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Tag: Ratish Tagde

  • Insync founder Ratish Tagde bags Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship award

    Insync founder Ratish Tagde bags Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship award

    MUMBAI: Perfect Octave Media Projects founder and managing director Ratish Tagde received the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Award in the Most Promising category in a gala ceremony held at Hotel Taj Palace New Delhi on 21 March, 2015 midst of who’s who of corporate industry. He won for his contribution in preserving and promoting classical based Indian music.

     

    The Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards recognizes and honours business leaders who have shown outstanding performance and tenacity in developing innovative business models through out of the box thinking within the region.

     

    Organized by Enterprise Asia and supported by local governments and businesses, the awards aim to brand entrepreneurs across the region to spur greater innovation, fair practices and growth in entrepreneurship. It hopes to be a platform to encourage continued leadership towards sustainable economic development for the region.

     

    Over 1200 top business leaders and entrepreneurs have been awarded the prestigious Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards since 2007 in Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, Hong Kong, India and China.

     

    Tagde is the brain child behind Perfect Octave initiative in setting up India’s first satellite-based 24×7 television channel dedicated to music genres such as Hindustani, Carnatic, Devotional, Sufi, fusion, Ghazals as well as traditional dance.

     

    Over a period of time, Perfect Octave has built up content library of Indian classical music and other genres based thereon possessing approximately 600 hours of High Definition video content in targeted music genres, which is arguably the largest video library.

     

    Insync completed one and half year in broadcasting and is being beamed into more than 14 million Indian homes. Its advisory board comprising maestros like Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pt Shivkumar Sharma, Shankar Mahadevan, Ustad Rashid Khan and Pt Vijay Ghate.

  • IDOS 2014: Niche content to play a critical role in digitised era

    IDOS 2014: Niche content to play a critical role in digitised era

    KOLKATA: With more consumers looking at content tailor-made for them and with TV consumption growing on multiple screens, niche content is likely to work as a pivotal differentiator in a digital universe. The viewership for special content has grown substantially, and with digitisation at a growing trajectory in the country, broadcasters with niche channels bet on the growth.

     

    Speaking at a session titled ‘Specialised content and channels in the digital ecosystem’, at IDOS 2014, FoodFood CEO SK Raj Barua said, “TV penetration has reached the masses and the lifestyle category is improving. I think there is a lot of opportunity in terms of capacity in the next phases of digitisation. We see a great opportunity for us. With new media on the rise, demand for food content has gone up by more than 200 per cent.”

     

    On the other hand Insync founder and managing director Ratish Tagde, a classical music channel, said: “There is a huge demand for classical music and the audience is looking for Sufi music. When we talk about niche channel, it is all about content. The digital era is likely to monetise content. There are many new platforms and niche content has a good future.”

     

    Apart from FoodFood and Insync, A+E Networks is also slowly growing its footprint in the country. A+E Networks APAC VP sales and operations Saugato Banerjee said that the ability to create local content is main for niche channels. He added that A+E Networks, that operates with Network 18 in India, can’t depend on advertising and sales for everything it does. “Growing audience share is our target and there is a lot of optimism here,” he said.

     

    While Videocon d2h deputy CEO Rohit Jain said that one needs to look at niche channels from an economic point of view. “If any new channel is launched in the market, we have to have the whole push model so that the customer gets a chance to see the content first. Every channel has its own audience base,” he said.

     

    While AsiaSat, that leads in the satellite broadcasting and telecommunications sector in Asia Pacific region, believes the same what Indian broadcasters feel about niche channels. AsiaSat senior regional manager Paulus Chau said that the broadcasters are looking at launching more channels. “We are also looking at the opportunity because regulation is India is not simple,” he said.

     

    Scripps Networks, a US-based media company, specialising in lifestyle content like food, home and travel categories, is evaluating its strategy in Asia and India. Scripps managing director APAC Derek Chang said that India is a huge market for the company as compared to other markets. He hinted that Scripps might look at the Indian market for launching its niche content related to lifestyle. “It could translate into partnerships. It depends on how we see the potential market. It has its own characteristics and challenges,” he said.

     
    All the panelists agreed that niche content providers have to invest in the content and said the broadcasters have to understand that niche in India has various definitions considering the national and regional clients.

     

    While talking about the challenges faced by the channels, Barua said that carriage fees have gone up. “In the process, the business model has to be slightly different. We do research for content creation for particular people,” he said.

     

    Tagde however felt that the niche channels involve too much of research and investment. “We are struggling with the issues of technology like reaching out to people overseas. The content is owned by us and we have to invest in marketing too. There is a hope that we will get support from distributors,” Tagde said.

     

    Niche channels are not cheap to create: tremendous funds are needed to do research, and programming teams to implement concepts for informative channels.

     

    While the digital world is changing phenomenally, a bouquet of channels, with some mainstream entertainment channels and other niche channels, will soon adapt to the change.
    Viewership will be segmented leading to an increase in the number of niche channels.

     

    Going niche is the future of television as it helps to target specific viewers and in terms of revenue generation from advertisers, it is much more focused.

     

  • One year on, InSync plans to beef up content, go worldwide

    One year on, InSync plans to beef up content, go worldwide

    MUMBAI: Classical Indian music lovers have a reason to rejoice. A year after India’s first 24 hour classical music channel launched, InSync has plans to strengthen its offering to its viewers.

     

    The channel, owned by Perfect Octave Media, an event management company that specialises in organising music concerts, plays vocal, instrumental, dance and fusion formats of classical music.

     

    On the occasion of one year anniversary, InSync founder and CEO Ratish Tagde says that he is happy the way InSync has managed to squeeze itself into the hundreds of channels. “InSync is not just ‘one more’ music channel, but it an entirely non film and classical music genre.”

     

    The channel which reaches out to 12 million households has access to concerts by musical stalwarts like the Late Pandit Ravi Shankar, Late Jagjit Singh and many others. Starting off with just 150 hours of content, it now has 500 hours in all. According to Tagde, the biggest challenge is that the content is not readily available in the market. The channel had to create content right from the scratch. “Other music channels get readymade content from film producers. This is the only channel which I would call as a music GEC.”

     

    Sources peg the investment in the channel as Rs 20 crore due to the need of content creation. The channel telecasts music genres such as ghazal, sufi, fusion, spiritual, music education and others and has recorded and preserved 500 hours of HD quality music for music aficionados. The content features India’s maestros such as Pt Shivkumar Sharma, Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia, Ustad Rashid Khan, Ustad Shahid Parvez, Pt Rajan Sajan Mishra and many young and budding artists.

     

    It airs programs like Gunj where semi classical music is played,  Nazrana where Gazal and Sufi songs are played and Fusion Cafe (fusion music of different genres). Live concerts are aired every weekend. It also has a dedicated slot called Raga where short compositions are played.  In the upcoming months, the channel plans to come up with youth targeted programs.

     

    For the future, the research department of nearly eight people is also engaged in ideating for creating 200 short films of five minutes each on various subjects like Sitar, Gazal, Raga etc. These audio videos will explain each and every subject in simple language for a layman to understand.

     

    Research has been crucial for this channel since it involves not just creating content but a new type of genre itself. Tagde believes that the Indian TV market is not yet content driven. “If you study the international pattern for a niche channel, it has content driven viewership which we were hoping that with digitisation will create that good scope for our channel. Carriage fees have substantially come down and people have started realising that content is the king.”

     

    It can be viewed  on MSOs Hathway, Digi Cable, 7 Star, DEN, JPR, Sai Vision, IN PCMC, PCSS , UCN, Home Cable, Baba Cable, Swami Cable, Satellite Vision, Inspire Infotech,  DEN RCC in the areas of Maharashtra, Delhi, Kolkata, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Jabalpur.

     

    The channel is FTA as of now but plans to turn a pay channel soon. Tagde also wishes to keep it ad free. Tagde is confident that people will want to pay for the content that InSync offers to them.

     

    From October, music lovers across the world will be able to enjoy the non-stop musical experience as it plans to spread geographically across countries like USA, Canada, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.

     

    A year on, it still has no advertisers on board because of lack of any TAM data till now. “We have not been approaching advertisers so far because we are waiting for the channel to spread across India and are still waiting to get our numbers. At the right time we will start approaching the advertisers,” he says.

     

    A non government organisation will be flagged off on 23 August called Global Community of Indian Music (GCIM) by InSync and CRPIM initiatives. GCIM’s mission would be to preserve, protect and promote various genres of Indian classical music and create a sustainable Indian music eco-system across the world.

     

    “Our music lovers are scattered which is why the corporate world and others are unable to gauge how many people would like this kind of music. We will be creating centres worldwide where music education will be imparted and music concerts will be happening on a big scale,” highlights Tagde.

     

    With over 30,000 likes on Facebook, it will now begin focussing on the digital medium aggressively. Tagde feels that unlike television, the digital medium has fixed mechanisms for subscriptions and ad revenues. Moreover, it will soon develop its own Insync app and is in the process of tying up with many digital stores across the world.

     

    The channel which had plans to launch an FM radio station on the lines of the TV channel, is yet awaiting licence approval from the ministry. “Yes we were planning to launch hoping that the FM licensing will be liberalised in India. But FM channels’ third and fourth phase of licensing is not yet open. We are in touch with the government to support us in that front,” he says.

     

    Over the next five years, InSync has ambitious plans to create at least 10000 hours of content.

  • Music lovers up for a 100-hour treat

    Music lovers up for a 100-hour treat

    MUMBAI: In a first, Insync – a 24×7 television channel dedicated to Indian classical music – has completed creating 100 hours of rich musical content featuring both maestros like Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Ustad Rashid Khan, Ustad Shahid Parvez and Pandit Rajan Sajan Mishra, and up-and-coming artistes.    

     

    As part of the project, nearly 70 artistes have recorded their music with Insync, giving it an edge over others of its ilk. With this, the library of Insync video content stands at approximately 300 hours.

     

    Says Insync founder and managing director Ratish Tagde: “Being a niche channel, it is a very big achievement for us. Here, we are not talking of 24-25 hours of content, but huge 100 hours of content. And it is arguably the largest repertoire of high quality video content in the various forms of classical-based music genre. Indian classical music lovers are spread across the world and the channel has already gained popularity across the globe.”

     

    What are Insync’s future plans? In the near future, the channel wants to generate a substantial part of its subscription revenue from the international market. Add to it, it has closed a deal with an OTT platform on a ‘fixed fee per box’ basis, ensuring its presence across the world in all major markets.

     

    “The Indian subscription market will take some more time to get into a content-driven mode therefore, once the distribution market stabilizes towards this direction, Insync is hopeful of attracting a huge number of classical-based music lovers from across India as subscribers,” adds Tagde.

     

    Launched on Independence Day this year, the channel showcases the rich tradition of Indian classical music through vocal, instrumental, dance and fusion formats and is available with multiple system operators (MSOs) including Hathway, Incable, Den, GTPL, Fastway and Digi Cable.

  • InSync appoints Aidem Ventures as media sales partner

    InSync appoints Aidem Ventures as media sales partner

    MUMBAI: InSync, the country‘s first heritage music channel which was launched on 15 August, has assigned the mandate of advertising sales representation to the independent advertising sales and media consulting company, Aidem Ventures.

    The channel is a brainchild of renowned violinist and MD of Perfect Octave Media, Ratish Tagde and covers an array of music genres from Indian classical music to Sufi, Ghazals, Folk, Fusion and many more. The opening programming line-up also includes interviews, talk shows, documentaries, genre based reality shows and youth-based fusion shows.

    Aidem Ventures director Vikas Khanchandani

    Speaking of the association, Aidem Ventures director Vikas Khanchandani said, “InSync has the potential to set the standard for excellence and innovation in the Indian Television industry while forging deep connections with diverse and passionate audiences. We‘re looking forward to working together with the InSync team to represent and deliver legendary musical experiences that endure for generations.”

    Ratish and the Perfect Octave team have been in the musical events management business for over a decade. As a part of the launch marketing strategy, the channel plans to connect to and to build awareness amongst its local targeted audience by organising 40 to 50 musical concerts across India over the next one year while simultaneously covering them on the channel.

    Also a part of the launch strategy is the show ‘I Can‘. This flagship property that will predominantly focus on discovering and nurturing young talent from across India and for this InSync will reach out to various parts of India. The talent thus discovered, will be promoted on the show and will be offered concerts in India and overseas. If need be, maestros will train the talent to reach expertise.

    Perfect Octave Media MD Ratish Tagde

    The channel has roped in Manish Rach to take responsibility of the distribution of the channel. “InSync is a pay channel already available on major MSOs including Hathway, InCable, DEN, GTPL, Fastway, Star and DIGI Cable. Talks are currently on with the major DTH platforms in India and a few international distribution players as well,” said Manish.

    “As the only heritage music channel available, InSync has the first-mover advantage. It has been gaining tremendous response from the market. The channel offers a much higher level of engagement with a range of branding opportunities beyond just FCT therefore attracting cross-industry advertisers. Currently, there are a host of events in the pipeline. We are also going to be offering customisable, branded event solutions to keen advertisers,” added business head, Hindi entertainment & niche channels Nikhil Sheth

    “We have music maestros like Pt. Shivkumar Sharma, Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, Ustad Rashid Khan, Shankar Mahadevan, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Sivamani and Hariharan contributing to the channel‘s content. We already possess 300 hours of original, HD quality, video content. By the end of the year, we will have 700 hours more. We consider it our responsibility to help nurture and encourage India‘s interest in classical music. While we continue doing so, we‘re certain that Team Aidem will help achieve the channel‘s optimal revenue potential,” said Ratish Tagde.