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Tag: Saurabh Srivastava

  • ShemarooMe’s Navratri delight: Nine top Gujarati films and over 40 folk melodies

    ShemarooMe’s Navratri delight: Nine top Gujarati films and over 40 folk melodies

    Mumbai: City, Date — ShemarooMe, one of the leading OTT platforms, is about to take your Navratri celebrations to a whole new level. With a deep-rooted passion for cultural festivities, the platform is thrilled to present the ‘Navratri Film Festival,’ featuring the crème de la crème of Gujarati cinema. Get ready for a cinematic rollercoaster ride with blockbuster films like ‘Aum Mangalam Singlem,’ ‘Vickida No Varghodo,’ ‘Shubh Yatra,’ ‘Hu Iqbal,’ ‘Nadi Dosh,’ ‘Fakth Mahilao Mate,’ ‘Chabutro,’ ‘Sonu 1,’ and ‘Kutch Express.’ This film fiesta is a treat for your senses, capturing the essence of Gujarati cinema’s vibrancy.

    But that’s not all; ShemarooMe has also launched an exclusive Navratri music extravaganza, featuring over 40 foot-tapping Navratri songs, artfully blended with contemporary magic. This musical journey features an exceptional lineup of renowned singers, including Kirtidhan Gadhvi, the immensely popular Dev Pagli, particularly cherished in the rural areas of Gujarat, and the talented Kavya Limaye, Rutvi Pandya, Mosam Mehta and Malka Mehta. These melodious compositions have been expertly orchestrated by the renowned Music Director, Birju Kanthariya. The musical extravaganza will be hosted by Ojas Rawal and promises to capture the very essence of traditional folk music and set the perfect mood for Navratri celebrations.

    Along with presenting foot-tapping Garba tunes and heartwarming movies, the platform this year has associated with top dandiya pandals like the YMCA club’s Amdavadi Sanedo, Mangalya Vatika in Ahmedabad, NESCO Rangilo Re Navratri 2023 in Mumbai, BITA in Baroda and Bamboo Beats in Rajkot.

    Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd. chief operating officer – digital business Saurabh Srivastava said, “Navratri stands as one of Gujarat’s most revered festivals, and ShemarooMe, being the leading Gujarati content provider, takes pride in celebrating Navratri with our audience. Our Navratri special offering of 9 top Gujarati movies and the enchanting musical program ‘Ghammariyo’ is designed to bring the spirit of this nine-day celebration to our viewers’ screens in an engaging and entertaining format. Our festive offer is aimed at ensuring that everyone can partake in the festivities.”

    ShemarooMe’s Navratri Bonanza is the perfect fusion of entertainment, tradition, and jubilation. Whether you’re savouring the Gujarati film marathon or grooving to folk-inspired Navratri songs, you’re in for an authentic and unforgettable Navratri experience.

    To make your celebrations even sweeter, ShemarooMe is offering Rs.99 off on the annual subscription, originally priced at Rs. 699.

  • iProspect India wins Monster.com’s digital mandate

    iProspect India wins Monster.com’s digital mandate

    Mumbai: Dentsu India’s media agency iProspect has won the digital mandate for Monster.com. The account was won following a multiagency pitch and will be handled out of the agency’s Gurgaon office.

    iProspect India will handle the entire gamut of digital duties for Monster.com, with a focus on performance-based marketing. The agency will utilise its proprietary tools and solutions to help the brand achieve its digital marketing objectives via innovative digital campaigns. The agency will manage the brand throughout India, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.

    Commenting on the win, Monster.com, APAC & ME CMO Saurabh Srivastava said, “Monster is bracing itself for a new growth journey as it evolves into an end-to-end talent management platform in the months to come. A household name for job seekers across countries and a preferred talent discovery platform for recruiters, Monster continues to invest in innovative tech product offerings and services that are continuously improving the experience of its users across the web and mobile app. As we move ahead with our renewed aspiration of catering to the diverse requirements of an evolving job market, we are confident that partnering with the best of minds from the digital marketing space will help us create the much-needed brand resonance and equity with our existing and prospective users across emerging markets.”

    iProspect CEO and Dentsu Media chief digital growth officer Vinod Thadani commented, “Monster is a great brand that has been in the market for many years and has established itself as a great engagement platform for users who are looking for jobs and progressing in their careers. At iProspect, we look forward to deploying our innovative and data-driven digital marketing solutions to deliver the right engagement for the brand with its digital audience.”

    iProspect India managing partner Nitin Sabharwal added, “We, at iProspect India, believe that the new avatar of Monster that is in the making has the right appeal to the new-age audience. We are looking forward to the new innovations on the platform. The team will work closely with the brand stakeholders to deliver on digital distribution and customer engagement.”

  • TDSAT gives final opportunity to MSO to resolve disputes, clear payments to Star, Sun

    TDSAT gives final opportunity to MSO to resolve disputes, clear payments to Star, Sun

    NEW DELHI: City Digital Network has been directed by the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal ‘by way of last indulgence’ to pay the second instalment of Rs 2.5 lakh to Star India by 26 July 2016.

    While directing Star India to reconnect the signals to the MSO, member B B Srivastava had on 22 June 2016 directed it to clear payment to Star India in two instalments.

    Listing the matter for 29 August, the Tribunal on 20 July 2016 said the broadcaster would be at liberty to disconnect the signals if the MSO still defaulted.

    The signals to the MSO were to be restored on payment of the first instalment of Rs one lakh by 24 June 2016.

    Star India Counsel Saurabh Srivastava told the Tribunal that the second instalment of Rs 2.5 lakh had not been cleared but the signals were being continued as the Tribunal had not given the liberty to disconnect in the event of non-payment and so the MSO continued to enjoy the signals.

    In the order of 22 June 2016, the Tribunal had also directed the parties to meet at a mutually convenient date to resolve differences and work on a new interconnect agreement.

    Meanwhile in another matter, Sun Distribution Services Pvt Ltd informed the Tribunal that City Digital Network had not cleared fifty per cent of the amount due at the time of disconnection despite the orders of the Tribunal.

    While permitting Sun to file its rejoinder, the Tribunal clarified that this order did not preclude the two sides from coming to the negotiating table.

    The matter was thereafter listed for 19 August 2016.

  • TDSAT gives final opportunity to MSO to resolve disputes, clear payments to Star, Sun

    TDSAT gives final opportunity to MSO to resolve disputes, clear payments to Star, Sun

    NEW DELHI: City Digital Network has been directed by the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal ‘by way of last indulgence’ to pay the second instalment of Rs 2.5 lakh to Star India by 26 July 2016.

    While directing Star India to reconnect the signals to the MSO, member B B Srivastava had on 22 June 2016 directed it to clear payment to Star India in two instalments.

    Listing the matter for 29 August, the Tribunal on 20 July 2016 said the broadcaster would be at liberty to disconnect the signals if the MSO still defaulted.

    The signals to the MSO were to be restored on payment of the first instalment of Rs one lakh by 24 June 2016.

    Star India Counsel Saurabh Srivastava told the Tribunal that the second instalment of Rs 2.5 lakh had not been cleared but the signals were being continued as the Tribunal had not given the liberty to disconnect in the event of non-payment and so the MSO continued to enjoy the signals.

    In the order of 22 June 2016, the Tribunal had also directed the parties to meet at a mutually convenient date to resolve differences and work on a new interconnect agreement.

    Meanwhile in another matter, Sun Distribution Services Pvt Ltd informed the Tribunal that City Digital Network had not cleared fifty per cent of the amount due at the time of disconnection despite the orders of the Tribunal.

    While permitting Sun to file its rejoinder, the Tribunal clarified that this order did not preclude the two sides from coming to the negotiating table.

    The matter was thereafter listed for 19 August 2016.

  • NDTV & L’Oreal partner for Women of Worth 2016 Awards

    NDTV & L’Oreal partner for Women of Worth 2016 Awards

    MUMBAI: NDTV has partnered with L’Oréal Paris for the Women of Worth 2016 awards to recognise and celebrate unsung women from different categories. 

    The awards felicitates the achievements of ordinary women who have achieved extraordinary success in making a difference to the lives of others through their bravery, convictions and drive.

    L’Oréal Paris brand ambassador Sonam Kapoor graced the occasion and unveiled the award trophy. Jury members across the eight different categories as well as the four nominees in each of the categories were unveiled.

    Introduced by L’Oréal Paris India in 2012, the awards also epitomise the brand’s tagline ‘Because You’re Worth It.’

    The jury for this year’s award includes personalities like Rajya Sabha member Anu Aga, Indian Angel Network and NASSCOM co-founder Saurabh Srivastava, Supreme Court senior advocate Dr. Pinky Anand, Wildlife Conservationsit Belinda Wright, Kathak danseuse Shovana Narayan, Centre for Social Research Dr. Ranjana Kumari and L’Oréal India VP marketing Manashi Guha.

    The different categories are from an array of fields like sports, business and enterpreneuralship, literature, artistic, social impact, education, science and inventions.

    L’Oréal Paris India VP marketing Manashi Guha said, “Women of Worth Awards is philanthropically a huge initiative undertaken by the brand to strongly support the extraordinary contribution made by Indian women in their respective fields. These awards are our small way to distinguish the achievements of such women who embody the spirit and values of the L’Oréal Paris brand. It is the ideal platform for us to salute them and a matter of pride for us to associate with NDTV, who also believes in empowering women.”

    The campaign will end in March 2016 through a public voting system in conjunction with jury inputs. A transparent and well-structured voting system for the public will be set up to ensure that the most deserving nominees win. The nominees will be awarded the Women of Worth titles in Mumbai on 28 March, 2016.

    Extending her support to the awards, L’Oréal Paris brand ambassador Sonam Kapoor said, “It’s an honor to be a part of this amazing campaign and the Women of Worth awards that is the brainchild of L’Oréal Paris. The brand has always celebrated the strong spirit of women, and these awards are a perfect way to admire and thank these accomplished women who represent the changing face of modern India. With their unwavering passion, determination, selfless contribution and ability to pursue their dreams, they are a true inspiration and I’m extremely happy to be in the presence of such great Women of Worth.”

    The nominees have been shortlisted after an extensive research process while identifying each one’s key contribution in their respective fields. It took the panelists roughly three hours to decide on the nominees for each category. 

    NDTV CEO Vikram Chandra added, “Women empowerment is a cause NDTV has firmly believed in. NDTV has passionately felt about women and their issues from the time we have started. The number of issues taken up by us has been increasing. I think it’s a part of our DNA. We have a high packed jury consisting of some of the prominent names from the field. The Women of Worth initiative to honor real women from different walks of life is an excellent platform to discuss the issues faced by them and find solutions for the same. Extraordinary women are emerging as the real she-roes with their grit and determination. We really hope that through this association, NDTV & L’Oréal become the voice to encourage more women to make a significant difference in our society.”

    On International Women’s Day, 8 March, 2016, a conclave with opinion leaders, Women of Worth 2016 jury members, spokespersons from L’Oréal Paris and NDTV will be organised to discuss a range of subjects impacting the evolving role of women in India and issues impacting society.

  • NDTV & L’Oreal partner for Women of Worth 2016 Awards

    NDTV & L’Oreal partner for Women of Worth 2016 Awards

    MUMBAI: NDTV has partnered with L’Oréal Paris for the Women of Worth 2016 awards to recognise and celebrate unsung women from different categories. 

    The awards felicitates the achievements of ordinary women who have achieved extraordinary success in making a difference to the lives of others through their bravery, convictions and drive.

    L’Oréal Paris brand ambassador Sonam Kapoor graced the occasion and unveiled the award trophy. Jury members across the eight different categories as well as the four nominees in each of the categories were unveiled.

    Introduced by L’Oréal Paris India in 2012, the awards also epitomise the brand’s tagline ‘Because You’re Worth It.’

    The jury for this year’s award includes personalities like Rajya Sabha member Anu Aga, Indian Angel Network and NASSCOM co-founder Saurabh Srivastava, Supreme Court senior advocate Dr. Pinky Anand, Wildlife Conservationsit Belinda Wright, Kathak danseuse Shovana Narayan, Centre for Social Research Dr. Ranjana Kumari and L’Oréal India VP marketing Manashi Guha.

    The different categories are from an array of fields like sports, business and enterpreneuralship, literature, artistic, social impact, education, science and inventions.

    L’Oréal Paris India VP marketing Manashi Guha said, “Women of Worth Awards is philanthropically a huge initiative undertaken by the brand to strongly support the extraordinary contribution made by Indian women in their respective fields. These awards are our small way to distinguish the achievements of such women who embody the spirit and values of the L’Oréal Paris brand. It is the ideal platform for us to salute them and a matter of pride for us to associate with NDTV, who also believes in empowering women.”

    The campaign will end in March 2016 through a public voting system in conjunction with jury inputs. A transparent and well-structured voting system for the public will be set up to ensure that the most deserving nominees win. The nominees will be awarded the Women of Worth titles in Mumbai on 28 March, 2016.

    Extending her support to the awards, L’Oréal Paris brand ambassador Sonam Kapoor said, “It’s an honor to be a part of this amazing campaign and the Women of Worth awards that is the brainchild of L’Oréal Paris. The brand has always celebrated the strong spirit of women, and these awards are a perfect way to admire and thank these accomplished women who represent the changing face of modern India. With their unwavering passion, determination, selfless contribution and ability to pursue their dreams, they are a true inspiration and I’m extremely happy to be in the presence of such great Women of Worth.”

    The nominees have been shortlisted after an extensive research process while identifying each one’s key contribution in their respective fields. It took the panelists roughly three hours to decide on the nominees for each category. 

    NDTV CEO Vikram Chandra added, “Women empowerment is a cause NDTV has firmly believed in. NDTV has passionately felt about women and their issues from the time we have started. The number of issues taken up by us has been increasing. I think it’s a part of our DNA. We have a high packed jury consisting of some of the prominent names from the field. The Women of Worth initiative to honor real women from different walks of life is an excellent platform to discuss the issues faced by them and find solutions for the same. Extraordinary women are emerging as the real she-roes with their grit and determination. We really hope that through this association, NDTV & L’Oréal become the voice to encourage more women to make a significant difference in our society.”

    On International Women’s Day, 8 March, 2016, a conclave with opinion leaders, Women of Worth 2016 jury members, spokespersons from L’Oréal Paris and NDTV will be organised to discuss a range of subjects impacting the evolving role of women in India and issues impacting society.

  • TDSAT directs Star India not to disconnect Bangalore MSO’s signals if dues received

    TDSAT directs Star India not to disconnect Bangalore MSO’s signals if dues received

    NEW DELHI: Star India has been asked not to disconnect signals to Bangalore multi system operator (MSO) Digi Hanamkonda Network India Ltd if the latter pays a provisional payment of Rs 10.5 lakh within a week as directed by the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Arbitration Tribunal (TDSAY).

     

    TDSAT chairman Aftab Alam and members Kuldip Singh and B B Srivastava “made clear that the payment is purely provisional and on account and the rights and liabilities of the parties  will abide by the final adjudication of the petition.”

     

    The Tribunal also noted that the previous agreement between the parties had expired more than three months ago. 

     

    The MSO was accordingly directed to visit Star India’s Bangalore office in order to execute the renewal of agreement without any further delay, and the matter was put up for hearing by the Tribunal on 30 October.

     

    By an order passed on 10 July, the Tribunal had directed the MSO to pay to Star India Rs 4.7 lakh, which was due admitted by the petitioner itself. Subject to that payment, it was understood that the respondent shall not discontinue the supply of its signals.

     

    During the time the matter has remained pending before the Tribunal, the respondent’s dues against the petitioner have once again accumulated.

     

    According to Star India counsel Saurabh Srivastava, the petitioner is liable to pay to Star a sum of Rs 16.03 lakh as dues upto 31 August.

     

    Diggaj Pathak, counsel appearing for the MSO disputes the amount claimed by the respondent as due. 

     

    The last interconnect agreement between the parties was executed on 31 January. This agreement is for non-DAS areas and the agreement states the number of subscribers for each of its channels and the specific amounts payable by it for those channels.

     

    Pathak however contended that the figures of monthly licence fees mentioned in the agreement were arrived at by factoring in 15 per cent increase in the rates as allowed by the tariff order issued by TRAI, which was set aside by the Tribunal by its judgment and order dated 28 April. 

     

    The petitioner is therefore making payment of the monthly licence fee after taking off 15 per cent from the amounts mentioned in the agreement and according to Pathak, the amount of Rs 16.03 lakh as claimed by Star is the differential amount of 15 per cent.

     

    Pathak also stated that an earlier payment of Rs 3.74 lakh, made by the petitioner was wrongly credited in the account of another entity called Shri Bhadrakali Communications and that amount too should be deducted from the amount of Rs 16.03 lakh as claimed by Star.

     

    The Tribunal felt that the MSO’s claim of deducting of Rs 3.94 lakh from its dues “is rather debatable and we are not fully convinced that the petitioner is entitled to that deduction. Further, we are not satisfied that the amount claimed by Star is not based on the agreement and that it is not payable by the petitioner being the differential amount,” it said.

  • MobiKwik to pump Rs 100 crore in brand campaign

    MobiKwik to pump Rs 100 crore in brand campaign

    MUMBAI: With an aim to become India’s default mobile wallet service, MobiKwik has armed itself with a corpus of Rs 100 crore for a new brand campaign aimed to catalyze the booming market for wallet services that currently stands at around 35 million users.

     

    The company has launched a 360-degree multi-media brand campaign, which will include exposure across television, out of home, radio and digital mediums, with the first leg kicking off in May 2015.

     

    The company has chosen Happy Creative Services and given its media duties to XPosure Mass Media.

     

    Happy Creative Services CEO and co-founder Kartik Iyer said, “There are many brands who operate in the payment space but yet don’t operate like a true wallet. MobiKwik is actually the one true player in the digital payments space. In a scenario where the country is quickly changing its behaviour due to tech interventions at various touch points, it is an exciting time for a brand like MobiKwik. We see immense possibility of the brand to rise as a true leader in the space.”

     

    The Out Of Home campaign for the brand, which will be handled by Havas, has 1000 units across six cities in India, which include Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata. The first campaign will run for a duration of three months, followed by another campaign that will be launched during the festive season.

     

    In the first leg, the brand’s TV campaign will follow close on the heels of its radio and OOH campaigns. Already a market leader in India, Mobikwik plans to reach out the masses and be their top choice as a product.

     

    “With our brand campaign, we aim to make MobiKwik a household name across the country and ensure many more consumer interactions with the brand. The campaign also aims to fuel the adoption of mobile wallet as the preferred mode of payment amongst a host of new customers who are as yet unaware of its benefits. With this campaign, we are confident of increasing our user base from 17 million to 30 million in the next three months and achieve a user base of 100 million users by the end of the year,” said MobiKwik chief marketing officer Saurabh Srivastava.

  • MobiKwik appoints Saurabh Srivastava as chief marketing officer

    MobiKwik appoints Saurabh Srivastava as chief marketing officer

    MUMBAI: MobiKwik, a mobile wallet with over 15 million users, has appointed Saurabh Srivastava as its chief marketing officer. He will be a part of MobiKwik’s core leadership team.

     

    Srivastava, previously ixigo.com VP – marketing & product strategy, has more than 13 years of experience in consumer centric businesses. He has worked with brands like Goodyear, Maruti Suzuki, Dainik Jagran, GroupM and DDB in the past.

     

    MobiKwik founder and CEO Bipin Preet Singh said, “Saurabh brings with him the experience of working with a variety of consumer brands both in the physical and online space and at different stages of their lifecycle. His experience of nurturing and growing brands, ability to understand consumer internet markets and drive data led consumer insights to achieve brand leadership are skills that will help MobiKwik reach the next level of growth. We welcome Saurabh on board and look forward to working with him to achieve our vision of creating the most preferred mobile wallet for customers and merchants.”

     

    Srivastava added, “Mobile wallets are fast becoming the payment instrument of choice for Indians from all walks of life and MobiKwik is at the forefront of this revolution. This role will give me an opportunity to shape the way Indians look at payments and make mobile wallets a household phenomenon. I am up to the challenge of helping create a consumer Internet brand that millions of customers across the country would love. I look forward to joining MobiKwik and working with great minds at MobiKwik to create the next generation mobile payments system for India.”

     

    MobiKwik is making a big offline push this year and has recently entered into a partnership with Cafe Coffee Day (CCD) to enable customers make payments through the MobiKwik wallet across all outlets in India. This is the first serious push that a mobile wallet service has made to enable digital transactions with an offline merchant of the size and scale of Cafe Coffee Day. Srivastava’s understanding of offline retail will be useful for the company in its bid to get more and more offline retailers to adopt mobile wallets.

     

    MobiKwik recently raised close to $25 million in a series B round from Tree Line Asia, Cisco Investments, American Express and existing investor, Sequoia Capital. The funds will be used for investments in technology/data analytics, brand building and growing the network of users and merchants. In 2015, the company aims to create a brick-and-mortar retail network of more than 100,000 merchants across India. These stores will serve both as points for cash loading into the wallet and for wallet payments acceptance.

  • FICCI Frames: Don’t ignore the numbers; investment experts tell filmmakers

    FICCI Frames: Don’t ignore the numbers; investment experts tell filmmakers

    MUMBAI: A panel discussion on ‘Making the Impossible Possible: Dating and Investor and Getting Funded,’ on the second day of the FICCI Frames 2015 saw the participants focussing on the key value drivers that investors look at.

     

    The discussion, moderated by KPMG India Transactions and Restructuring director Girish Menon centred on finding money to release small, medium and regional cinema at a profit. The participants were NASSCOM co-founder and past chairman Saurabh Srivastava, Indian Angels Network CEO Padmaja Ruparel, Zodius Capital MD Gautam Patel, Blume Ventures Sanjay Nath and Idyabooster founder Nandini Mansinghka.  

     

    Srivastava spoke about how the success of investment in technology can be replicated in entertainment. “It’s all about venture capital,” he said.

     

    Today, the manner in which we communicate or travel, or even access healthcare and education has changed dramatically from a few years ago. This change has happened “because we found a way to finance innovation,” said Srivastava.

     

    The old paradigm of low risk funding does not apply to innovative technology, which is high risk. So new investment models that fund several innovations at a time with high annualised returns came into the market and that made Google, Facebook and Twitter possible. That hasn’t happened with movies because the dynamics of the investment structure are flawed. “The success rate is low because if you have a scenario where you cannot take it to enough people, then a movie that could make money will not, and people will not take risks,” Srivastava added. In his opinion, this will change with the new technology that will disrupt how movies are made, distributed, and what screens they are made for.

     

    Ruparel shared her experience of two decades in the entrepreneur ecosystem. When she started, angel investment did not have the foothold that it has today. Start-ups today get a lot of backing. The work was hard, but it has brought them success. What worked for them was leveraging the expertise of “like minded people with different domain expertise to bring complementary strength.” They brought in huge value and created a mechanism where start-ups were able to thrive. “Dropping costs and new technology are enabling content to get aggressive, which is what angels and venture capitalists look for. The good thing is that entertainment has its own chutzpah,” she added.

     

    Nath agreed that the investment climate has matured with the new disruptive technology. Highlighting the challenges, he said that there is a gap between media and entertainment executives and venture capitalists. E-commerce, on the other hand, is more investor friendly. “Companies are easier to evaluate because of the transactions. Content companies haven’t got funded because of monetization,” said Nath.

     

    Getting around monetisation will be a huge factor, he felt. He also saw a similarity in the movie or entertainment business and venture capitalism. Both are a ‘hits’ business. They talk to almost the same crowd, but there is a chasm in the way investors think, because the objective of investment is to make money.

     

    Mansinghka described her work as looking for a way “to reduce the entry barrier for people to invest in creative projects.” According to her, the challenges are that funding levels are higher, production houses are unwilling to experiment, and there is a differential in the primary objective of producers and investors. “When you go and pitch for money, you have to talk about numbers.” Without a change of mindset, investors will not come on board. She also felt that mere passion is not enough. “There has to be a business person who knows how to run this as a business that makes money,” she said.

     

    Echoing the same thoughts, Srivastava said, “The risk-reward scenario needs to make sense.” Investors are willing to take risks; those investments that succeed should bring in good returns. “Position yourself as a savvy filmmaker. Don’t look at 10 million, see what you can do for one or two million,” he advised.