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Tag: South India

  • South India drives growth, contributes one-third of GDP: Chengappa

    South India drives growth, contributes one-third of GDP: Chengappa

    MUMBAI: South India is the nation’s true economic powerhouse, declared India Today, group editorial director, Raj Chengappa, as he opened the India today conclave south 2025 in Coimbatore.

    In his welcome address, Chengappa noted that though the six southern states account for just 20 per cent of India’s population, they contribute nearly one-third of the country’s GDP. He called this unmatched productivity proof of the region’s economic dynamism, underscoring its pivotal role in shaping India’s growth story.

    Chengappa urged a change in perspective: South India should no longer be viewed as “down south” but as “up south,” reflecting its leadership across development, technology, governance, and culture.

    The two-day conclave, held on September 8–9 in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, brings together leading politicians, policy thinkers, entrepreneurs, cultural icons, and innovators. Under the theme ‘Ideas from the south, for the nation’, sessions will explore transformative forces shaping the region, from disruptive technologies and governance models to emerging economic opportunities and cultural identities.

    Over the years, the south conclave has become a premier platform for dialogue, sparking debates on governance, entrepreneurship, and technology. Building on this legacy, the 2025 edition aims to showcase how ideas from the south are increasingly aligned with national aspirations and how the region’s contributions are steering India’s socio-economic future.

  • Excitel and OTTplay launch southern OTT pack at affordable price

    Excitel and OTTplay launch southern OTT pack at affordable price

    Mumbai: Excitel home internet startup has introduced the ‘Southern OTT Pack’ for modern entertainment enthusiasts in key southern cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mangalore, Guntur, Vijayawada, etc. In response to the surging global demand for high-speed internet coupled with diverse entertainment choices, this plan offers speeds up to 400 Mbps, 17 premium OTT, and a variety of more than 300 live TV channels, including Aha, SunNXT, RAJ Digital TV, ETV, NammaFlix in partnership with OTTplay.

    At an affordable price starting at just Rs 599/month for a 12-month subscription. This is an internet plan featuring content from major southern cities and languages, including Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mangalore, Guntur, Vijayawada, and more.

    On the launch of this plan, Varun Pasricha COO Excitel commented, “At Excitel, we’ve been at the forefront of redefining home entertainment. Today, we are thrilled to present India’s first South Plan, tailored for the rich tapestry of languages and cultures in regions like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and more. In response to the evolving landscape of home broadband and Cable TV, we’re putting an end to the era of restrictive DTH subscriptions and costly add-ons.

    Our new OTT Pack, starting at an affordable Rs 599/month for 12 months, not only offers affordable, high-quality viewing but also revolutionises user experience. By integrating over 17 OTT platforms into one seamless OTTplay app, we eliminate the hassle of multiple subscriptions and interfaces. Users can now enjoy a library of over more than 50,000 titles and shows with a single sign-on.

    Further, OTTplay’s cutting-edge AI technology enhances the viewing experience by analysing user preferences and viewing history. This results in personalised, cross-platform content recommendations, transforming the way our users discover and enjoy entertainment.

    Excitel and OTTplay Premium, AI-powered streaming platforms have joined forces with a shared vision to revolutionise home entertainment. This partnership aims to upgrade the experience as you navigate through your preferred shows, movies, and live TV—all consolidated into one dynamic and comprehensive package.

    OTTplay CEO and co-founder Avinash Mudaliar expressed his excitement about this partnership, saying, “This partnership is a watershed moment for Indian entertainment. With Excitel’s lightning-fast internet and OTTplay’s AI-powered recommendations, we’re creating a personalised content universe that redefines how viewers experience entertainment.”

    Excitel is actively collaborating on an exciting initiative to introduce a comprehensive north Plan, aiming to broaden its services. This expansion goes beyond just incorporating OTT apps, as Excitel plans to include a variety of regional northern apps. This strategic step reflects Excitel’s commitment to delivering diverse and region-specific content, ensuring that subscribers nationwide can enjoy a rich selection of entertainment.
     

  • MM TV appoints Smitha Narayanan as new sales & marketing head

    MM TV appoints Smitha Narayanan as new sales & marketing head

    Mumbai: The largest media network in South India, MM TV has appointed Smitha Narayanan as the new sales & marketing head. She will be overseeing the operations of its three channels – Mazhavil Manorama, Manorama News and ManoramaMAX OTT.

    Having over 18 years of experience, Smitha was associated with several blue-chip companies like Colgate, Palmolive, Dell Computers, Britannia Industries and Wipro Enterprises. She has played a crucial role in strategising sales, branding and product functions at these companies in various capacities. Prior to her association with MM TV, Smitha was with Wipro Yardley, a Middle East business based out of Dubai.

    Speaking on the appointment, MM TV CEO Satheesh PR said, “Having worked with brands across various markets, Smitha brings in her rich diversity and insight. We are happy to welcome her into MM TV’s senior leadership team and look forward to her contribution to strengthening our vision and pursuing our goals”.

    She is a graduate of IIM Lucknow and has the experience that can take MM TV to great heights.

  • ZEE5 announces RRR OTT premier in regional languages

    ZEE5 announces RRR OTT premier in regional languages

    After registering a tremendous success on theatrical release, RRR is all set to hit the OTT screens. On the eve of superstar NTR’s birthday, ZEE5 has announced the release of the blockbuster movie ‘RRR’ on ZEE5 on 20 May 2022. Expanding its TVOD portfolio, ZEE5 is set to launch the movie in multiple regional languages Tamil Telugu Kannada Malayalam with English subtitle across the globe in TVOD.

    According to the trade reports, the film remains at the top of box office charts with Rs 1100+ Cr box office collection worldwide.

    RRR- Rise Roar Revolt is based on the journey of two legendary revolutionaries depicting fire and water far away from their homeland. The superlative performance by Young Tiger Jr NTR and Mega Star Ram Charan has captivated audiences’ minds across geographies making it a landmark movie in Indian film industry.

    The film, directed by SS Rajamouli and produced by D. V. V. Danayya of DVV Entertainment, featuring Jr. NTR, Ram Charan & Alia Bhatt in the lead characters, had its worldwide theatrical release on 25 March, 2022. The film went on to become a national rage and a milestone in the southern entertainment industry; clocking a roaring success at the box office, and is now set to be released on ZEE5 for viewers across the globe to watch in their preferred language with English subtitles.

    Commenting on the announcement, ZEE5 chief business officer Manish Kalra said, “We are happy to bring RRR for our audiences in multiple languages, enabling them to consume in their preferred format. At ZEE5 the focus has always been to democratise content, making it accessible and economical for the larger audience. We have invested in building a diverse and strong portfolio for TVOD, in line with our plans to enhance in-home entertainment experiences. We are excited to see the response for the most celebrated movie of 2022.”

    Pen Studios’ CMD Jayantilal Gada said, “We are happy to associate with ZEE5, and proud that Pen Studios is instrumental in enhancing the reach of S.S. Rajamouli Ji’s RRR, which is one of the finest films and the pride of Indian cinema. RRR will now be available in four south Indian languages Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada to its viewers in TVOD format from 20 May.”

  • Mamaearth onboards Samantha Ruth Prabhu as brand ambassador

    Mamaearth onboards Samantha Ruth Prabhu as brand ambassador

    Mumbai: FMCG brand Mamaearth on Tuesday announced the onboarding of actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu as its brand ambassador. 

    Through this partnership, Mamaearth intends to anchor its presence in the southern market, along with strengthening its position nationally, said the statement. “Samantha will be endorsing skincare products while advocating choosing the goodness of natural ingredients,” it added.

    “Being a brand for millennials and driven by the purpose of goodness, we wish to partner with people who resonate with our philosophy of ‘Goodness Inside.’ Samantha represents the ideal youth, driven by ideals and purpose, and we strongly feel she will be able to support our purpose across India, especially the south Indian markets,” said Mamaearth co-founder and chief innovation officer Ghazal Alagh.

    “Anyone who follows me on social media knows that I am a big fan of natural ingredients and traditional home remedies for my skin. Mamaearth is a brand that truly embodies my personal preferences for skincare,” commented Samantha Ruth Prabhu. “When they approached me to endorse the brand, I knew this was a brand that I had to partner with, not only because of their products but their purpose of ‘Goodness Inside.’”

  • Zee Group expands across South India; launches four regional news channels

    Zee Group expands across South India; launches four regional news channels

    Mumbai: Expanding its footprint across South India, Zee Group on Tuesday announced the launch of four digital news channels – Zee Tamil News, Zee Kannada News, Zee Malayalam News and Zee Telugu News to cater to the tech-savvy young viewers in the southern market.

     “It is a great feat for us to enter the South Indian market with digital news channels that aren’t just selling debates. We see a gap in honest, unbiased, and extensive on-ground reporting in these markets, and hence these channels will cater to fulfilling that gap. We aim to be the most trustworthy news brand of these markets,” stated CEO of South channels Purushottam Vaishnava.

    According to the data cited by the company, the internet penetration of South India is much higher compared to the rest of India. The time spent watching videos per day has also increased by 60–70 per cent over 2018–20, where 85 per cent of content viewed is non-English and 30 per cent in languages other than English or Hindi. “With 68 per cent of the population consuming news through digital platforms, Zee plans to address the need for a voice which can focus on the real on-ground situations,” it said in a statement.

    Zee Media founder and Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Chandra said, “It is indeed a great pleasure for us that we are launching four digital news channels in South India. Helmed by Purushottam and very capable editors – Manjesh Gopal, Ravi, Sebi Stanley and Bharat Kumar – I believe that we will be one of the most trusted news sources and set new benchmarks in the news media. We will soon be launching a news channel in Kashmiri language too.”

    The channels which will fall under India Dotcom Private Ltd have also launched a marketing campaign with a focus on the digital platform along with radio and TV.

    Udaya Kumar, who was appointed as the sales head for the south digital channels said, “We have carefully curated programming that caters to all the needs and wants of an educated viewer. Our focus is not just politics but includes a plethora of other genres like crime scene investigation, political satire, lifestyle, health, etc. Looking forward to some great work with this dynamic team and contributing to the revenue growth across all four south Indic languages.”

    The channels – Zee Tamil News, Zee Kannada News, Zee Malayalam News, and Zee Telugu News – will be available on the respective websites as well as YouTube platforms, social media platforms such as Facebook, OTT streaming platforms like Zee5 and others along with news aggregators like Dailyhunt, etc, said the company.

  • PhonePe launches hyper-local campaign in South India

    PhonePe launches hyper-local campaign in South India

    Mumbai: While there is a PhonePe Insurance campaign for Hindi-speaking markets, talking to South India meant starting with a fresh slate for the online insurance brand. After a multi-agency pitch, 82.5 Communications won the creative mandate to extend PhonePe’s ‘Tension Chhodo, Insurance Lo’ campaign to the five states of South India. 

    82.5 Communications brought together its knowledge and insights of South India towards one objective – build consideration for PhonePe insurance, while communicating about the various features that ladder up to ‘No Tension Insurance.’

    Commenting on the association, PhonePe director – brand marketing Ramesh Srinivasan said, “When our brand is a household name, the stories we take to our audience’s homes should also be relevant and relatable to every household. One of the key pillars of our communications strategy has been to position PhonePe not just as a national brand but a regional one as well, for each and every consumer of ours. The insurance campaign for PhonePe created by 82.5 Communications for South India markets aims to do just that – a full 360 campaign not just adapted from the mainline but custom-designed for the sensibilities and nuances of each of the 5 states in the south.”  

    “The PhonePe insurance campaign was an opportunity for us to flex our hyperlocal creative muscle—a muscle we have consciously built, across Marathi, Bengali and Southern Indian languages, for example,” stated 82.5 Communications-India chairman and CCO Sumanto Chattopadhyay. “Advertising often treats South India as a homogenous whole, but in this campaign, we got the opportunity to create afresh for five Southern states—so what the consumer sees is the same concept that is yet not the same, both in terms of language and cultural nuancing.” 

    “We at 82.5 Communications take pride in being a language first agency and that is what we have brought alive in this campaign,” said 82.5 Communications-South SVP and branch head Naveen Raman. “This South-focused campaign is thought through in the respective regional languages dialing up local insights and nuances. Each market will get to see a series of multiple films well supported by print, radio and digital.” 

    The chosen creative idea features two brothers who discover the various features of PhonePe Insurance through the multi-film campaign. Four films are already live, with more to come.  

    82.5 Communications–South group creative directors Sangeetha Sampath and Ravikumar Cherussola elaborated on the creative process and said, “Gone are the days of dubbing an obviously non-South ad in the four languages of South India. Furthermore, while certain insights could remain common across the Southern states, there is a vast difference in culture, language, traditions, and nuances. And we wanted to capture that perfectly, and respectfully. Every ad of the Two Brothers campaign has been shot separately for the 5 states, featuring native actors of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh & Telangana. This hyper-local thinking and execution extends to print and digital too.”

  • Believe buys out Think Music to boost South India position

    Believe buys out Think Music to boost South India position

    Mumbai: Digital music company Believe has acquired Think Music, a South India-based music label. With this acquisition, the company wants to further strengthen its position in South India. “The acquisition will help Think Music accelerate the growth and monetisation of its whole catalogue by leveraging Believe’s digital-first approach, back catalogue optimisation know-how, and technological expertise,” Believe said in a statement on Monday.

    The deal will enable Think Music to access Believe’s innovative technologies and expertise to drive video audience development and monetisation short-form video format and leverage Believe’s financial support to expand further its soundtrack acquisition strategy as well, Believe said in a media statement. With the combined subscriber base of both the partners’ YouTube channels, artists will also be able to reach an audience of more than 60 million YouTube subscribers, it added.

    “I am confident that we will work together to accelerate Think Music digital growth and provides artists with shared expertise and innovation,” stated Believe India managing director Vivek Raina on the new development.

    Founded in 2017, Think Music claims to have launched over 40 debut composers including Santhosh Narayanan, Ghibran, and hip-hop Tamizha. The current management team at Think Music led by Swaroop Reddy will continue to operate after the acquisition and focus on building the catalogue under Think Music Label and overseeing the backend integration.

    The acquisition will also expand Believe’s local coverage and as a result, it becomes more organised to help South Indian artists to diversify monetisation sources and grow their audiences at every stage of their career. “Believe’s wide array of innovative, digital-first solutions combined with think Music’s relentless focus on providing the best platform to film, non-film and independent artists soundtracks, will create significant value for all stakeholders,” said Think Music founder Swaroop Reddy.

  • McDonald’s India introduces special meal dedicated to actor Rashmika Mandanna

    McDonald’s India introduces special meal dedicated to actor Rashmika Mandanna

    Mumbai: McDonald’s India (South and West) has launched a special meal – ‘The Rashmika Meal,’ in collaboration with South actor Rashmika Mandanna to delight her fans. According to a statement, this meal includes all of Rashmika’s favorites – McSpicy Fried Chicken, McSpicy Chicken Burger, Piri Piri Fries, Nimbu Fizz and McFlurry, in exclusive packaging.

    The Famous Orders platform has seen global success at McDonald’s. From the Mariah Carey Meal in the US to the BTS Meal that was launched in over 50 markets worldwide. ‘The Rashmika Meal’ will be available across all McDonald’s restaurants in South India, said the brand.  

    “Everyone, including the most famous celebrities have their go-to order at McDonald’s. We are really excited to collaborate with Rashmika and bring ‘The Rashmika Meal’ to her millions of fans, and can’t wait to see them enjoy it just the way she does,” stated McDonald’s India (West and South) director of marketing and communications Arvind RP.

    McDonald’s India has also unveiled a TVC that shows Rashmika enjoying her meal in her unique way.  “McDonald’s has been my comfort food for as long as I can remember. I have grown up with the brand. I have always loved to indulge in the McSpicy Chicken Burger with Piri Piri fries placed inside it. McFlurry has been another go-to to celebrate all big and small wins of life,” said the actor.

  • Zee5 onboards Lloyd Xavier as marketing director, South

    Zee5 onboards Lloyd Xavier as marketing director, South

    Mumbai: Video streaming service ZEE5 has brought on board Lloyd Xavier as marketing director for the South region, as per his updated LinkedIn profile.

    Xavier’s appointment comes at a time when the OTT platform is focused on its growth and expansion strategy in the southern markets.

    Starting his career as an analyst with Deloitte in 2010, Xavier has over a decade of experience in the field of marketing, digital and social. He was last associated with Arha Media and Broadcasting as assistant vice president, marketing.

    Previously, he worked with Telugu streaming platform aha as AVP – marketing, Network18 as senior marketing manager, YuppTV as marketing manager.

    He holds a master’s degree in business administration from MIT, School of Business, Pune.