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Tag: Snapdeal

  • Snapdeal appoints Adobe’s Viraj Chatterjee as VP – engineering

    Snapdeal appoints Adobe’s Viraj Chatterjee as VP – engineering

    MUMBAI: Snapdeal has roped in Viraj Chatterjee as vice president, engineering. In his new role, Chatterjee will lead the technology development solutions to enrich the overall seller experience on the marketplace.

     

    Recently the company launched Snapdeal Plus and Capital Assist to further enhance the ability of small and medium businesses to sell on its platform. Chatterjee will play a pivotal role in strengthening the overall seller platform and introducing newer products backed by strong technology solutions.

      

    Prior to his appointment at Snapdeal, Chatterjee spent 16 years at Adobe Systems where he most recently served as director engineering leading the Acrobat and Flash Runtime line of products. His stint with the Adobe team was focussed on product management, engineering and building powerful products across Desktop and Mobile which included the Adobe Reader and Acrobat. 

     

    Snapdeal co-founder Rohit Bansal said, “Our vision is to build the most impactful digital commerce ecosystem in the country that creates life changing experiences for our buyers and sellers. With our entire ecosystem resting on technology, a robust infrastructure and team is critical to our success. Our goal is to create one million successful online entrepreneurs within the next three years and our seller interface will play a key role in enabling this. It is crucial to equip sellers with the necessary infrastructure and Viraj with his rich experience and deep understanding of consumer facing tech products will provide the right impetus to building the best products for our sellers. We are delighted to have Viraj on board and wish him a great journey ahead with the Snapdeal family.”

     

    Chatterjee added, “India’s growing internet economy presents immense opportunities for growth of small and medium businesses and I am particularly excited about the company’s vision of creating one million successful online entrepreneurs within the next three years. My main focus would be on strengthening the technology interface and building products that will enable our sellers to bring scale and efficiency in their business across the mobile and web platform.”

  • Snapdeal appoints Amitava Ghosh as vice president – engineering

    Snapdeal appoints Amitava Ghosh as vice president – engineering

    MUMBAI: Snapdeal has appointed Amitava Ghosh as vice president – engineering.

     

    In his new role, Ghosh will lead the development of intuitive technology solutions for ease of accessibility and enhanced user experience on the marketplace. 

     

    Ghosh comes with over 17 years of experience in building scalable web based products and platforms for consumer internet and enterprises.

     

    Ghosh has spent several years working for a diverse set of organizations, both in India and USA, across Internet companies, medium strength organizations and Silicon Valley start-ups.

     

    Prior to his appointment at Snapdeal, Ghosh was the chief technology officer at Taxiforsure before the company’s acquisition by OLA Cabs. Previously, he headed the India Engineering team of Tribune Digital Ventures (TDV). He has also had a decade long stint at Yahoo where he was responsible for building platforms and user experiences for listings, media verticals, communities & Social products.

     

    Ghosh will work out of the company’s technology innovation centre in Bangalore.

     

    Ghosh said, “Snapdeal’s growth in the technology space has been unprecedented. The clarity of vision and rigorous effort behind strengthening the vertical is commendable. All our efforts are towards ensuring that we deliver best in class experience to our customers. My focus would be on in-depth analysis of consumer insights to develop best mechanisms for delivering delightful customer experience. I am excited to be a part of this dynamic team and look forward to a challenging but exciting journey ahead.”

     

    Snapdeal co-founder Rohit Bansal added, “Our vision is to build the most impactful digital commerce ecosystem in the country. We are building the strongest technology team at Snapdeal to create a future ready and innovative technology infrastructure. At Snapdeal, we believe that our business exists to serve our users and strongly feel that creating a frictionless buying and selling experience is key to our success. Customer service interface is one of the key verticals of our technology infrastructure and we are looking at strengthening it further to offer a superior experience to our customers We are delighted to have Amitava onboard and wish him a great journey ahead with Snapdeal family.”

     

    The technology team at Snapdeal is currently 1000 people strong and company looks at doubling it by the end of this year.

  • Zindagi forays into original non-fiction programming with ‘Shukriya’

    Zindagi forays into original non-fiction programming with ‘Shukriya’

    MUMBAI: Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC) from the Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel) stable, Zindagi has forayed into a new territory. The channel, which was launched in 2014 with shows from Pakistan, is now gearing up to launch its first original non-fiction show. Titled Shukriya, this reality show has been produced by Frames Production.

     

    This, according to the channel, is just the beginning, as it plans to launch a number of original shows in this quarter. Refusing to spell out the genre of the original shows in the pipeline, Zindagi and FTA cluster business head Priyanka Datta said, “The fact that we air finite shows gives us the opportunity to create more content and churn out more original programming.”

     

    The new show Shukriya, which premieres on Sunday, 9 August at 8 pm, is a 13 episode series, which is designed to urge people to pause life, reflect and acknowledge the good things life has given.

     

    “Given the format of the channel, it was clear that when we got onto creating original programming, it had to be something which built an emotional connect with the audience,” opined Zeel chief business officer Sunil Buch. 

     

    With original content in its programming mix now, the channel will however continue to air shows from Pakistan. “Pakistan has a legacy of great content and we have a huge library of shows from the country. Considering the cultural overlap, it was but natural for us to get shows from Pakistan when we launched with the theme of ‘Jodey Dilon Ko.’ We want to give our viewer varied content experience and so we decided to launch original content, this doesn’t mean we will discontinue those shows,” said Buch. 

     

    Shukriya, according to Datta, as a concept marries well with the brand philosophy of ‘Jodey Dilon Ko.’ 

     

    Anchored by Gunjan Utreja, this reality programme will give people a platform to exhibit their real emotions and in turn give those they want to thank a memory that will last a lifetime. The show will travel to several cities including Delhi, Mumbai and parts of North India. “All 13 episodes of the first season have been canned. We will come up with multiple seasons of Shukriya,” informed Datta. 

     

    Promotional strategy for Shukriya 

     

    The channel’s new concept has been backed by some unique promotional strategies. “Every communication highlights not just the real emotions, but also embodies the spirit of Shukriya,” said Datta.

     

    According to her, the real hero is the concept of the show. “We have ensured that this stands out in all the promotional activities, be it in print, radio, outdoor or digital. The aim is to create an element of surprise that will inspire people to do the same,” she added.

     

    Creative communication has been given a new age approach that drives interactivity. The identity of the campaign was centered around #Shukriya. Three short promos have been created and seeded across platforms like Facebook, Youtube and all digital platforms of Zindagi.

     

    “The first two videos have already created a social surround driving close to 7.9 lakh views and counting,” she informed.

     

    The channel has also associated itself with e-commerce player Snapdeal for a dedicated Shukriya Store on its website and app. “This initiative is in association with friendship day, where Zindagi and Snapdeal give netizens discounted offers to buy special Shukriya gifts for loved ones,” said Datta.

     

    Additionally, Zindagi in association with Big FM created unique Shukriya experience for their listeners where RJs were heard saying Shukriya to local unsung heroes across its 24 stations. 

     

    “We have taken this ahead on Zindagi by creating a special section called ‘Keh Do Shukriya’ wherein Gunjan and RJ Siddharth will narrate some real life stories that have reached to us through Big FM,” she said.

     

    With ordinary people being a part of the show, the channel will also visit close to 50 housing colonies in Delhi to celebrate Shukriya day with residents. 

     

    Multiplex viewers have also been targeted across more than 400 screens for three weeks with blockbusters like Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Drishyam and Mission Impossible 5.

     

    “This is alongside high impact print and TV campaigns including leveraging the platforms of our sister concern ZMCL to drive tune-ins in our key markets,” concluded Datta.

  • Snapdeal names Amit Maheshwari as Exclusively CEO

    Snapdeal names Amit Maheshwari as Exclusively CEO

    MUMBAI: Close on the heels of appointing Animesh Sharma as the chief technology officer of Exclusively, Snapdeal has now roped in Amit Maheshwari as CEO of the online premium fashion destination, which it acquired in February 2015.

     

    Maheshwari, who earlier held the position of senior vice president of fashion at Snapdeal, was instrumental in growing the fashion and lifestyle category into one of the most successful businesses, which is well on-course to become a $2 billion business within the current year.

     

    His appointment as the CEO of Exclusively, is part of Snapdeal’s efforts to build Exclusively as India’s largest premium fashion destination.

     

    Snapdeal co-founder and CEO, Kunal Bahl said, “Amit has been a core member of Snapdeal’s leadership team and the driving force behind the exceptional successes of our fashion business. As we create India’s most impactful digital commerce ecosystem, it is important to stay agile and move ahead with assured pace. In this new entrepreneurial role, Amit will be at the helm of Exclusively’s growth and we are certain that with his expertise and intricate knowledge of fashion business, Exclusively will very soon be India’s largest premium fashion destination.”

     

    Maheshwari added, “The move to Exclusively is a continuation of my journey that began three years ago at Snapdeal. We are focussed on building a highly scalable premium fashion business at Exclusively. Together with the dynamic and vibrant team at Exclusively, I am looking forward to this exciting journey ahead.”

     

    Exclusively general managers, Sunjay and Mohini Guleria too welcomed the move. “There is a tremendous void in the online premium and luxury fashion space. The proven leadership from Snapdeal combined with our experience in luxury fashion and creative DNA is a powerful combination to disrupt the industry,” said Guleria.

  • YRF partners Snapdeal to launch home decor merchandise

    YRF partners Snapdeal to launch home decor merchandise

    MUMBAI: Yash Raj Films (YRF) has launched its latest official Home Décor Merchandise Collection on Snapdeal.

     

    Snapdeal will now showcase ‘The BollyHome Project’ by YRF featuring more than 100 products including cushion covers, bean bags, stationary products, posters, coffee mugs and a host of other home décor products.

     

    The collection is inspired by YRF classics such as Silsila, Dil To Pagal Hai, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge as well as recent hits like Rocket Singh, Band Baaja Baaraat and Jab Tak Hai Jaan. The products will be featured on the dedicated YRF store on Snapdeal (http://yrf.snapdeal.com/).

     

    YRF vice president – marketing and merchandising Manan Mehta said, “Through this collaboration with Snapdeal, YRF can now reach it’s consumers at their doorstep. We constantly work towards engaging our communities in exciting ways and now the Bollywood inspired Home Décor collection will provide a YRF brand experience for one and all! And who better than a partner like Snapdeal.”

     

    “We are constantly looking to bring on-board brands on our platform that customers associate with closely. We are extremely thrilled to bring to our customers Bollywood inspired home décor and furnishing options in partnership with Yash Raj Films Licensing, a pioneer in Bollywood merchandise,” added Snapdeal head of strategic partnerships Vibhu Arya.

  • Sports365.in launches U Mumba’s official merchandise

    Sports365.in launches U Mumba’s official merchandise

    MUMBAI: Sports365.in has launched the official merchandise of the Mumbai-based Kabaddi team, U Mumba, exclusively on its website. It has associated as the online channel partner for the team and its merchandising partner ‘Sports & Beyond’ in a bid to exclusively market their products online.

     

    Sports365.in founder and CEO G Chandra Sekhar Reddy, “U Mumba has won the hearts of many Indians, especially with its recent win over Puneri Paltan. It is one of the most popular and well-loved Kabaddi teams of the country and we are pleased to offer its official merchandise exclusively on our platform. The availability of the new product line will attract more Kabaddi fans to our online store and also further bolster the love for the sport in India.”

     

    As of now, U Mumba’s and its sports partner’s range of products is solely available on Sports365.in. The portal plans to facilitate the sale of the merchandise on other online marketplaces like Flipkart, Amazon, Snapdeal, Paytm and Shopclues in the coming days.

  • Animesh Sharma joins Exclusively as chief technology officer

    Animesh Sharma joins Exclusively as chief technology officer

    MUMBAI: Snapdeal has appointed Animesh Sharma as chief technology officer of the recently acquired Exclusively.com. 

    Snapdeal co-founder Rohit Bansal said, “We are very happy to have Sharma on board. He comes with 13 years of leadership experience in building scalable technology products, as well as talented engineering teams. Technology is at the backbone of companies like ours and we are confident his rich experience in building technology platforms from scratch will complement Exclusively’s business expansion plans. At Exclusively, he will be driving the technology and product functions to make it the most preferred online shopping destination for premium fashion in India.”

     

    Sharma added, “I am very excited to be a part of the enthusiastic, dynamic and vibrant team at Exclusively. The company’s vision to transform the premium online lifestyle shopping experience in India is quite inspiring. I look forward to building a highly scalable and innovative technology platform with the team.”

     

    Prior to this, Sharma was working with Wize Commerce (formerly Nextag) for almost a decade where he served as vice president – engineering. He was responsible for managing all aspects of engineering, services and live site operations along with leading a team of 100+ engineers across multiple verticals. During his tenure at Wize Commerce, he was instrumental in building and managing some of the most critical technology modules – travel, store and mobile application.

  • Flipkart to take app route; says 70-75 % of its total traffic comes from mobile app

    Flipkart to take app route; says 70-75 % of its total traffic comes from mobile app

    MUMBAI: After taking the only app route with e-tailing platform Myntra, the Bansals are now gearing to make even Flipkart an only app platform by September, 2015.  

     

    Online shopaholics will now have to squeeze in the Flipkart app somewhere in their congested phone memory if they want to use attractive discounts and shop from the rapidly growing venture. Customers will only be able to shop from the app as is the case now with Myntra. It must be noted that post going only app way Myntra has witnessed a 10 per cent drop in sales.

     

    In a statement Flipkart spokesperson asserted, “India is gradually transitioning from a mobile first to a mobile only country. At Flipkart, we have been following a mobile first approach and 70-75 per cent of our total traffic is already coming from our mobile app. We are constantly experimenting with various aspects of our service to create the best shopping experience for our users on our app. Meanwhile, we continue to offer both desktop as well as mobile option for our customers.”

     

    Mobile is driving the internet penetration in India and till December 2014, India had 173 million mobile phone internet users. The figure witnessed a growth of 33 per cent if compared to the 2013 analysis and is expected to grow by CAGR 21 per cent from 2014 to 2019. 

     

    The key factors that will drive the growth of mobile are:

     

    .  Increasing investments by telecom operators in data infrastructure.

    .  Push for favourable regulations from industry bodies.

    .  Falling handset prices.

    .  Economic growth of the country and financial stability of middleclass.

    .  Increase in mobile screen sizes and quality of display.

    .  Improving quality of curated online content.

     

    As per Google play store analysis, Indians keep social media in the top spot in their priority list followed by shopping platforms, when it comes to downloading of apps. With over one billion downloads, Whatsapp leads the tally of most downloaded free apps followed by Facebook messenger. Flipkart is currently placed on the fifth slot, with over 10 million downloads on Android. Its US based competitor Amazon India holds the 13th spot.

     

    In terms of web search google.co.in tops the list of most visited websites in India followed by facebook.com. Flipkart which is speculated to take its website off holds the fifth place over Amazon.in which is placed seventh. They are the only two shopping websites to have a presence in the list of top 10 website searches in India.

     

    At this point of time, India approximately has over 300 million internet users out of which 66 per cent come from Desktop PCs and Laptops, 55 per cent comes from mobile phones (it is estimated to grow by CAGR 21 per cent), and 11 per cent from Tablets.

     

    Android dominates the mobile platform with mammoth 91 per cent market share, iOS holds 2 per cent share where as Windows occupies 6 per cent of the marketplace.

     

    An e-commerce expert said, “The number of smartphones is already higher than number of computers, moreover people spend more time on mobile phone compared to PCs and laptops. Besides that, from an app, wide variety of consumer insights can be acquired which can emerge as an effective factor when it comes to marketing. So there are a lot of factors which signifies the positives of apps and why players are taking the only app route.”

     

    According to the expert, it could be to subtly force consumers to download the app. “It could be that once they reach their target they might have both: the app and the website. They have already experienced it with Myntra. They certainly have a plan which might result in a temporary drop of their sales but in the long run will be efficiently effective.”

     

    India is the fastest growing smartphone market. It currently has over 200 million online shoppers dominated by travel category. The number is expected to witness huge growth as various players are starting different interactive initiatives to popularise the medium in rural India.

     

    Key challenges for Flipkart if they go only app way:

     

    .   Making consumers download the app.

    .   Not letting customers shift to competitors.

    .   Having adequate backend facilities to ensure smooth running of the app.

    .   Making proper use of the acquired consumer insights.

     

    The only app route can also open up opportunities for joint marketing and monetization avenues between the venture and telcos. What remains to be seen is if the only app formula will bring in another source of revenue for the venture. 

  • Snapdeal partners Microsoft for online store

    Snapdeal partners Microsoft for online store

    MUMBAI: Snapdeal and Microsoft have inked a partnership to launch the official Microsoft online store on Snapdeal. The brand store on Snapdeal will enable consumers in India to enjoy the global Microsoft store experience, while purchasing a range of Microsoft products. 

     

    Merchandise available on the brand store will include the full range of Microsoft products such as phones, tablets, PCs and software.

     

    “We are pleased to be partnering with Microsoft in opening their online store on Snapdeal. This unique, self-contained store built by Snapdeal will allow users seamless accessibility of Microsoft’s unified portfolio of phones, tablets, PCs and Microsoft software, all from the comfort of their homes. We work closely with our partners to enhance our mutual operating environments. With this initiative, we are taking another definitive step towards building India’s most impactful digital ecosystem,” said Snapdeal SVP, electronics and home Tony Navin. 

     

    The store has been curated keeping in mind the finer nuances associated with the Microsoft brand. The layout of the store has been customized to offer an integrated Windows customer experience. The store enables Microsoft to manage product selection, promotions and launches as per need/requirement and basis the analytics shared by Snapdeal.

     

    Microsoft India group OEM director Sharlin Thayil added, “Increasingly consumers are going online to shop for a number of things, including mobiles, tablets, laptops and software. We therefore see tremendous opportunity in delivering Microsoft products and services through our online store to these customers. Our latest store on Snapdeal will help us reach more such customers and offer excellent choice, value and service that customers expect from Microsoft stores.”

  • Snapdeal strengthens m-commerce biz with Letsgomo acquisition

    Snapdeal strengthens m-commerce biz with Letsgomo acquisition

    MUMBAI: In a move to strengthen its leadership in the m-commerce domain, Snapdeal has acquired mobility solutions company Letsgomo Labs.

     

    Letsgomo Labs provides end-to-end mobility solutions to businesses that are looking to harness the power of mobile. Founded by Manav Kamboj and Vikas Banga, the 76 member team with expertise across mobile technologies, design and strategy; consults businesses right from building mobile strategies to conceptualization of applications and mobile sites to implementation and hosting. The company also works with leading e-commerce companies to help them strengthen their mobile capabilities.

     

    With the acquisition, Letsgomo team will focus on strengthening the organisation’s mobile technology capabilities. Mobile is one of the key growth drivers of e-commerce in the country and building a robust mobile commerce platform has been a key focus area for Snapdeal.

     

    It may be recalled that in April this year, Snapdeal also acquired m-commerce company Freecharge. The company claims that 75 per cent of the orders on Snapdeal come via mobile based transactions. The recent acquisition of Martmobi – a mobile technology start up, was also a step towards further strengthening Snapdeal’s mobile platform.

     

    Snapdeal co-founder Rohit Bansal said, “Mobile is one of our key focus areas and in a span of just two years, the medium has proved to be one of the biggest growth drivers for the company. Delivering a great user experience across varying data connections and numerous handsets being used in the country is the guiding principle for our mobile initiatives. Over 75 per cent of our sales now come through mobile platforms and Letsgomo team becoming a part of our family will further propel our efforts in this direction.”

     

    Letsgomo co-founder Kamboj added, “Snapdeal is focused on building strong mobile capabilities and we are truly excited to be a part of the Snapdeal family. We strongly believe that new age technology innovations will happen here. Mobile will continue to drive e-commerce in the country and how companies utilize this platform will be a key success determinant. We look forward to building world class mobile technology at Snapdeal and set new benchmarks for the industry in this space.”