ITV

Tag: Micromax

  • CNN’s new weekday programme to start with Micromax CEO

    CNN’s new weekday programme to start with Micromax CEO

    MUMBAI: CNN is all set to put the spotlight on one of the world’s fastest growing economy, India. Starting 17 November, a series of vignettes will be featured in a show titled “India 20 Under 40.” The show will see 20 young Indian entrepreneurs who are re-shaping how India does business. 

    A new entrepreneur will be featured every fortnight commencing with Micromax CEO Rahul Sharma. It will air within CNN Money with Maggie Lake airing from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm every Monday to Friday.

    A week of special programming will be broadcast from 28 November on the channel. India 2020 will take viewers to meet some of the entrepreneurs who are overcoming various obstacles and bringing their ideas to life in India. These include visionaries and innovators across diverse industries. 

    An iconic motorcycle brand

    Royal Enfield is one of the world’s oldest motorcycle manufacturers with die-hard fans, who gather for weekend rides and huge festivals. The company was struggling when Siddhartha Lal took the helm back in 2000, at the age of 26. Now the Chennai-based company is expanding sales in the U.S. and Europe, and building a third manufacturing facility.

    The future of manufacturing

    The robotics industry is expected to double in India over the next 3-4 years. Hi-Tech Robotic Systemz is an up-and-coming company based in Gurgaon whose innovations include India’s first indigenous driverless car. The world’s first production brain controlled wheelchair, “Manav” is completely made in India by A-Set. As cutting-edge research continues to push the industry forward, CNN meets A-set’s Head of robotics and research Diwakar Vaish who is helping to lead the way. 

    Innovating from ancient tradition

    Indian innovators are finding new inspiration from old ideas. Take turmeric: an ancient, and common spice in Indian cooking is a hot commodity thanks to its applications in medicine and beauty products. The Himalaya Drug Company has a long tradition of creating products ranging from facewash to toothpaste, supplements to shampoo by applying scientific research to Ayurvedic principles. CNN catches up with CEO Philipe Haydon, who has helped transform the company, reaching consumers in 92 countries.

    Brighter businesses

    In India, two out of 10 people do not have access to electricity. Orb Energy manufactures and distributes solar energy systems with more than 100 branches across eight Indian states and employing about 500 people in the field. It’s opening a new factory to produce solar modules in Bangalore and aims to provide 2 gigawatts of solar energy by 2022, or 5 per cent of the national total. 

    Creating new opportunities

    India’s animation and VFX industry grew nearly 14% in 2015, and is projected to be a US$1.6-billion industry by 2020. One such leading studio is Makuta VFX. It’s working on the sequel to Baahubali, one of India’s highest grossing movies. Makuta is based in Hyderabad, which is trying to position itself as a hub for gaming and animation. The government has broken ground on a new facility to house more than 200 startups in multimedia and entertainment, and recently launched an initiative to connect those emerging companies to the global marketplace. 

    India 2020 half hour special airs at:

    http://www.indiantelevision.com/sites/drupal7.indiantelevision.co.in/files/styles/large/public/cnn_0.jpg?itok=pNoHnKRn

    November also marks the launch of a fully dedicated CNNMoney India subpage devoted to covering business and economic news coming out of the country. The launch of CNNMoney India underscores the company’s commitment to bringing global audience the latest economic developments from India and will highlight the most exciting young innovators from the region, and the successes and challenges of doing business here.

     

  • Idea, Vodafone neck-and-neck with Airtel, Jio in 4G tussle

    Idea, Vodafone neck-and-neck with Airtel, Jio in 4G tussle

    Idea and Vodafone have spent astronomical sums in spectrum auctions to acquire 2500 MHz airwaves so as to give a tough fight to Airtel and Jio which already have pan-India 4G holdings. Two of three telecom majors in India are betting on lower price of 2500 MHz. Idea Cellular and Vodafone India seem to have bet on 4G airwaves in that band.

    Global telecom expert Sanjay Kapoor however says, India would need further towers for 4G and investments. The former chairman of Micromax said that the telecom industry was moving towards consolidation.

    In the recent spectrum auction, nearly 60 per cent of airwaves, including premium 4G bands, remained unsold. Meanwhile, Airtel, Vodafone and Idea secured adequate 4G spectrum during the recently-concluded auction to counter Jio, making them more competitive, FE reported.

    Airtel acquired 173.8 MHz spectrum in bands of 1800MHz, 2100 MHz and 2300 Mhz for Rs 14,244 crore in circles including Kerala, Assam, Maharashtra, Delhi, Mumbai and the North-East. Idea acquired 349.20 MHz of spectrum for Rs 12,798 crore in 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz and 2500 MHz bands and will be able to offer 4G services on its own spectrum across 20 circles, including nine new service areas of Uttar Pradesh (West), UP (East), Gujarat and Mumbai.

    Vodafone India, which has emerged as the most aggressive bidder, has acquired spectrum in 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz and 2500 MHz bands for a total cost of Rs 20,280 crore. It has 17 circles with 4G capability.

    Experts said Vodafone and Idea have taken the plunge amid a rapidly-evolving devices ecosystem in 2500 MHz band in China besides the lower price of these airwaves, ET stated.

    Idea’s management recently guided for a rollout on this 4G band over the next two to five years as the ecosystem matures. Brokerages expect the 2500 MHz band devices ecosystem to evolve quickly in India thanks to Vodafone and Idea investing in them. Nearly, half the Rs 20,280 crore that second-largest carrier Vodafone spent at the auction went to 4G airwaves in the 2500 MHz band in 15 circles, while No. 3 Idea spent Rs 2,520.8 crore on the same in 16 circles.

  • Idea, Vodafone neck-and-neck with Airtel, Jio in 4G tussle

    Idea, Vodafone neck-and-neck with Airtel, Jio in 4G tussle

    Idea and Vodafone have spent astronomical sums in spectrum auctions to acquire 2500 MHz airwaves so as to give a tough fight to Airtel and Jio which already have pan-India 4G holdings. Two of three telecom majors in India are betting on lower price of 2500 MHz. Idea Cellular and Vodafone India seem to have bet on 4G airwaves in that band.

    Global telecom expert Sanjay Kapoor however says, India would need further towers for 4G and investments. The former chairman of Micromax said that the telecom industry was moving towards consolidation.

    In the recent spectrum auction, nearly 60 per cent of airwaves, including premium 4G bands, remained unsold. Meanwhile, Airtel, Vodafone and Idea secured adequate 4G spectrum during the recently-concluded auction to counter Jio, making them more competitive, FE reported.

    Airtel acquired 173.8 MHz spectrum in bands of 1800MHz, 2100 MHz and 2300 Mhz for Rs 14,244 crore in circles including Kerala, Assam, Maharashtra, Delhi, Mumbai and the North-East. Idea acquired 349.20 MHz of spectrum for Rs 12,798 crore in 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz and 2500 MHz bands and will be able to offer 4G services on its own spectrum across 20 circles, including nine new service areas of Uttar Pradesh (West), UP (East), Gujarat and Mumbai.

    Vodafone India, which has emerged as the most aggressive bidder, has acquired spectrum in 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz and 2500 MHz bands for a total cost of Rs 20,280 crore. It has 17 circles with 4G capability.

    Experts said Vodafone and Idea have taken the plunge amid a rapidly-evolving devices ecosystem in 2500 MHz band in China besides the lower price of these airwaves, ET stated.

    Idea’s management recently guided for a rollout on this 4G band over the next two to five years as the ecosystem matures. Brokerages expect the 2500 MHz band devices ecosystem to evolve quickly in India thanks to Vodafone and Idea investing in them. Nearly, half the Rs 20,280 crore that second-largest carrier Vodafone spent at the auction went to 4G airwaves in the 2500 MHz band in 15 circles, while No. 3 Idea spent Rs 2,520.8 crore on the same in 16 circles.

  • Eros International raises $30 million for Eros Now

    Eros International raises $30 million for Eros Now

    MUMBAI: Indian Bollywood major Eros International is getting hotter on OTT. It announced this morning that two of its existing top 10 institutional shareholders have increased their holdings in the company through a private placement and are pumping in approximately $30 million. The proceeds of the allotment will be primarily used to fund the further expansion of Eros Now, its OTT platform.

    Eros International group CEO & MD Jyoti Deshpande commented: “Our vision to transform Eros from a leading film studio to a leading digital company with a global footprint is well underway with Eros Now, our OTT platform crossing one million paid subscribers as of 30 June 2016. Our ownership of content and our strong balance sheet should provide tailwinds to grow the Eros Now subscriber base from one million to ten million and eventually hundred million within the next decade.”

    Eros Now is Eros International Plc’s leading on-demand Bollywood entertainment network accessible anytime, anywhere, on nearly any Internet-connected screen. Eros Now offers users across 135 countries a large library of films (Eros Now has rights to over 5,000 films), as well as premium television shows, music videos and audio tracks.

    Eros Now is also working on launching compelling original drama series for its viewers. It also has compelling product features such as offline viewing where premium subscribers can download the content and view it when not connected to the Internet make Eros Now a unique offering with focus on user experience.

    Available on Apple and Android platforms, Eros Now has integration deals with Airtel, Idea and Reliance Jio and several other operators internationally. A crucial deal was struck with Reliance Jio, the 4G player that has rolled out the most aggressive plan for digital India. In its platform-agnostic strategy, Eros has struck deals with OEMs and telecom operators such as Micromax, Airtel, Idea, LeEco, and Maxis.

    Through the Eros-Jio partnership, new and old movies including Bajirao Mastaani, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo and Tanu Weds Manu Returns, will be available on the JioOnDemand app. With 30 HD channels, Jio is offering live streaming of over 300 TV channels 10 genres and 15 languages.

    Available on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and pre-installed in Android TV, Eros Now crossed over 50 million registered users worldwide across WAP, APP, and Web, as of 30 June 2016. It has already crossed over 1.1 million active unique paying subscribers who have paid for at least one month.

    Eros released 14 films in Q1 FY17 of which three were high, two were medium and nine were low-budget films. Sardaar Gabbar Singh (Telugu),Housefull 3 (Hindi), 24 (Tamil), Marudhu (Tamil) and Ki and Ka (Hindi) were the main revenue earning films during the quarter. Eros Now is planning to acquire 10,000 additional films to add to its strong library.

    Eros Now, in October 2015, partnered with Ortel, an MSO (multi system operator) and ISP, to offer a subscription-based movie streaming service. Eros had, in August last year, also negotiated a partnership with Airtel to offer video and movie content on Wynk. Eros Now tied up with WeChat in June 2015 so as to allow users to watch videos, listen to music, and get Bollywood gossip and news. Eros Now, in the same month, inked a content acquisition deal with Hum TV of Pakistan.

    Eros Now has a five-year worldwide target of at least 15-20 million subscribers with a blended annual ARPU of $30 internationally and $5 from India. Trinity Pictures, owned by Eros International is building its franchises with two Sino-Indian co-productions, with a scheduled FY 2018 release.

    Eros Now hopes to achieve at least two million paying subscribers by the end of FY 2017 and five million paying subscribers by the end of FY-18.

  • Eros International raises $30 million for Eros Now

    Eros International raises $30 million for Eros Now

    MUMBAI: Indian Bollywood major Eros International is getting hotter on OTT. It announced this morning that two of its existing top 10 institutional shareholders have increased their holdings in the company through a private placement and are pumping in approximately $30 million. The proceeds of the allotment will be primarily used to fund the further expansion of Eros Now, its OTT platform.

    Eros International group CEO & MD Jyoti Deshpande commented: “Our vision to transform Eros from a leading film studio to a leading digital company with a global footprint is well underway with Eros Now, our OTT platform crossing one million paid subscribers as of 30 June 2016. Our ownership of content and our strong balance sheet should provide tailwinds to grow the Eros Now subscriber base from one million to ten million and eventually hundred million within the next decade.”

    Eros Now is Eros International Plc’s leading on-demand Bollywood entertainment network accessible anytime, anywhere, on nearly any Internet-connected screen. Eros Now offers users across 135 countries a large library of films (Eros Now has rights to over 5,000 films), as well as premium television shows, music videos and audio tracks.

    Eros Now is also working on launching compelling original drama series for its viewers. It also has compelling product features such as offline viewing where premium subscribers can download the content and view it when not connected to the Internet make Eros Now a unique offering with focus on user experience.

    Available on Apple and Android platforms, Eros Now has integration deals with Airtel, Idea and Reliance Jio and several other operators internationally. A crucial deal was struck with Reliance Jio, the 4G player that has rolled out the most aggressive plan for digital India. In its platform-agnostic strategy, Eros has struck deals with OEMs and telecom operators such as Micromax, Airtel, Idea, LeEco, and Maxis.

    Through the Eros-Jio partnership, new and old movies including Bajirao Mastaani, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo and Tanu Weds Manu Returns, will be available on the JioOnDemand app. With 30 HD channels, Jio is offering live streaming of over 300 TV channels 10 genres and 15 languages.

    Available on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and pre-installed in Android TV, Eros Now crossed over 50 million registered users worldwide across WAP, APP, and Web, as of 30 June 2016. It has already crossed over 1.1 million active unique paying subscribers who have paid for at least one month.

    Eros released 14 films in Q1 FY17 of which three were high, two were medium and nine were low-budget films. Sardaar Gabbar Singh (Telugu),Housefull 3 (Hindi), 24 (Tamil), Marudhu (Tamil) and Ki and Ka (Hindi) were the main revenue earning films during the quarter. Eros Now is planning to acquire 10,000 additional films to add to its strong library.

    Eros Now, in October 2015, partnered with Ortel, an MSO (multi system operator) and ISP, to offer a subscription-based movie streaming service. Eros had, in August last year, also negotiated a partnership with Airtel to offer video and movie content on Wynk. Eros Now tied up with WeChat in June 2015 so as to allow users to watch videos, listen to music, and get Bollywood gossip and news. Eros Now, in the same month, inked a content acquisition deal with Hum TV of Pakistan.

    Eros Now has a five-year worldwide target of at least 15-20 million subscribers with a blended annual ARPU of $30 internationally and $5 from India. Trinity Pictures, owned by Eros International is building its franchises with two Sino-Indian co-productions, with a scheduled FY 2018 release.

    Eros Now hopes to achieve at least two million paying subscribers by the end of FY 2017 and five million paying subscribers by the end of FY-18.

  • Eros Now and Micromax form strategic partnership

    Eros Now and Micromax form strategic partnership

    MUMBAI: Eros International has announced a strategic partnership between its cutting edge OTT digital platform, Eros Now and Micromax Informatics Limited to bring endless entertainment to Micromax consumers.

    The growth of fast and reliable internet, and access to affordable big screen smartphones and handheld devices, has led India to the cusp of a digital revolution.

    Micromax says that it has been working towards building its services portfolio to offer convenience and exceptional digital experience to its consumers. With this partnership, the Eros Now app will be preinstalled into Micromax’s latest smartphones showcasing Eros Now’s extensive repository of Bollywood films, music, originals and regional content. Eros Now will leverage Micromax’s presence of over 150,000 retail outlets to distribute its content. For millions of Micromax users who look for great Bollywood and regional language content, this partnership simplifies the task of discovering great content anytime, anyplace, on a device of their choice.

    Commenting on the association, Eros Digital CEO Rishika Lulla Singh said, “We are extremely pleased to partner with Micromax to offer our collection of movies, music and more. With this partnership we will be expanding our ability to provide entertainment on-the-go, anywhere and anytime to Micromax’s new acquisition of 3.5 million users every month and also their existing base of more than 30 million connected users. Joining forces with one of the world’s leading smartphone manufacturers provide us with another opportunity for exponential growth and customer reach.”

    Micromax Informatics Limited co-founder Vikas Jain said, “We are extremely excited about this partnership, as it promises to make the digital content from cinema, movies and videos available to our urban and rural customers. Beyond urban cities in India, Micromax has found mobile internet to be one of the most favored connectivity options in rural cities. This tie up helps us to enhance the experience for our customers beyond hardware specifications. The rich content library of Eros Now promises to become a part of the daily digital consumption of our customers.”

    Micromax smartphone users can choose their subscription package for a duration of their choice ranging from one month to a year. Users will have access to unique content on Eros Now, with subscriptions offering a range of exciting features, such as viewing content offline, full-length movies, thematic curated playlists, watch-lists, regional language filters, video progression and subtitles to offer the best video viewing experience to users. Music-lovers can also enjoy individual music tracks and music video playlists using the app.

  • Eros Now and Micromax form strategic partnership

    Eros Now and Micromax form strategic partnership

    MUMBAI: Eros International has announced a strategic partnership between its cutting edge OTT digital platform, Eros Now and Micromax Informatics Limited to bring endless entertainment to Micromax consumers.

    The growth of fast and reliable internet, and access to affordable big screen smartphones and handheld devices, has led India to the cusp of a digital revolution.

    Micromax says that it has been working towards building its services portfolio to offer convenience and exceptional digital experience to its consumers. With this partnership, the Eros Now app will be preinstalled into Micromax’s latest smartphones showcasing Eros Now’s extensive repository of Bollywood films, music, originals and regional content. Eros Now will leverage Micromax’s presence of over 150,000 retail outlets to distribute its content. For millions of Micromax users who look for great Bollywood and regional language content, this partnership simplifies the task of discovering great content anytime, anyplace, on a device of their choice.

    Commenting on the association, Eros Digital CEO Rishika Lulla Singh said, “We are extremely pleased to partner with Micromax to offer our collection of movies, music and more. With this partnership we will be expanding our ability to provide entertainment on-the-go, anywhere and anytime to Micromax’s new acquisition of 3.5 million users every month and also their existing base of more than 30 million connected users. Joining forces with one of the world’s leading smartphone manufacturers provide us with another opportunity for exponential growth and customer reach.”

    Micromax Informatics Limited co-founder Vikas Jain said, “We are extremely excited about this partnership, as it promises to make the digital content from cinema, movies and videos available to our urban and rural customers. Beyond urban cities in India, Micromax has found mobile internet to be one of the most favored connectivity options in rural cities. This tie up helps us to enhance the experience for our customers beyond hardware specifications. The rich content library of Eros Now promises to become a part of the daily digital consumption of our customers.”

    Micromax smartphone users can choose their subscription package for a duration of their choice ranging from one month to a year. Users will have access to unique content on Eros Now, with subscriptions offering a range of exciting features, such as viewing content offline, full-length movies, thematic curated playlists, watch-lists, regional language filters, video progression and subtitles to offer the best video viewing experience to users. Music-lovers can also enjoy individual music tracks and music video playlists using the app.

  • SAB Group unveils digital initiative Happii-Fi

    SAB Group unveils digital initiative Happii-Fi

    MUMBAI: SABGroup unveiled the first look of their latest initiative, Happii-Fi at a recent awards event organized at St. Regis Hotel, Lower Parel.

    What sets SABGROUP’s digital initiative, Happii-Fi apart from other comedy content providers is the fact that its outreach is not limited. The idea is to create cutting edge comedy content and then build unprecedented digital reach via strategic partnerships with various OTT platforms, OEM’s, Teleco’s as well as digital aggregators. Some of their partnerships include those with Micromax, Hungama, FunOnGo, nexGTv, Indus, Daily Motion, Facebook, YouTube and One Digital Entertainment.

    Sri Adhikari Brothers Group CEO Manav Dhanda said, “We are looking to change the trend in the way content reaches out to people with our latest initiative Happii-Fi. Happii-Fi will create cutting edge comedy content for the Indian masses which as a segment is still terribly underserved & has only catch up TV/Movies to consume online. As India touches a 1 billion online population, the first 200 million and the next 800 million who come online are starkly contrary beings. We are creating an opportunity where real India lies.”

    Multiple shows that will be launched under Happii-Fi include Ghar Bar, Nayiwali Girlfriend, Kya Cheez hai India, Bro Court, Controversial Bhabhiji, Dholi&Kholi, The Rat Race and lots more. Some of the notable names associated with the shows include Shakti Kapoor who is the lead actor of Ghar Bar & Sagar Ballary(Of Bheja Fry Fame) who is the director of Ghar Bar. Also Shilpa Shinde will feature in the series of Controversial Bhabhiji.