ITV

Tag: Patanjali

  • Top honey brands fail international quality test

    Top honey brands fail international quality test

    KOLKATA: Among top honey brands in India, majority have failed to make it through a stringent quality test. According to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), brands including Dabur, Patanjali, Emami have flunked the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) test that was carried out at a lab in Germany, bringing focus on the adulteration of packaged honey in Indian markets.

    Food researchers at CSE selected 13 top brands and some smaller brands that sell processed and raw honey in India to check their purity. The researchers found that 77 per cent of the samples were adulterated with sugar syrup. Out of the 22 samples that were checked, only five passed all the tests.  

    Marico’s Saffola Honey has cleared the litmus along with two other brands – Markfed Sohna and Nature's Nectar. However, Dabur has already countered saying its honey has passed NMR test. For the record, the NMR test is required only for exporting honey, and not for local marketing in India.

    After the report was released, Dabur has categorically stated that its honey is not adulterated with sugar syrup. “Dabur is the only company in India to have an NMR testing equipment in our own laboratory, and the same is used to regularly test our honey being sold in the Indian market. This is to ensure that Dabur Honey is 100 per cent pure without any adulteration,” it said in a statement.

    On the other hand, Patanjali Ayurved MD Acharya Balkrishna claimed that the CSE report is an attempt to downplay Indian honey and promote German technology. An Emami spokesperson also said that its Zandu Pure Honey conforms to all the protocols during production and adheres to quality norms and standards.

    “It is a food fraud more nefarious and sophisticated than what we found in our 2003 and 2006 investigations into soft drinks; more damaging to our health than perhaps anything that we have found till now – keeping in mind the fact that we are still fighting against a killer Covid2019 pandemic with our backs to the wall. This overuse of sugar in our diet will make it worse," Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) director general Sunita Narain said.

  • “We see TV channels as partners rather than vendors”: Havas Media Group’s Mohit Joshi

    “We see TV channels as partners rather than vendors”: Havas Media Group’s Mohit Joshi

    A seasoned professional, Havas Media Group MD India, Mohit Joshi, is known within the industry for his sharp acumen and quick knack to adapt to changing trends. With his role expanding in the agency as Anita Nayyar moved on in May, this year, Joshi led the agency during probably the toughest time in its history and again showed great strength and adaptability in taking care of the business, helping certain clients maintain good visibility and value even during the lockdown and economic slowdown. 

    The gentleman sat down virtually with Indiantelevision.com founder, CEO and editor in chief Anil Wanvari on Thursday evening to discuss the changing trends in the TV buying world, his expectations with the IPL, his newfound love for OTT content and much more in a lucid discussion. Edited excerpts follow:

    You follow the principles of purushartha, daivya and kaal in your life. That sounds interesting. Please tell us more about it.  

    Yes, I very strongly believe in the power of these three; purushartha meaning hard work, daivya meaning luck and kaal meaning time. I feel success comes when all these three work together. For example, for people working hard during this time (Covid2019) might not have the kaal that is time favouring them. 

    It seems like you read a lot of classical text. 

    Not a lot, but yes, once in a while. There are many of them that I like and keep going back to, such as Thomas Hardy. 

    Nice. So, how’s the work going on right now? Have you people started going to the office? How’s the vibe like?

    Yes, the offices are open but we are not forcing anyone to join. Additionally, we have done extensive joining assessments for the people on grounds like who all are living alone v/s who all are living with old parents or young children, who have morbidities associated, etc. So, only those people are being called to the office for whom it is absolutely safe. We are not allowing anyone who travels via public transport to come to the office. There are extensive hygiene and social distancing protocols that we are following across our offices in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. 

    The vibe is great. I feel that we all have gone through a huge amount of change in the past few months and now people want to get back to the office. It is not just about work but there is also a lot of residual psychological tension that gets eased when people meet and engage in conversations.

    I personally love the days when I have to go to the office and look forward to them. 

    And how is it for your clients? Have they started opening their workplaces?

    A lot of them like Hyundai have started opening up but there are also the likes of Swiggy and Tata Motors who are still working remotely. But all of the client meetings are still happening virtually via platforms like Zoom. 

    Most of our clients are happy and positive right now. A lot of them like Hyundai were much in demand during the lockdown too and now the others too have great expectations from the festive season and also IPL. 

    So how do you see the TV viewership from here?

    I think the lockdown period was quite unique and can’t be compared to any other time. We saw a huge spike in viewership for programs like Ramayana and Mahabharata and also on news channels. 

    We have already started witnessing dips in TV viewership despite new content coming in and it is bound to happen. But I think it will stabilise now at a slightly higher level than pre-Covid2019 times. 

    Also, there is quite a hullabaloo going on TV channels, especially on news channels with Sushant Singh Rajput’s case and the sort of coverage that is happening. How are your clients seeing it; do they want to stay away from it or be present? 

    Honestly speaking, I feel that most clients should be away from this type of investigation largely; once in a while, some presence from an impact perspective is fine. But again, it is difficult to do so [stay away from such content] because most content on news is that way, they have a certain tonality. You can’t be away from this environment because then you might not find any relevant domain to be present. But in the case of very controversial domains, I personally feel that my client should be out. 

    Coming back to the client attributes, how do they view television? With situations like lowdown, when you have already committed something and have planned something for a market and that gets shut down, so does the media channel have to be flexible or the client or the agency?

    I think all three of us have been very flexible and understanding at this point in time because that’s what is required. Right now, each party understands that if one gets impacted, all three will be affected. 

    The solution to this is that we seek media platforms as partners and not just vendors. These are extraordinary times and thus require extraordinary solutions. So, I would like to get into a partnership with any channel and tell them that don’t just tell us FCTs or rates, give us options for product integrations. 

    What are the other challenges that you are facing while doing TV buying and planning?

    Television today is not just a medium of reach and impact but also a medium to drive ROI. Every client today is asking what KPIs will I get. I think it is more of an opportunity than a challenge, in fact. 

    We are using whatever data is available and we are able to do a fair bit of predictive modelling to address that. 

    Also, today, we have evolved in TV planning. We now make audio-visuals plans, which include TV, OTT and online videos. 

    A lot has changed in consumer behaviour today. I, myself, am a big example of it. I was not very much into OTT pre-Covid2019 and now I am hooked. It started with Paatal Lok and now I have watched all series like Narcos and Inside Edge. So, if a brand has to catch me, it has to be present across media and go beyond just television. 

    What part of this audio-visual planning is acquired by traditional television?

    Anywhere between 50-60 per cent to 90 per cent, depending on category and brand. We insist that all brands make even a small investment online to get an incremental reach on TV. 

    Is everything business-driven and KPI-driven then? 

    No. Let me take this opportunity to tell you the native Havas philosophy that we don’t associate with a brand that is not meaningful. It’s not just about business KPIs but also brand love. The money that a client is putting in, that’s actually for us to build meaningful brands. At the same time, I can’t go and tell a brand that I’ll make your brand meaningful, you give me money. The learnings are drawn from the bottom of the funnel and that’s how plans are made. There has to be a balance between quality and quantity. 

    You mentioned that brands are positive about IPL and the festive season. Do we see ad rates hiking?

    Rates will not go up during the festive season but the IPL will bring some stability. Some clients will invest surely, but for some business realities are more important. 

    But as I mentioned, there is a positive sentiment amongst the brands for IPL. It is coming in at the right time when brands are eager to spend. A brand like Patanjali, which otherwise wouldn’t have been a part of IPL sponsorship, is now thinking about that. We ourselves are in touch with 15 of our clients offering different deal sizes and at least 10 will surely get through. 

    Around 50-52 per cent of the overall spend by brands, this year will be during the festive season and IPL will take good 25-30 per cent of it. Categories like ed-tech, white goods, automobile, durables etc., will be active. 

    Are we seeing a slight tilt towards spending on Hotstar this season?

    I think the spend will be regular, much like last year, but new categories will come to advertise. For example, certain categories that used TV as the primary medium and digital on the side will make Hotstar their prime platform. 

    Any parting thoughts?

    As you know, we as an industry are going to see negative growth of 20 per cent this year as predicted. I think we can’t do anything about the impact on overall marketing spend and when we can’t do anything, I personally feel that we should use this time to see how we can create more innovative ways of going back to our clients and creating more value for them. So, I would rather see it as an opportunity to bring further change, transform ourselves and become more digitally savvy. 

    Watch the full discussion here:
     

  • Ayush ministry orders Patanjali to stop advertising Covid2019 drug

    Ayush ministry orders Patanjali to stop advertising Covid2019 drug

    NEW DELHI: The Ayush ministry has asked Patanjali to immediately stop promoting and advertising its Covid2019 drug, Coronil, until such claims have been examined. Yoga guru Baba Ramdev yesterday launched the Ayurvedic medicine for treating Covid2019 patients claiming that it can cure the disease within seven days.

    ICMR and Ayush ministry distanced themselves from the announcement of Patanjali’s medicine and said that such advertisements of drugs including Ayurvedic medicines come under the purview of Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954. It has asked the brand to provide details of the name and composition of the medicine being claimed for Covid2019 treatment at the earliest.

    "Ayush ministry has taken cognisance of news in media about ayurvedic medicines developed for Covid2019 treatment by Patanjali Ayurved Ltd,” said its statement.

    The ministry has also asked to provide details for site(s)/hospital(s), where Patanjali conducted its research study for Covid2019 treatment and other details regarding protocol, size of the sample/s, clearance by Institutional Ethics Committee, registration with CTRI and results data of the study.

    It has also requested Uttarakhand government’s licensing authority to provide copies of license and product approval details of Patanjali’s Coronil, the Ayurvedic medicine which is being claimed for the treatment of Covid2019.

  • Patanjali launches Coronil drug for Covid2019

    Patanjali launches Coronil drug for Covid2019

    MUMBAI: Baba Ramdev's Patanjali launched an ayurvedic medicine for treating Covid2019 today at Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar.

    Earlier this month, Patanjali Ayurved managing director Acharya Balkrishna had claimed that an ayurvedic medicine developed by the company has been able to cure Covid2019 patients within five to 14 days. Patanjali Ayurved Ltd MD Acharya Balkrishna had announced the launch on Twitter on Monday evening.

    "We've prepared the first ayurvedic clinically-controlled, research, evidence and trial based medicine for Covid2019. We conducted a clinical case study and clinical controlled trial and found 69 per cent patients recovered in three days and 100 per cent patients recovered in seven days," said Ramdev. 

    Ramdev claims that there has been 0 per cent death rate and 100 per cent recovery rate has been observed, around 69 per cent of the people recovered within six days. 100 per cent of the people has recovered thanks to the medicine made by it.

    He also stated that they have done every research.

    "We appointed a team of scientists after Covid2019 outbreak. Firstly, the simulation was done and compounds were identified which can fight the virus and stop its spread in the body. Then, we conducted a clinical case study on hundreds of positive patients and we have got 100 per cent favourable results," Balkrishna said at the launch.

    "After taking our medicine, patients recovered in five to 14 days and then tested negative. So, we can say the cure for Covid2019 is possible through Ayurveda. We are performing controlled clinical trials only. In the next four to five days, evidence and data will be released by us," he added.

    The medicine has been manufactured by Haridwar’s Divya Pharmacy and Patanjali Ayurved Ltd in Haridwar, based on a joint research by Patanjali Research Institute in Haridwar and the National Institute of Medical Science, Jaipur.

  • I am passionate about building businesses that have scale: Aditya Pittie

    I am passionate about building businesses that have scale: Aditya Pittie

    From being a young man who had to Google about downlinking and uplinking and did not know how a satellite signal works a decade ago to an entrepreneur at the helm of a media conglomerate, IN10 Media Network and Pittie Group managing director Aditya Pittie has come a long way. Anand Mahindra- and Pittie-promoted IN10 Media has television (Epic TV), OTT platforms (Epic On and Docubay), and production house (Juggernaut) in its kitty.

    Pittie finds his passion is creating value and wealth and building scale.  “That’s why I am interested in multiple businesses, not just any particular business. I am passionate about business, and building businesses that have scale, that gives employment to many people. That is what drives me,” says Pittie during a virtual fireside chat with Indiantelevision.com group founder, CEO and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari.

    Here he talks about his and his and his father’s association with Patanjali, Aastha and Sanskar television channels, the distribution business and how he ventured into the world of broadcasting. He is very clear about where he wants to position himself in the broadcast business when he says: “I realised that it is better to be part of a smaller genre but have a better market share, rather than be part of a big genre and have an insignificant market share.” Excerpts:

    Describe your journey with Patanjali.

    Our relationship has gone stronger over the years. We have a lot of common values in terms of how business can be used to create value for society at large. We have been connected to him since the seeding of the idea and therefore we share the long-term vision and we continue to be part of that journey in some way or the other.

    Your father had gone to Haridwar and seen him there and invited him to Mumbai and conducted the very big Yoga gathering some 14 years ago.

    That was much before Patanjali. At that time, Swamiji was spreading the knowledge of yoga across the country to as many people as possible and obviously through television. He used to come live on Aastha channel. He was able to create the awareness of how simplified yoga can be done by people in their homes and the value it can add to the health, not just from a weight-loss point of view but from general mental health. So that is the time when my father went to Haridwar first and did yoga camp with him and was impressed with the vision that this man had that we decided to be part of the journey.

    Aastha and he became a big name after that.

    TV played a big role in his popularity. A lot of people don't know this: Swamiji is actually one of the very people in this country who have travelled to every single district by road. Lot of people think his popularity came from TV, which he does. But he has physically conducted big yoga camps with millions of people in the country. I don't think anybody has done this kind of large yoga camps of this scale ever in the history of the country. So his ground connection with the people is so strong; that is where the whole idea or philosophy of Patanjali comes from. It is for the real people that would not have access to real quality products in a market where brands used to mark up their products by creating brand perceptions, sometimes by compromising the underlying value of products. When he travelled across the country, he realised that there was a big gap in that. And he wanted to give better value products to consumers. That was the mission. I think while television was an important part of his popularity, a lot of people don’t know that he really worked hard. Almost seven-eight years he travelled to conduct yoga camps in every part of the country.

    You had a good starting point in a way. Your dad, Acharyaji and Swamiji. Acharyaji was extremely good at Ayurveda. Your father was a good entrepreneur. He was into real estate. Then you came in and expanded the business. Tell us about that. 

    I worked with my father for eight – nine years after my graduation. After that I thought of building my own identity and business. That is when the idea of selling Patanjali in super markets came about. That time Patanjali was a Rs 700-800-crore company. They were not present in any of the supermarket chains. And there was a lot of noise around how modern retailers eventually were going to have a larger share going forward. And I was very intrigued by that. So I thought it was a good business opportunity to build from scratch. Before that, while we were part of the Patanjali journey, I was not involved in any of the management decisions or business of Patanjali. It was completely a new business for me. Luckily, Swamiji supported and gave me an opportunity to see if there is an interest among the retailers. Then the first retailer I went to was Reliance. While they liked the idea of Patanjali they were very supportive of the fact that as an entrepreneur I had to build a business. That’s how the journey started. We piloted with five Reliance outlets in Mumbai first. I still remember I used to make the invoices myself and take order sheets from merchants, just to understand how the business is done on the ground. Then Patanjali grew and we started contributing 10 per cent of Patanjali’s overall business.

    So there is a logistics side to the business, there is construction and there is Patanjali distribution and you came to the media business.

    Real estate is my father’s business. I am not actively involved in the business any more. Over the years we build a lot of capabilities at the backend. We designed solutions that specifically catered to supermarket chains. Dealing with chains was not as easy as dealing with the unorganised sector. We created solutions for the brand to increase market share in supermarket chains. We have a large warehousing network. Now we have started looking for other clients who require this kind of logistical reach and service. Our biggest client continues to be Patanjali.

    Are you open to distributing other companies’ products?

    We are very selective. I have just done a deal with an American company for their beauty brands; they are non-competing with Patanjali. I also have some companies that use only our warehousing logistics. It is sort of a complex structure we have now. We are trying to find our feet on what exactly we would be when we go forward.

    What actually inspired you to get into the media?

    The Sanskar opportunity came to us very organically. When the opportunity came, we thought that the product was really strong. Aastha and Sanskar had 95 per cent of market share in the genre at that time. Our family – though not an orthodox Marwari family – was a pretty religious family. And the family found the opportunity to have Sanskar in our portfolio and to be able to be part of the journey as a good decision. And that’s how we got into the media business, specifically in Sanskar. When I started out, the first thing I did was to google about downlinking and uplinking. Until that time, I did not know how a satellite signal works. That was almost 10 -12 years ago. Sanskar was a very different, unique business model. It wasn’t the typical broadcast business where you invest in programming and then monetise through ad sales. Most of the programming on the spiritual genre was given by the content owners for free, because they want reach. In fact, they pay you to use your platform. It was a great experience. We ran it for five years and sold it to Swamiji for a very good return. That’s how we got interested in the media business. Then we looked at starting other spiritual channels. That’s how Shubh TV came along. And during that time, I had met Anand a couple of times. That’s how the journey of Epic started. The primary objective of the relationship was to make sure that Epic as a brand, which was loved by millions, was able to survive and continue in a viable way with critically acclaimed products, something Anand was proud of. When I researched on the channel, I realized that the product was very strong and definitely worth putting some time to make it work. And that’s how my partnership with Anand started. That’s how we started building Epic again.

    So you also have invested in the channel, right?

    Yes, there is an arrangement where I am also a shareholder.

    With Epic what did you feel was right and what did you feel was wrong? And what did you do go about correcting it?

    The product was just very ahead of its time. Mahesh Samat is a very seasoned media professional. He ran big companies. A lot of people don’t know this: Mahesh is a consumer guy. He understands what a consumer wants in general. Some of the content he created is still our flagship ones. They did a lot of things right. The timing of TAM going away and BARC coming in, etc., and the fact that the content was slightly ahead of time, something the mass audience in India at the time did not accept as Mahesh would have thought. That’s the challenge they have faced. The opportunity was obviously the fact that there was strong brand affinity. While the viewership was low, it was loyal. My research found that in niche products you have less absolute viewership, but you have relevant one. For example, the number of people watching English news is far lower than mostly all genres. But the reason why they get so much traction and advertising is because brands want that TG and affinity require English news for that. With such strong positioning and niche, I felt in the long term it would definitely reap some value. That was the base concept behind my conviction that Epic can be turned around. Then we did the repositioning and changed the distribution strategy. We did multiple things to ensure that we stay on course and on our path to profitability.

    In terms of distribution what did you change? Did you get on to more DPOs?

    Epic was always a pay channel. When you launch a new channel you have to incentivise DPOs and cable operators to carry your channel. When I took over Epic had certain deals in the market with DPOs, which I felt was not ideal, and which we then turned around in a couple of years. This year Epic will be subscription-positive from a distribution point of view for the first time. So we went from being a pay channel that incentivises our DPOs and cable operators to carry the channel to becoming a net-positive subscription earner.

    From being a man who did not know what uplinking and downlinking to a media entrepreneur, you have come a long way. What next?

    My passion is creating value and wealth and building scale.  That’s why I am interested in multiple businesses, not just any particular business. I am passionate about business, and building businesses that have scale, that gives employment to many people. That is what drives me. In Epic and in my partnership with Anand Mahindra I felt that there was an opportunity for a young guy like me to really live up to that dream of wanting to create that opportunity for others.

    So you took up Epic four years ago when you were 32. What did you learn about the business?

    Honestly, I had the luxury of having people around me who had an equation that was not limited not just to work. I worked with them like they are my friends. We have a very democratic approach to finding solutions to challenges that epic faced. We used to always ideate. It was a collective effort. One of the things was to reposition Epic. While it was intended to be a GEC, somewhere in the programming it became a knowledge-based product. People started perceiving it as an infotainment channel. Even in the market, some of the brands started calling it an infotainment channel when it always was in the GEC space. I realised that it is better to be part of a smaller genre but have a better market share, rather than be part of a big genre and have an insignificant market share. That is why I felt that it would be smarter to be moving to infotainment which is what people perceived it to anyway. And that’s why the decision to rebrand the logo the reposition the channel from GEC to infotainment came about.

    It is a smart decision, because GECs’ carriage fee is much higher.

    Carriage fees are one part of the GEC. But content is the key. To get significant market share in GEC, you need a certain amount of capital. Otherwise you cannot compete in that space. At that time Epic was loved because to make it into a GEC would have compromised the value and brand identity of Epic and what it stands for. So the objective was not only to make it viable but also to keep the essence of Epic as a brand alive and to make sure that people who love continue to get that content. It wasn’t just about viability; we had to find the right fit. That’s why infotainment was the right fit. We do about 150 hours of original programming. We acquire a lot of programming as well. We have 600 hours of our own IP, all episodic programming. People love watching them multiple times.

    How was the advertisers’ reaction?

    Infotainment genre is pretty stagnant when it comes to advertising. In the infotainment genre there is a lot of brand integration. A lot of FCTs are done just based on ratings. We have been focusing a lot on content and trying to find brands to plug into the Epic positioning.

    What is the journey ahead for Epic? You launched Epic+ HD.

    A lot of our viewers have wanted an HD version of the channel for a very long time. We want to have a separate channel and programming line-up for Epic+ HD as and when we decide to launch it. 

  • Google most influential brand: Ipsos study

    Google most influential brand: Ipsos study

    MUMBAI: Ipsos, an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals, has released a study on Most Influential Brands (MIB) in India. Affluent Indians have chosen their winners. Google has emerged as the MIB of circa 2017.

    Technology and e-tailing brands have taken up other places in the top five positions, as per Ipsos study. Amazon is at the number two spot, followed by the mobile service provider Jio at the third spot, social engagement site Facebook is ranked fourth, followed by e-marketplace Flipkart, at the fifth position.  

    Ipsos executive director brand health tracking Jyoti Malladi said, “Influential brands provide a sense of purpose by reflecting our personal values. They are an extension of us. They help consumers engage with them long after the purchase. Further, consumers make deep emotional connections with these brands as they are surrounded by them for the most part, occupying a meaningful place in their lives.”

    Barring one FMCG player, the rest are all technology and telecom brands – Samsung (ranked sixth), Patanjali (ranked seventh), Microsoft (ranked eighth), iPhone (ranked ninth) and Apple (ranked tenth).

    The MIB study ranks 100 brands across categories, shortlisted as per advertising spends. The key parameters of evaluation were – trustworthy, engagement, leading edge, corporate citizenship and presence.

    The study was conducted online, among 1000 nationally representative affluent audiences from the top metros.

  • Patanjali to move food park after UP govt denies permission

    Patanjali to move food park after UP govt denies permission

    MUMBAI: Baba Ramdev led Patanjali Ayurved Limited moved the FMCG sector entirely with ‘ayurvedic and natural’ products. The company announced in 2016, that it will build a mega food park in Uttar Pradesh, India.

    However, in a latest twist to the story, Patanjali will now have to shift its planned mega food park from the state after the state government denied permission for it.

    Patanjali Ayurved managing director and co-founder Acharya Balkrishna took to his Twitter handle and informed that they have to shift the food park due to state government’s disappointing attitude.

    https://twitter.com/Ach_Balkrishna/status/1004006135827795968/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aninews.in%2Fnews%2Fbusiness%2Fbusiness%2Fpatanjali-to-shift-mega-food-park-from-up-after-denied-permission201806052056220002%2F

    He further said their initiative to improve the lives of farmers in the region would not be achieved after this decision.

    Patanjali acquired 455 acres of land for the Patanjali Food and Herbal Park in Greater Noida and the project was worth over Rs 20000 crore. It was the largest project set up by the company after the one in Haridwar, which is spread over 150 acres.

  • And now a nationalistic SIM card, courtesy Patanjali

    And now a nationalistic SIM card, courtesy Patanjali

    MUMBAI: A swadeshi SIM card! Well, that was just waiting to happen, if we discount the other telecom services in India. So, after a slew of FMCG products, comes the co-branded service from Patanjali group, of course with a government-controlled telecom operator as a partner: swadeshi samridhhi (national prosperity) SIM card.

    Speaking at the launch, Patanjali’s Baba Ramdev cited the “welfare of the country” as a motif of the alliance with BSNL. However, Patanjali fans need to hold their horses for now because at the initial phase only the employees and office bearers of Patanjali will be able to avail the benefits of the SIM card.

    “Patanjali’s plan is BSNL’s best plan. In Rs 144, one can make unlimited calls from any part of the country. We are giving 2 GB data pack, 100 SMSes. The members of Patanjali have to just show their identity and their SIM will be activated,” BSNL chief general manager Sunil Garg said.

    After full-fledged launch, the ‘Swadeshi Samridhhi’ card will have its own perks including 10 per cent off on Patanjali products. More importantly, it comes with medical and life insurance covers of Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 5 lakh ( subject to a number of conditions), respectively.

    While in Goafest 2018, Baba Ramdev revealed Patanjali’s plan to venture in the dairy sector and mineral water, this move was definitely an unexpected one. After competing with international FMCG brands, it is ready to take on bigger companies in an industry which is expected to be worth over Rs 14 trillion by 2020. However, FMCG and telcos being entirely two different sectors the future course in one is hard to predict the success in the other.

  • MIB clears TV channel applications; Rathore calls for stakeholder meets

    MIB clears TV channel applications; Rathore calls for stakeholder meets

    NEW DELHI: Within days of Rajyavardhan Rathore given independent charge of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) by the PM Modi-led government after removal of his senior Smriti Irani, the organisation has been galvanised into action. What’s more, important issues are being discussed, including clearances of three new TV channel applications and meetings being called with broadcast industry stakeholders to debate matters like use of foreign satellites versus Indian ones.

    The three TV channels that have been reportedly given initial government go-ahead — further processes like bank guarantees, etc need to be completed — include Aastha Kannad, Aastha Tamil and Aastha Telugu. All these channels are Indian language off-shoots of the religious product Aastha network that at present broadcasts in Hindi.

    Though critics may say the government has given the nod to three TV channels in South Indian languages belonging to Vedic Broadcasting Ltd (VBL), which is controlled by Yoga guru`Patanjali’ Ramdev’s close associate Acharya Balkrishna and considered close to the present BJP-led government in New Delhi, independent observers feel at least MIB has started taking a stand on applications, a process that was halted for the last nine months or so for various reasons.

    Media industry sources indicated that over 100 applications for TV channels are pending at MIB. And, such applications include ones from big and small broadcast companies.

    VBL is controlled by majority shareholder Balkrishna, who, along with Ramdev, bought it in 2011 from the people who had started a religious TV channel few years back airing yoga shows, religious sermons and some cultural programmes.

    When VBL is searched on Google, one is taken to www.acharyabalkrishna.com where it is indirectly stated that Balkrishna is the managing director. It is further stated: “Vedic Broadcasting Limited is also part of his vision. It [’s a] pioneer & leading socio-cultural network in India. Astha & Astha Bhajan Channel is propagating Indian culture and heritage, Health, Ayurveda, Education, Yoga, Values and Morals, Devotional songs, Spiritual meetings, talks, etc. The channels are available globally covering the continents of Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe and North America (USA & Canada), thus, enabling global organisations an opportunity to reach followers and other viewers worldwide.”

    Meanwhile, both government and industry sources indicated that MIB, under Rathore, is attempting to be a breath of fresh air, if not completely turn over decisions taken earlier under Irani. One such step in that direction was to start convening meetings with TV channels and their holding companies in an attempt to try to address some of the concerns.

    In one such meeting held this week, the representatives from the broadcasting company owning and operating over 30 TV channels in India were asked about their concerns. Also present were government officials from Department of Space and Indian space agency ISRO.

    When the issue of migration to an Indian satellite from foreign ones was brought up by the TV channel reps in the meeting, it was conveyed to them politely that it would be in the national interest to do so, though those having existing contracts could be allowed, in all probability, to go through with contractual obligations.

    One of the concerns relating to leasing space on foreign satellites is that ISRO, according to industry sources, was unwilling to come forth with data on disaster and backup management in case an Indian satellite, through which a TV channel is beaming, for example, sputtered or developed some snag.

    The sources said that more such meetings are in the pipeline with other broadcasting companies.

  • Day 1 at Goafest 2018 sees Baba Ramdev make major announcements

    Day 1 at Goafest 2018 sees Baba Ramdev make major announcements

    GOA: They say the advertising sector is for hardcore creative people and by working round the clock all year, one needs an escape from it now and then. Goafest is one such adverting event that brings together all the creative minds in the industry to celebrate, sit back and enjoy three days in the beaches of Baga!

    The 13th edition of Goafest hosted by The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) in association with The Advertising Club commenced yesterday. 

    Captains of the industry MK Anand, Vikram Tanna, Nakul Chopra, Vikram Sakhuja, Ashish Bhasin, Ajay Kakkar and Jaideep Gandhi lit the ceremonial light.

    Pepperfry CMO and head of new business Kashyap Vadapalli began the session by speaking about the brand’s own growth story. The company wanted to promote Indian artisans and craftsmen and build honesty and transparency in the company. Today, Pepperfry has streamlined its business, and taken supply, mixed with technology, to the Indian consuming class. “We worked towards standardising the entire category. Since we were very close to manufacturers, it helped us bring value to the Indian consumer,” said Vadapalli. 

    He mentioned that Pepperfry has launched 10 house brands that contribute to 50 per cent of their business, 27 studios across 15 cities in the country and is planning to launch 12 more. The key learning from Kashyap’s session was to constantly evolve and listen to the consumers and their needs. 

    Next up, was a man who came swathed in a saffron loincloth, a.k.a Baba Ramdev – the mind behind India’s largest swadeshi (domestic) FMCG brand Patanjali. After starting classic style with a gayatri mantra, he dived deep, full Hindi, into how everything, from knowledge, emotions, actions, expertise, experience, skills, innovation, research, resource, and even waste converts to wealth.

    Even though he had humble beginnings from an agriculture background, he was never scared to dream of a prosperous country, even for the poor, and the biggest financial powerhouse. “I only had one question: What can I do about this country? From farming to retailing, I haven’t studied anything, but the world is enough to teach me lessons. When you come face to face with reality, it teaches you lessons no conventional course can teach,” said Ramdev. 

    An avid rebellion of MNCs that he is, Ramdev mentioned that he made Patanjali a Rs 500 crore brand without any major investment in advertising as opposed to MNCs who believe in creating a fairy tale picture while selling every product. He said, “We don’t believe in having glamourous ads as we want our products to speak for themselves and only highlight the product’s benefits or ingredients.”  He also announced that with the growing profit rate of Patanjali, the company will double its turnover in 2019. 

    Peppered with laughter, yoga, life lessons, jokes and harsh doses of reality, he shared the essence of his being: Jo karo, usko pura karo, 100 per cent daalo apna. Usko beech me mat choro, which translates to – Whatever you do, do it whole-heartedly. Give your 100 per cent and don’t leave anything mid-way. He also stressed that companies should not focus on cost cutting as it leads to delivering poor quality products which will result in a great fall for the company sooner or later. Companies also need to have an open mind about implementing newer technologies into their systems since the world is going digital and technological advancement is the need of the hour today. 

    While he encouraged everyone to take risks, he also said, “Whatever you do, do it without ego. Give it all. There is nothing called destiny.” Without any inhibitions, he also added that while some people depended on hard work, some relied on destiny and some believed in cheating. “I believe in universal justice. If you cheat, you might grow for 10 years tops. What will you do after that? Same is the rule for destiny. Work on your work; not on Gods.” 

    During his session, Ramdev also publicly announced that Patanjali will venture into selling liquid milk and other dairy products by next year. He also confidently declared that the company will also launch kids-wear, activewear, accessories and fashion clothing for men and women by 2021. He concluded his session by publicly announcing that Patanjali will also launch its own mineral water very soon and the company has already started work in that area.