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Tag: Rajiv Agarwal

  • Vital IP topics, piracy & counterfeiting ill-effects: 4000 workshops to be conducted under DIPP

    NEW DELHI: The newly-launched Scheme for IPR Awareness – Creative India; Innovative India aims to conduct over 4000 IPR awareness workshops/seminars in academic institutions (schools and colleges) and the industry, including MSMEs and Startups, as also IP training and sensitisation programmes for enforcement agencies and the judiciary.

    The Scheme aims at raising IPR awareness amongst students, youth, authors, artists, budding inventors and professionals to inspire them to create, innovate and protect their creations and inventions across India including Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3 cities as well as rural areas in the next 3 years.

    It has been launched taking forward the National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy 2016 by the Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM) under the aegis of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).

    Workshops will cover all vital IP topics including international filing procedures, promotion of geographical indications and highlighting the ill-effects of piracy and counterfeiting.

    The Scheme for IPR Awareness would be implemented through partner organisations to promote innovation and entrepreneurship.

    Earlier this year, DIPP and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) signed an agreement to establish Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISC)

    CIPAM is designated as the National Focal point for the TISC national network. As the national focal point, CIPAM shall identify potential host institutions, assess their capacities and support them in joining the TISC project. CIPAM will also act as the main intermediary between WIPO and TISC host institutions and coordinateall the activities of the national TISC network.

    Over 500 TISCs operate worldwide and establishing TISC in India will give the host institutions access to the Global network. In upcoming years CIPAM is planning to establish TISC’s in Universities, State Science Councils, R&D institutions etc. TISC will give an impetus to Knowledge sharing, sharing of best practices among the TISC’s, capacity building, generation and commercialisation of IPs

    Recenly, DIPP Joint Secretary Rajiv Agarwal had said the intellectual property rights regime in India is undergoing a process of re-engineering with the government and industry collaborating.

    The year 2017 marked a step forward for India in its IP history with the Indian leadership adequately recognizing the crucial role that intellectual property played in fostering innovation, accelerating growth and enhancing business competitiveness, industry experts say.

  • Percept/H rolls out the next phase of Bharat Nirman Campaign

    Percept/H rolls out the next phase of Bharat Nirman Campaign

    MUMBAI: The second phase of the Bharat Nirman Campaign is out and it has been received well by everyone. The ad has been conceptualised by Percept/H.

    These films are produced and filmed by Pradeep Sarkar and his Apocolypso Filmworks team.

    In the first phase of the campaign, the creative agency has created seven TVCs focusing on citizen‘s rights launched last year. This year, the agency is coming up with six TVCs.

    This time, the TV commercials will be focused on the education, secularism, infrastructure, mobile, telephone, government schemes and policies. A thematic film that ties them all together is also part of the mix.

    The campaign will be promoted via television, cinema halls and print. The TV commercials will be focused on the revolutionary schemes that have been launched over the past few years. The team at Percept/H focused on people-driven stories and treated the campaign like they would do a regular brand campaign.

    Percept/H executive creative director Rajiv Agarwal said, “This is a people’s campaign, people’s point-of-view. The idea was to translate the brief/schemes into people stories in a classic storytelling format so that people engaged and identified with the campaign. And why should ‘sarkari work look sarkari?’ The whole idea was to treat it like any other brand campaign, so that when the govt logo appears at the end, it should be a surprise. There’s an insight behind every story. The motive behind these TVCs to make the protagonist and hence the consumer feel empowered.”

    Percept/H VP Kausar Anjum said, “We talked about the difference one could make to one’s life through the proper utilization of these schemes, irrespective of whether its urban or rural India. As always the logistical challenges of executing the TVCs were immense: five TVCs and one overarching TVC, four language masters for each. Making it a total of 24 master films and dubs in seven languages of each film, making it 35 dubs. So at the end their will be 59 films.”

    Percept/H has won the creative duties of Bharat Nirman, the campaign initiated by the central government for the development of rural India in a multi-agency pitch which was held in July 2012.

  • ‘Our aim is to come up with total telecom solutions’ : Rajiv Agarwal – Essar Telecom Retail

    ‘Our aim is to come up with total telecom solutions’ : Rajiv Agarwal – Essar Telecom Retail

    The mobile retailing space is hotting up in India. Essar Telecom Retail, an Essar group company has entered mobile retailing in India with the launch of its “The MobileStore” outlets across the country. The basic aim is to be a complete telecom solutions provider.

     

    It has tied up with global media firm Virgin to provide the backend solutions like customer care. This marks Virgin’s entry into India’s burgeoning mobile sector. Virgin founder Richard Branson believes that this is an opportunity for the two parties to fundamentally change the face of mobile retailing in India.

     

    Indiantelevision.com caught up with Essar Telecom Retail CEO Rajiv Agarwal for a quick chat on the plans.

     

    Excerpts:

    Could you give me an overview of Essar’s mobile retailing initiative?
    This is a chain of retail stores that will serve as one stop shop for the needs of the mobile consumer. We are looking to fill a void that is present in the retail market. Today we have international players on the operators side, on the manufacturers side. But on the retail side we do not have an organised player. The customer is the most important element as all these people are working for him/her.

    As the number of mobile subscribers, users becomes more and more the market is becoming more complicated, which has created a void. Our aim is to come up with total telecom solutions for the customer.

    What are the different products and services being offered?
    One can buy cell phones, get repair services, do bill collection. We also have value added services like ringtones. We have media services like games, DTH connections, ipods, cameras. All are fast moving.

    What is the synergy that the group has in setting up telecom retail?
    Essar has decided to be in retailing in all their core businesses. We have been in telecom over the last 12 years. Our aim is to get closer to the customer. We have knowledge and awareness about telecom.

    As per research, what does the mobile user expect from a mobile retail chain and how is Essar going about fulfilling his/her needs?
    The mobile customer is looking for a range of products that he can touch and feel. He/she wants a store that is next to his house. He wants value for money, after sales service.

    Why did you decide against going the franchise route for your stores?
    There would have been the risk of our brand value being diluted. Also you have to manage many entrepreneurs if you walk down that road. This is a business where you cannot allow your service proposition to get diluted.

    The franchise route would have meant that there would have been no difference between us and any other mobile store.
    ‘We have media services like games, DTH connections, ipods, cameras. All are fast moving‘

    Given that Indians are an extremely price sensitive won’t it be difficult for mobile retail to make a margin and have sustained revenue?
    That is the case for any product. We have developed our business model keeping this in mind.

    What is the investment being made and how many stores are being set up?
    In the next three years we are setting up 2,500 stores at an investment of Rs 1,250 crores (Rs 12.5 billion) across 600 cities.

    Over 70 stores have already been launched in places like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad. In the next six to eight weeks we will have opened up another 100 stores. In the next six months we would be operating 700 stores.

    The stores are in three formats – large (1,000-1,500 sq ft), medium (800-1,000 sq ft) and compact (200-500 sq ft). The ratio being identified is 20:60:20 across large, medium and compact stores respectively.

    We are looking at a breakeven of three years for the business. The stores will cost between Rs 500,000 – Rs 5 million each to set up.

    What are the factors looked at to select each location?
    You look at places where customer footfalls are high. This could be in a mall or on a busy street. We will have the shop in shop concept to a certain extent going forward. Around 15-20 per cent of the stores will be in Metros.

    In terms of revenue how much comes in from where and who are the companies you have tie-ups with?
    Handsets contribute to 75 per cent of our revenues. We have tie-ups with all the major manufacturers like Nokia, Motorola, Sony. Mobile repairs are our core area. We have trained people in our stores who can look after the problem. We have straight tie-ups with the manufacturers and operators.

    We have a tie-up with Mauj Telecom for mobile games. For DTH there is Tata Sky, Dish TV. There are also opportunities for in-store advertising and merchandising.

    Could you talk about the back end solutions that have been put in place?
    We have a tie-up with Virgin. They bring retail knowledge in terms of softer skills in terms of customer relationship management. The deal is for brand licensing, technical and consultancy services.
    Virgin will provide their expertise in the areas of branding, marketing, customer care, store operations and staff training.

    We chose Virgin as that brand stands for good quality, brilliant customer service, innovation, fun and good value.

    Finally what marketing activities are being done to create awareness?
    We are airing ads during the broadcast of the cricket World Cup. A large portion of mobile users will be watching the event. We will also be doing a lot of print and outdoor activities.