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Tag: Rajeev Chandrasekhar

  • “Private sector needs to own network to connect India seamlessly via wireless broadband:” Rajeev Chandrasekhar

    “Private sector needs to own network to connect India seamlessly via wireless broadband:” Rajeev Chandrasekhar

    NEW DELHI: Member of Parliament and technology entrepreneur Rajeev Chandrasekhar today underlined the need for making high quality Wi-Fi available and accessible across the country. He said that it was imperative for the Government to partner with States and private service providers in the space. 

     

    Chandrasekhar also recommended that while the government could own the fundamental policy making but the network owner should be from the private sector to make the initiative a success.  

     

    While delivering the inaugural address on ‘India, Wi-Fi and Smart City Development’ at the Wireless Broadband Vision Forum, Chandrasekhar said that it would be appropriate to provide Wi-Fi access free of cost to a selected faction who deserves it rather than making it free for all. He added that any programme started with the aim of providing free service suffers from suboptimal facilities and poor quality.

     

    The forum was organised by FICCI in collaboration with Global Wi-Fi Broadband Alliance to advance the policy objectives of the Digital India programme. 

     

    Chandrasekhar said Digital India has tangible benefits and can have a multiplier effect on the country’s productivity and GDP. He added that India’s internet penetration stands at a low level today, hence it provides a huge opportunity for the government and private sector to make India connected via internet.

     

    Delhi Government’s Delhi Dialogue Commission vice chairman Ashish Khetan, who gave his keynote on ‘Delhi Wi-Fi – A Smart City Perspective from India’, said it was one of the biggest challenges for the city Government to draft a policy for providing seamless access and quality service of Wi-Fi at an affordable cost. 

     

    He added that within a few weeks the Request for Proposal (RFP) would be finalised and placed in the public domain.

     

    Khetan also said that the government proposes to provide speed of 1 Mbps and 1GB data download free for the citizens of Delhi. In the first phase of the programme, all Delhi colleges, including government and private, would be enabled with public Wi-Fi. Subsequently, in the second phase, all villages in Delhi would have Wi-Fi facility and in the third phase the focus would be on connecting unauthorized colonies of Delhi. 

     

    Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) CEO Shrikant Shenwai said these were exciting times for Wi-Fi operators, Wi-Fi equipment vendors and above all Wi-Fi users. The potential of Wi-Fi worldwide is vast and growing. The WBA was committed to helping Wi-Fi fulfill that potential.

     

    He said end-user focus for next generation Wi-Fi experience means making it easier for users to find and access hotspot service locations; offering a user experience that is simple and consistently better; and allowing seamless interoperability, across devices, operators & networks and WBA aims to achieve this by bringing the stakeholders on the same platform.

     

    FICCI Communications & Digital Economy Committee chairman Virat Bhatia said that to advance the policy objectives of the Digital India programme, the Wireless Broadband Vision Forum facilitated a thought-provoking dialogue that explored the opportunities and challenges associated with delivering transformational connectivity for the Government of India’s 100 Smart Cities Program. The forum presented an opportunity to meet with global experts from Singapore, San Jose and Seoul and leading Indian policy makers, government officials, operators and ecosystem players in this space.

     

    FICCI DG Arbind Prasad said that the Wireless Broadband Vision Forum is an initiative to promote the Government of India’s programs of Digital India, Make in India and Smart City. He added that FICCI is partnering with WBA to promote Wi-Fi connectivity throughout the country as wireless is the future of internet and India deserves a revolution in this sector as well on the lines of the one witnessed in the telecom space.

  • Star India paid $160 mn for added 12% interest in Asianet Communications

    Star India paid $160 mn for added 12% interest in Asianet Communications

    MUMBAI:  Star India’s equity interest in Asianet Communications in June 2013 increased by 12 per cent to 87 per cent from the earlier 75 percent. The price the India subsidiary of 21st Century Fox paid for the additional interest in the south Indian general entertainment television network was approximately $160 million.

     

    The price paid by Star India for the additional interest values Asianet Communications at $1.33 billion.

     

    According to 21st Century Fox, in June 2013, it acquired the 19 per cent stake in Vijay Television that it didn’t own and, as a result, it now owns 87 per cent interest in Asianet Communications.

     

    Star India holds its interest in Asianet Communications through Vijay Television. The 19 per cent equity stake in Vijay Television that it bought in June 2013 was held by Rajeev Chandrasekhar and K Madhavan.

     

    In January 2009, Star India and Asianet TV Holdings formed a venture Star Jupiter and the Asianet Communication’s general entertainment channels were brought under the joint venture. Star India’s Tamil channel, Star Vijay was also consolidated with the Asianet channels but the shareholding structure of Asianet Communications is not clearly known as it is a closely held company.

     

    In 2009, Star India paid approximately $235 million in cash and assumed net debt of approximately $20 million for a controlling interest in the four channels owned by Asianet. The price Star India paid for the 51 per cent stake in 2009 meant Asianet Communications was then valued at $500 million.

     

    Asianet Communications broadcasts Malayalam language channels Asianet and Asianet Plus, Kannada language channel Suvarna and Telugu channel Sitara.

     

    In July 2010, Star India increased its stake in Asianet communications to 75 per cent from 51 per cent, for which it paid approximately $90 million in cash.

     

    Asianet Communications was founded in 1991 by Reju Menon and Shashi Kumar. Rajeev Chandrasekhar acquired a 51 per cent stake in the company in 2006 for a reported price of Rs 150 crore (about $25 million at the current exchange rate) and also became its chairman.

  • Suresh Selvaraj joins Asianet News Network as ED and CEO

    Suresh Selvaraj joins Asianet News Network as ED and CEO

    MUMBAI: Asianet News Network (ANNPL) has appointed Suresh Selvaraj as executive director and CEO.

    Selvaraj comes from Outlook Group, where he spent 13 years.

    Selvaraj will be responsible for overall operations and management of various businesses of ANNPL, which consists of Malayalam news channel -Asianet News, Kannada news channel Suvarna News 24×7 and Kannada newspaper Kannada Prabha.

    Selvaraj said, “I am quite excited with the opportunity provided to me in this role. I am getting familiarised with the people and the processes and am very confident of doing my bit to elevate this business to the next level.”

    ANNPL chairman Rajeev Chandrasekhar added, “I am happy to have Suresh Selvaraj on board. With his successful stints earlier and media experience spanning over three decades, we are confident of consolidating our existing media brands and growing them further. We have definite plans of expansion including making further investments and expansion to new markets and platforms. I am sure having a person with Suresh‘s background will help our endeavours.”

    Selvaraj comes with over 30 years of experience in media in organisations like The Times of India Group, Deccan Herald Group, The Statesman, Outlook Group including Marie Claire, the Indian edition of the French fashion magazine.