajnesh Gunneswaran, Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan. Denmark will feature Mikael Torpegaard, Johannes Ingildsen, Christian Sigsgaard and Elmer Møller.

    The Davis Cup matches are scheduled to start from 4 March, with a 15-minute opening ceremony, followed by the final day of the Indian leg on 5 March.   

    “We are pleased to acquire the media rights of the highly anticipated Davis Cup Tie between India and Denmark,” said SPNI chief revenue officer distribution and head – sports business Rajesh Kaul. “With India being the host for the tournament, tennis fans in India are looking forward to watching Team India serve up Denmark with the home ground advantage. Our viewers will get to cheer on top Indian players like Rohit Rajpal, Ramkumar Ramanathan, Yuki Bhambri, Prajnesh Gunneswaran, Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan who will be playing for their country.”

  • RED FM’s new campaign celebrates 75 years of independence

    RED FM’s new campaign celebrates 75 years of independence

    Mumbai: Private radio and entertainment network 93.5 RED FM has announced a new campaign ‘India @ 75’ to celebrate the history of the country. Launched in collaboration with India’s apex business organisation FICCI as the knowledge partner, the initiative aims to relive the footprints that the nation has created over the glorious years of independence.

    ‘India @ 75’ will document the country’s landmark achievements through weekly episodes narrated by RJ Praveen. It will also feature interviews of prominent bureaucrats, government officials, and scholars.

    The campaign will run from 4 February 2022 to 15 August 2022 every Friday 9:30 am – 10:30 am.

    RED FM and Magic FM director and COO Nisha Narayanan said, “It’s indeed a matter of pride for the entire nation to be achieving this landmark. Over these years, the nation and its citizens have gained tremendous respect around the globe for contributions and achievements across various walks of life. The campaign aims to showcase stories that have been lost in time over the historical journey of 75 years since India’s independence. These anecdotes will urge individuals to pause, relive and soak in the past that has helped our country to grow and develop.”

  • LML partners with former Harley Davidson manufacturing facility in India

    LML partners with former Harley Davidson manufacturing facility in India

    MUMBAI : Laying the groundwork for a long-term future in the EV business in India, LML Electric on Thursday announced a strategic partnership with Saera Electric Auto, which formerly handled manufacturing for global major – Harley Davidson.

    The company will use Saera’s facility located in the auto hub of Bawal in Haryana to produce its disruptive range of upcoming electric vehicles. “The highly advanced and innovative infrastructure of Saera, backed by its historical competence in manufacturing will now be leveraged to develop the much talked about and anticipated EV range of products from the LML electric stable,” the company said in a statement.

    LML highlighted that it intends to build a future-ready manufacturing facility using Saera’s technology and processes. It termed the partnership as one of the first of many steps for LML to transition into a 100 per cent ‘Make in India’ company by end of 2025.

    “The manufacturing plant, which spans 2,17,800 square feet and has a capacity of 18,000 units per month, is equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure. It’s prior excellence in manufacturing for global behemoths would offer a distinct edge in streamlining, scaling up, and providing world-class quality assurance to LML, making this a very promising collaboration,” it said in the statement

    LML CEO Yogesh Bhatia said Saera was the company’s first choice because it holds unparalleled expertise and reputation with some of the world’s premier auto brands. “With this alliance as we aspire to create a brand that is 100 per cent localised and has an impeccable quality assurance that is world-class. We foresee an immediate need for automakers to reduce their dependence on imports and build an infrastructure that is designed and capable to address the rapidly growing demand in India and the world over. We are confident that this partnership will be a stepping stone in our vision to redefine and reimagine the future of EV manufacturing in India to bring the country at par with global manufacturing standards.”

  • Tata Group to replace Vivo as title sponsor of IPL

    Tata Group to replace Vivo as title sponsor of IPL

    Mumbai: Business conglomerate Tata Group is all set to replace Vivo as the title sponsor for the Indian Premier League (IPL) next year, said the league chairman Brijesh Patel on Tuesday. The decision was announced post the governing council meeting.

    “Yes. Tata Group will replace Vivo as title sponsor,” Patel told PTI. The Chinese manufacturer still has two years left in its sponsorship deal with the league, and consequently, Tata will remain the main sponsor during this period.

    Meanwhile, the two new teams including Sanjiv Goenka’s RPSG group for the Lucknow Franchise and CVC Capital’s Ahmedabad team also received formal clearance from the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI).

    Vivo had a Rs 2200 crore deal for title sponsorship rights from 2018 to 2022 but the brand had to take a year-long break in between due to the ongoing tension between India and China. Dream11 had joined the league during the period. However, the Chinese giant returned as the title sponsor in 2021.

  • National Geographic India brings new adventurous series – ‘Snakes SOS: Goa’s Wildest’

    National Geographic India brings new adventurous series – ‘Snakes SOS: Goa’s Wildest’

    Mumbai: National Geographic in India has announced its new adventure series – ‘Snakes SOS: Goa’s Wildest’ which is all set to premiere on 10 January.

    Keeping with the channel’s philosophy, the latest series focuses on the rescue efforts of two Indian wildlife activists – Benhail Antao and Louise Remedios. The two are luxurious wedding planners by profession, but wildlife rescuers by passion, and the show will follow their exciting lives, taking the viewers on an immersive journey through the city of Goa.  The 10-part series promises to show the duo in action and give an up-close and personal experience of their techniques and contributions in rescuing the varied snake species and other undomesticated animals through the city of Goa. The series also focuses on informing and enhancing the knowledge of viewers on the rich and diverse wildlife present in Goa the city and breaking the myths and misconceptions that people have come to believe about snakes in particular.

    “At National Geographic in India, we believe in showcasing purpose-driven narratives to help deepen engagement and drive meaningful conversations among our viewers. With adventure and entertainment as a backdrop, we wanted to bring a local narrative of two very inspiring individuals and challenge the myths and pre-established beliefs around snakes and reptiles. We hope that our efforts inspire viewers to care about the magnificent wildlife we have in our country and encourage them to play their part in preserving and protecting it,” said Star and Disney head of entertainment Kevin Vaz.

    Ben and Louise, said they were thrilled to bring their story to a large base of audiences through the channel. “We both have been extremely passionate about wildlife. Every day presents us with a new adventure and we have truly been enjoying the process of rescuing snakes; sometimes in the most unexpected circumstances. But more importantly, we have managed to rescue people from the perceptions they carry about these beautiful creatures. We hope that our stories inspire more people to change their attitude towards snakes by highlighting and showcasing how important they are to our ecosystem,” 

    ‘Snakes SOS: Goa’s Wildest’ will premiere on National Geographic Channel in India at 8.00 pm on 10 January. The episodes will be aired every Monday and Tuesday and will be available across Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, and Kannada.

  • India advertising market to see 15% growth in 2022: Magna advertising forecast

    India advertising market to see 15% growth in 2022: Magna advertising forecast

    New Delhi: Advertising revenues swung back to a healthy growth rate of 14 per cent in 2021, rising from Rs 577 billion to Rs 657 billion. The growth is likely to accelerate further in 2022, with a 15 per cent rise in advertising revenue according to the Magna Global Forecasting Report released on Thursday.

    While the digital ad formats grew by 20 per cent to Rs 214 billion this year, the traditional media rose 12 per cent. Ecommerce, Retail, Durables, Beverages, Pharma, Real estate, Finance, and Education remained the most active categories while automobile, government, personal care, and communication brands continued to hold back their spending.

    TV to grow by 11 per cent to reach Rs 294 billion by 2022 end 

    Despite the Covid-led disruptions, television performed well in 2021 with original programming and Live sports events including the IPL and ICC T20 World Cup which boosted its revenue growth. With IPL media rights coming up in 2022, valuation this time is going to be even higher with the increase in the number of teams and the number of matches. With this factor, coupled with a few critical state elections, TV is expected to maintain momentum and grow by +11 per cent to reach Rs 294 billion by the end of 2022, according to the forecast.

    Video and Social Media to lead Digital ad-spends

    Digital advertising is currently the second-largest segment at 33 per cent market share. As per the forecast, Video and social platforms are likely to gain significant advertising share followed by audio and display. Overall, digital advertising revenues are expected to grow 18.5 per cent next year to top Rs 250 billion, as per the forecast.

    Growth of print to be broad-based

    In 2021, overall print grew +12 per cent from a low base (2020: -40 per cent), despite the slowdown in business. Growth has come from Retail, Durables, Finance, Real Estate, and Government spending. 2022 growth is expected to be broad-based, with most categories increasing spends and elections in a few large states helping to drive an increase of +14 per cent. With all Covid-19 restrictions lifted, the wedding season (which typically begins in October and lasts through March/April) will present another opportunity for print to thrive.

    Radio to witness growth of 21 per cent in 2022. 

    Radio is expected to gain back the transit audience listeners lost during the lockdowns. Growth in both listenership and revenue is expected to come from tier 2 and tier 3 markets. Overall, radio advertising revenues grew +20 per cent in 2021 to reach ₹16 billion, nearly 70 per cent of the pre-Covid market size.  Growth was driven by e-commerce, food, pharma, and retail advertising. Growth of +21 per cent is expected for 2022. 

    OOH growth to accelerate

    OOH traffic numbers are already reaching pre-Covid levels, with passenger footfall in airports and the metro increasing rapidly. OOH, (digital & static, not including cinema) revenues rebounded by +17 per cent in 2021 and an acceleration (+20 per cent) is expected in 2022, with revenues reaching 67 per cent of 2019 pre-Covid market size at the end of the year. Automobile, real estate, OTT and finance are a few categories driving OOH advertising growth.

    Major Sectors

    According to the forecast, travel & hospitality will see a resurgence in 2022, with the relaxation in travel regulations. The automobile and handset sectors that experienced supply-side issues will bounce back, too, along with education, realty, retail, and fashion sectors. Traditionally TV-heavy categories, like FMCG, personal products, and food are expected to increase their share of digital advertising. Advertisers will also pursue every shoppable moment to offer “anywhere commerce” to their consumers. With local players in Reliance and Tata e-commerce platforms gaining more traction, the sector will further increase its share of advertising. 

    IPG Mediabrands India CEO Shashi Sinha said, “Waning fear of the virus, along with the opening of economic and leisure activities, has given a boost to demand and improved business sentiment. The Indian advertising marketplace is experiencing recovery and accelerated adoption of non-conventional methods by all forms of media to engage consumers is helping along the recovery path. Though the second Covid wave in 2021Q2 disrupted the momentum, ad revenue in 2021 will grow at a healthy rate after contracting -22 per cent in 2020