ITV

Tag: Maharashtra

  • ABP Majha launches new show ‘On the Spot’

    ABP Majha launches new show ‘On the Spot’

    Mumbai: Marathi news channel ABP Majha is all set to launch a brand-new TV news show On the Spot.

    It will feature fast-paced news, credible faces, a comprehensive overview of the state, strong content, and captivating visuals from across Maharashtra.

    ABP Majha’s reporters will effectively present hyperlocal news through this show, giving audiences across the state a glimpse into the reality of affairs in just 15 minutes.

    The channel is well known for portraying the spirit of Maharashtra through programmes such as Namaskar Maharashtra, Maharashtra Desha, Majha Gaon Majha Jilha, Majha City News, and others.

    This year, the channel celebrated 15 glorious years of existence. ABP Majha has been identified as the voice of Maharashtra, bringing the state’s current situation to the attention of every Marathi viewer around the world thanks to its carefully crafted editorial properties and capsules.

    ABP Majha has become Maharashtra’s go-to news source for a variety of social issues that are important to its audience.

    Their vast programming on topics such as draughts, dowry, school education, swachh Maharashtra, digital Maharashtra, farmers & agriculture, and covid management has received a great deal of support and backing from their devoted viewers.

  • Avas Living onboards Virat Kohli as a brand ambassador

    Avas Living onboards Virat Kohli as a brand ambassador

    Mumbai: Avas Living has roped in the former captain of the Indian cricket team, Virat Kohli, as their brand ambassador and has also added him to their client roster. The brand has rolled out a digital campaign on Instagram featuring the Indian cricketer.

    Virat chose Avas Living as his preferred abode. He is working closely with the team at Avas to build his bespoke dream home, which will be a combination of technology, luxury and sustainability.

     

     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
     

     
     
     

     
     

    A post shared by Virat Kohli (@virat.kohli)

     

    Avas Living encompasses a state-of-the-art wellness centre and spa and a community of villas situated in the untouched and tranquil hamlet of Awas in Alibaugh, Maharashtra. The quaint coastal town of Alibaugh has been a popular hotspot for second homes owing to its proximity to Mumbai, the financial capital of India.

    Commenting on his choice to build his dream home with Avas Living, Virat Kohli said, “The past few years have taught all of us the importance of community living while still maintaining anonymity. My vision for a second home is one where I am surrounded by a community of like-minded individuals with interests similar to mine. As much as I enjoy going to the gym, I would prefer to invest in a facility that cares for my mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Being part of a community while maintaining an individualistic life is the ideal balance that I have discovered with Avas Living. It is the perfect combination of luxury living and everything I have been looking for, with a wellness centre within walking distance of my home. Alibaugh: “Being in such close proximity to Mumbai and my work engagements, the location of the property was what sealed the deal for me.”

    Speaking about the property, Avas Founder Aditya Kilachnad stated, “I’ve spent a lot of my childhood in Alibaugh. I realised the one thing I missed there was a sense of community. When we conceptualised Avas Wellness Living, we decided that there would be no better place than Alibaugh to build India’s first wellness community. I wanted to build a community for like-minded people who believed in holistic wellness and health and were looking for a certain level of luxury while pursuing their wellness journey.”

    Avas Living has a diverse clientele of many high-net-worth individuals, including renowned actor Ram Kapoor and Axis Bank CEO & managing director Amitabh Chaudhry, and has investors like the Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla.

  • Travelxp to launch ‘The Gypsies’ Season 2 in association with Maharashtra Tourism

    Travelxp to launch ‘The Gypsies’ Season 2 in association with Maharashtra Tourism

    The leading travel channel Travelxp has announced the launch of The Gypsies season 2 in association with Maharashtra Tourism. 

    Produced by Travelxp, the exclusive twelve episode show, divided into nine episodes and four mini-episodes will be telecast from 30 April, 2022 across the Travelxp TV channel network and OTT platform.

    Featuring international TV presenter, Reanne Brown and leading Indian host and TV actress, Krissann Barretto, the show aims to promote Maharashtra as an adventure tourist destination and will feature Building on the success of season 1 of The Gypsies.

    The strategic association will enable Maharashtra Tourism to showcase its unexplored destinations and influence a wider audience to experience adventure tourism within the state.

    The show will further offer Maharashtra Tourism access to its core target audience of travel enthusiasts across the channel’s network. 

    The series is shot across some of Maharashtra’s most exciting, picturesque locations. From trekking across Kalsubai Peak, the highest point in Maharashtra, to devouring some delicious homemade Kolhapuri food. From bungee Jumping in Kusgaon, Pune to relaxing on Guhagar beach, the show captures the fearless duo as they leave no stone unturned in rediscovering the very best adventure experiences Maharashtra has to offer. 

    Maharashtra Tourism principal secretary Valsa Nair Singh said, “There is huge potential for adventure tourism in the state. Through key partnerships like this, we look to persuade aspiring travellers across the country to experience the unexplored adventure destinations in the state. This collaboration with Travelxp perfectly showcases Maharashtra in a way that has never been seen before”.

    Travelxp 4K HD regional head – sales Altaf Ladak commented, “We are delighted to showcase the adventure offerings of Maharashtra to aspiring travelers across the country through the power of 4K HDR content. In a period where travel is witnessing a resurgence, this strategic association will allow Travelxp to be at the heart of positioning Maharashtra as one of the most attractive adventure destinations for tourists.”

  • Cinema is not going to be an easy sell: Inox’s Anand Vishal on advertisers returning

    Cinema is not going to be an easy sell: Inox’s Anand Vishal on advertisers returning

    Mumbai: After nearly 18 months of strict lockdowns and intermittent breathers, the opening of theatres in Maharashtra signals the much-awaited revival of the industry that was hit hardest among all entertainment media. With an estimated 146 million people returning to the theatres, advertiser interest in the medium is also witnessing healthy revival, albeit slowly.

    For the next three months starting Diwali, an impressive line-up of movies including ‘Sooryavanshi’, ‘Bunty aur Babli 2’, ‘Satyamev Jayate 2’, ‘83 The Film’, ‘Jersey’, ‘Tadap’, ‘Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui’, ‘No Means No’, ‘Annaatthe’, ‘777 Charlie’, ‘Pushpa : The Rise’, ‘Antim: The Final Truth’ and ‘Bhavai’ awaits the audiences in 2021 alone.

    Inox Leisure Ltd chief sales and revenue officer Anand Vishal tells us that the continuous flow of content from Diwali will ensure the return of advertisers to the cinema, however, it could take anywhere between three to six months for the volumes and rates to reach pre-covid levels.

    In-cinema advertising contributes around 11-12 per cent to the overall revenue pie for Inox. Vishal is expecting a 25-30 per cent drop in rates from what he was operating at earlier. As regards volumes, in a typical week like ‘Sooryavanshi’, there used to be nearly 100-125 advertisers on board, nationally. He anticipates 75-80 per cent of them to return for the big Diwali release on 5 November.

    Even as the situation plays out, Vishal says that numbers are not his primary concern at present. The focus is on bringing advertisers who have been away from the medium due to the lack of either content or a proper timing of the release, back to it.

    “The strength of Cinema as an advertising medium is that it offers a large and relevant audience for brands across categories. Unlike TV where there is a lot of refraction or variance happening, the definite and premium price-points at which we operate are what get brands interested in us. It’s just a matter of time until advertisers taste the success of this medium once again. In the meanwhile, though, Cinema is not going to be an easy sell,” he avers.

    Given the uncertainty that prevails around the number of footfalls in theatres, brands, even though enthusiastic about the reopening, are treading with caution. While all sorts of pricing negotiations continue to happen, Vishal informs that Inox is encouraging marketers to opt for the CPC or Cost Per Contact model wherein the advertiser pays for the number of admits at a fixed rate per person.

    “The numbers of the audience may have gone done, but the quality hasn’t, and therefore we believe this model is best suited and fair for both parties. The approach is working well with the premium, regular clients who are well-acquainted with the medium, but a lot of small and medium budget clients do not understand this model, and that’s where rate negotiations come into the picture. That being said, we are carefully judging where we need to stop. In the process of making informed decisions, we might have to let people go, but we are definitely not selling ourselves short,” he asserts.

    Among the brands that are proactively returning are the likes of Manyavar, Siyaram’s, Allen Solly, Lux, and OnePlus that share a long association with Cinemas, being present on all screens throughout the year. Others that advertise five-six times in a year are the ones that the multiplex brand is making an effort to reach out to for the volumes.

    For ‘No Time to Die’ Inox roped in two new luxury clients, namely, Tata CLiQ and NDC (Natural Diamond Council). The rise of new-age, online/tech advertisers that was fuelled by the pandemic has been media agnostic. Vishal shares that he is “looking forward to a good 15-20 per cent advertisers from this space, which includes e-commerce, edtech, and cryptocurrency brands, pushing revenues for Inox”. 

  • Cinema halls, drama theatres to reopen in Maharashtra from 22 Oct

    Cinema halls, drama theatres to reopen in Maharashtra from 22 Oct

    Mumbai: Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has announced that cinema halls and drama theatres in the state will be allowed to operate starting from 22 October. Theatres will have to adhere to the norms set by the government to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus.

    The state government is going to issue a standard operating procedure for theatre owners soon.

    Thackeray convened a meeting of Covid-19 task force attended by Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut, state chief secretary Sitaram Kunte and filmmakers Rohit Shetty and Kunal Kapoor. Theatre personality Makarand Deshpande and Marathi actors Subodh Bhave, Aadesh Bandekar among others were also present.

    Theatre owners and associations such as the Multiplex Association of India (MAI) have been actively campaigning, urging the Maharashtra government to relax restrictions on theatres. According to the association, Maharashtra cinema exhibition industry was staring at a monthly loss of Rs 400 crore and were suffering mounting losses with the prolonged shutdown of theatres. Theatres have been shut since mid-March 2020. Restrictions were relaxed briefly in the months of October and November only to be tightened once again with the onset of the second wave.

    Meanwhile, Karnataka has also announced its decision to operate cinema halls and auditoriums at full capacity from 1 October, months after being run at half capacity due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The government guidelines mandate a minimum of one dose of vaccine along with other social distancing norms.

    Maharashtra recorded 3,286 new Covid-19 cases on Friday, out of which 446 were from Mumbai. As many as 51 people lost their lives to the disease in the last 24 hours. The total number of total active cases in the state stand at 38, 491, at the time of filing this report.

  • Tele-wise Marathi to demystify Marathi Television Landscape

    Tele-wise Marathi to demystify Marathi Television Landscape

    Mumbai: Indiantelevision.com is organising a virtual summit, ‘Tele-wise Marathi: The Power of Television’ on Friday, 20 August. The initiative will bring together Marathi channel, production, and brand advertising executives to discuss how television continues to be the best medium for home entertainment as well as for advertising.

    Presented by COLORS Marathi, the media partners for the summit include Animation Xpress.com, TellyChakkar, and radioandmusic.com

    With 115 million TV viewers, the Marathi television landscape is very different from others in the south or in the east. While 70 per cent of the state’s viewers have an overlap with Hindi TV channels, 30 per cent opt for pure Marathi entertainment and news. The state of Maharashtra is also different from others in that there are many other urban centres apart from Mumbai, the economic capital of India. There’s also Pune, Nashik, Kolhapur, Nagpur, Solapur, Jalgaon, Akola and Aurangabad.

    More than 35 Marathi language TV channels are scrambling for a piece of the Rs 800-900 crore advertising pie in genres including general entertainment, news, movies and music. Both local and national brands have been using the communication opportunities these channels offer to target the Marathi audience. Keeping in line with the rush into regional languages by mainline and independent broadcasters, the Marathi segment has seen a flurry of launches over the past five years.

    At the ‘Tele-wise Marathi’ summit prominent personalities will share their perspective on various facets of the Marathi Television industry across six sessions. The day-long virtual event will begin with a welcome note by Indiantelevision.com founder, CEO and editor-in-chief, Anil Wanvari.

    Speaking on the ‘Television Landscape in Maharashtra’ in the first session, Barc India’s head – client partnership and revenue Aaditya Pathak will set the tone for the rest of the event. This will be followed by an insightful discussion between top management executives from ZEEL and COLORS Marathi and several well-known creative professionals during the session titled ‘Marathi: Stories, Stories and More’

    Next, Kantar, director (specialist businesses) –South Asia Insights Division, Puneet Avasthi will shed light on the ‘Consumer Profile for the Marathi Market’. The fourth session will see leading media agency (Mindshare, Zenith, dentsu X India) executives sharing their views on ‘Media Planning and Buying for the Marathi Viewer’.

    Lined up after that is another interesting conversation where brand custodians from Rambandhu (EFSL), Amul (GCMMF), Edelweiss Asset Management, Godrej Tyson Food, and Maruti Suzuki India will demystify ‘Marketing to the Marathi TV Viewer’.

    The last session ‘News and Movies: Bright Spark’ will be presided by senior executives representing Waman Hari Pethe Jewellers, Parle Products, ZEE Media Corporation, and Shemaroo Entertainment.

    The event will be live-streamed on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter 3:00 p.m. onwards.

    To register : https://indiantelevision.com/events/telewise-marathi/

  • Parle Marie sets mood for ‘Adda Baazi’ with Maharashtra-focused TVCs

    Parle Marie sets mood for ‘Adda Baazi’ with Maharashtra-focused TVCs

    Mumbai: Parle Products, one of India’s leading biscuits, snacks and confectionery manufacturers, has launched three new TVCs in Maharashtra for Parle Marie biscuit. This new localised campaign is part of the company’s regional marketing strategy designed to drive engagement and build relationships with Parle. 

    “By targeting multiple generations to showcase the true spirit of the local people and their cultures, Parle Products aims to achieve success in different regions with focused campaigns for customers,” the company said in a statement.

    The regional campaign “Jithe Story Thithay Parle Marie” resonates with the quintessential Maharashtrian experiences across generations and evokes the fun and frolic nature of ‘Adda Baazi’ (casual everyday gatherings).

    The ad films are tailored to connect with the culture of Maharashtra, capturing everyday tete-a-tete in close-knit communities.

    The first ad film depicting a mother and daughter bonding moment uses a play on a local Marathi proverb like ‘Gharogharimatichya Chuli’ and introduces a modern take ‘Gharoghari Fashionable Muli’ to bridge the gap between generations. The Matheran-based film showcases the traditional Marathi Powada (poetry) used for a modern-day proposal while the Anniversary film shows a lively discussion amongst women on their dream gift involving Narayanpethi, Nauvari, and Paithani sarees. The films beautifully marry the archetypal Maharashtrian stories to give them a modern twist.

    Speaking about the campaign, Parle Products’ senior category head Mayank Shah said, “Parle Products as a brand has its roots deeply embedded in cities and rural areas alike and as we grow in new regions, we want our communications to be reflective of the people’s traditions, way of life and the local spirit. Every Indian has their own way of jibing, bonding and internal-puns, which is very much coincidental to their way of living and culture. This campaign has been tailored keeping in mind the Maharashtrian way of life nuancing cultural codes and traditions of Maharashtra. This will make consumers relate and bond with the brand.”

  • Maharashtra unlock begins; TV, film shoots resume with limited working hours

    New Delhi: After nearly two months of lockdown, Maharashtra is all set to begin easing its strict rules in stages, starting Monday. The film and television industry will also resume shooting, but work in limited hours, as regular shooting will be permitted only after Mumbai gets a grip on the second wave of Covid-19, said chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday.

    As per the state government’s unlock plan, the film, TV shoots are allowed in Mumbai and Thane only for eight hours (till 5 pm) and that too, in a bio-bubble. According to producers, the timings aren’t feasible for the industry, as they require atleast 12 hours and requested the government for relaxation in shoot timings.

    “Permissions for regular film and TV shootings in Mumbai would be given if the city’s daily Covid-19 cases are brought under control,” Thackeray told the representatives of the film and TV industry during a virtual interaction on Sunday.

    One of the worst-affected states, Maharashtra has begun to show a slowdown in the number of new infections over the last week. On Sunday, the total number of daily infections came down to 12,557 which is the lowest in the last three months. The last time the state recorded Covid-19 cases less than 12,000 was on 9 March.

    “After the second wave of Covid-19, film and TV shootings were stopped in the state, but now the number of cases have started getting under control and the unlock process has also begun,” said Thackeray giving a glimmer of hope to the entertainment industry which has been struggling to get back on its feet for almost a year.

    The chief minister also sounded a note of caution and appealed to the industry to cooperate with the government in the unlock process and follow all the safety rules and take adequate precautions while shooting. ‘We should ensure that we do not get knocked down by the virus,’ he said.

    Ever since the restrictions were announced on 14 April, television producers and broadcasters in the state have been struggling to run daily shows and bring fresh content. The Indian Film and Television Producers Council (IFTPC) has also been beseeching the Shiv Sena-led government to allow shoots to continue under strict safety protocols.

    With no relief in the restrictions, producers shifted their production set up to other states to continue shooting for shows which are on air. Neighbouring Goa, Silvassa, and Daman became the hotspots for most of these TV shoots, along with Hyderabad, Surat, Rajasthan, and Delhi.

    Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), president B N Tiwari said the work will resume immediately in Mumbai and Thane, and producers who have been shooting outside the city will also return after wrapping up the schedule.

    Meanwhile, the IFTPC has also begun the process of vaccinating over 10,000 workers from the media and entertainment industry, starting 4 June.

    On Sunday, Maharashtra lost 233 lives to the deadly virus and crossed the grim milestone of as many as one lakh deaths due to Covid-19. The case fatality rate now stands at 1.72 per cent for the state, while it is 5.56 per cent in Mumbai.

    Terming the unlock decision as a ‘calculated risk’, the state CM urged people to take care of themselves. “Nothing is going to be eased immediately. Some criteria and levels have been fixed and the local administration will take decisions on whether to ease restrictions and further tighten them,” he said.

    According to the government, the overall process of easing the restrictions will extend across five phases based on the positivity rate and occupancy of beds with medical oxygen. Restaurants, shops selling non-essential items, and public places will reopen from Monday in Mumbai, but malls, theatres, and multiplexes will continue to remain shut. Private offices can function at 50 per cent capacity till 4 pm on working days. Local trains in Mumbai will carry only essential workers, while buses in the city will be allowed to ply full capacity.

    The virtual meeting on Sunday was attended by several prominent actors, anchors, and industry representatives including J D Majethia, Nitin Vaidya, Punit Goenka, Aadesh Bandekar, Prashant Damle, Bharat Jadhav, Subodh Bhave, Amol Kolhe, Amit Behl, Ajay Bhalvankar, Sangamon Shirke, Vijay Kenkre, Sharad Ponkshe, and Siddharth Roy Kapur.

  • Harmohan Sahni to lead Raymond’s real estate business as CEO

    Harmohan Sahni to lead Raymond’s real estate business as CEO

    New Delhi: Raymond Ltd on Monday strengthened its executive leadership team and named Harmohan Sahni as the chief executive officer of its real estate business.

    Prior to this, Sahni was the chief operating officer (COO) of the real estate business of ECL Finance Ltd, the non-banking financial company of Edelweiss Group. A chartered accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), he has also worked at G Corp Developers and Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd.

    Raymond, chairman and managing director, Gautam Hari Singhania said Sahni has joined the company at a critical juncture when Raymond Realty is taking strong strides and is well poised for growth. “Harmohan has taken on challenging roles and demonstrated the ability to imagine and engineer a new future for the real estate sector in India. His entrepreneurial spirit and extensive experience will be pivotal in unleashing Raymond Realty’s future growth plans,” he said.

    The apparel company forayed into the real estate business in 2019, with a 100-acre plus land parcel in the heart of Thane city, in Maharashtra. Its maiden project ‘Aspirational District’ is spread over 14 acres. 

    Talking about his new role, Sahni said, “I am excited to take on this new responsibility and look forward to working closely with Mr. Singhania and Raymond Realty’s energetic team to create long term sustainable growth for our stakeholders,”

  • Chingari App unites with Rotary International & Being Human for Project Breathe

    Chingari App unites with Rotary International & Being Human for Project Breathe

    MUMBAI: Short video app Chingari has collaborated with Rotary International and Being Human for ‘Project Breathe’ to contribute to the country’s fight against the devastating second wave of Covid-19.

    The project aims to provide oxygen concentrators in the under-served regions of Southwest Maharashtra, North Karnataka, and the entire state of Goa which have been grappling to meet oxygen demands for the past few weeks.

    Speaking on the plan of action, Chingari App CEO & co-founder Sumit Ghosh said, “Rotary International and Being Human have always come forward to help those in need. As an organization that believes in building a better future for the nation, we are no different. It is the time to be with the people, and so, without a second thought, we have extended our support to help foster ‘Project Breathe’.”

    Under the project, Rotary Dist. 3170 will procure oxygen concentrators and send them to various hospitals in the region. These concentrators will be used by hospitals as an Oxygen Concentrator Bank for patients under home isolation, thus proportionately reducing their influx to hospitals that are already overwhelmed.

    Chingari and Fireside intend to start a fundraiser with CovidCitizens.org to support Covid initiatives undertaken by various NGOs across the country.

    Speaking on the collaboration, renowned laparoscopic surgeon & Director of Rotary International Dr. Bharat Pandya said, “Rotary International has been in the forefront of carrying out humanitarian projects across the world for more than a century. Rotary during Covid times has spent about $ 35 million across the globe and $ 5 million in India alone towards Covid relief measures and medical infrastructure support. We are grateful to Chingari and Being Human for collaborating with Rotary in supporting this noble cause and look forward to partnering with them in the future too.”

    Speaking on the collaboration, Chingari App co-founder and COO Deepak Salvi said, “These are testing times for the country & we all must extend our help to serve our people. We must take the battlefront to help our corona warriors. In its quest to help those suffering due to the shortage of oxygen, Chingari App will be extending its full support as part of its social responsibility and welfare initiative. I urge everyone to come together and help those around you in whatever way you can.”