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Tag: Times Network

  • Times Network rolls out times M.A.N (Movies and News) pack campaign

    Times Network rolls out times M.A.N (Movies and News) pack campaign

    MUMBAI: Times Network, India’s leading television broadcast network has rolled out the Times M.A.N (Movies and News) Pack campaign, in line with TRAI’s new tariff regime. Enhancing the positioning of the network, the campaign captures the distinct attributes of its strong bouquet of influential brands across best in class English Movies and News.

    Leading with the insight, ‘you are what you watch’, the quirky campaign is layered with a light hearted and humorous tone targeting women, with a compelling and differentiated pitch of making their man better with the Times M.A.N Pack (a smart acronym for Movies and News pack), priced at Rs. 13/- per month.

    Commenting on the campaign, MK Anand, MD & CEO, Times Network said, “With a clutter breaking proposition, the Times M.A.N Pack campaign moves beyond the general focus on price appeal, which most networks are basing their campaigns on and exemplify the distinct traits of our premium brands as we subtly make a statement that Times Network viewers are smarter, savvier and more stylish due to their superior content choice. We are encouraged by the reactions on social media and I am glad that the campaign has successfully evoked curiosity among consumers about our offering, which further reinforces the network as the preferred choice of smart urban viewers”.

    The campaign has been conceptualised by Famous Innovations for Times Network and the network has rolled out a 360-degree aggressive marketing campaign that includes:

    45 sec TV commercial (Link –  https://youtu.be/h0umg7w1YVU ) in Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada across key geographies including HSM, West Bengal, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu
    Print ads and innovations across all the editions of The Times Group dailies
    Radio spots across 4 leading stations
    Social media marketing across prominent digital mediums
    Communications across network channels and digital/social assets

    Times M.A.N pack offered at a compelling price of Rs. 13/-, is a strong mix of channels including 3 premium English news (Times Now, Mirror Now, ET Now), one Bollywood entertainment (Zoom) and 3 English movie channels (Movies Now, MNX and Romedy NOW).

  • ET NOW Unveils Mega Pre-Budget Line-Up

    ET NOW Unveils Mega Pre-Budget Line-Up

    MUMBAI: Setting the agenda for the interim budget, ET NOW, India's leading English business news channel from Times Network, has unveiled special programming in the run-up to Budget 2019. Themed ‘Poll Vault’, ET NOW will capture the economic and political fervour of the Interim Budget, as the country gets into the election mode.

    Starting January 25 to February 01, ET NOW will focus on the growth agendas by bringing industry leaders from across sectors face to face with top policy-makers.

    1. STREET VIEW: Anchored by Nikunj Dalmia, Managing Editor, ET NOW and Ayesha Faridi, Senior News Editor, ET NOW, the show will have top market veterans decoding D-Street’s expectations from Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley.

    2. BUDGET DEBATE:  Supriya Shrinate, Executive Editor, ET NOW will bring top economists and experts on a special edition of ET NOW’s the India Development Debate. The power-packed show will highlight the problems being faced by the common man. 

    3. MACROS WITH MYTHILI: “Is India on the right fiscal path and what should the Finance Minister do to bridge the twin deficit?” As Arun Jaitley unveils the Modi government’s last Budget in the current term, ET NOW’s Consulting Editor, Mythili Bhurnurmath will put in perspective the challenges for the finance minister.

    4. FAMILY BUDGET: “How to beat inflation and stay the course when it comes to the family budget?” The show will answer the common man’s burning question even as it offers insights on how to manage one’s finances for a stress-free tomorrow. This show will be anchored by Taneia Bhardwaj, ET NOW Anchor and Senior News Editor.

    5. CAMPUS BUDGET: The coming years will see the increasing role of the Millennials in nation-building. This special programme will focus on the expectations of the Millennials from the Union Budget. The show will be anchored by ET NOW’s news anchors Rahul Dayama, Ruchi Bhatia and Avanne Dubash.

    6. THE MUTUAL FUND: Nikunj Dalmia, Managing Editor, ET NOW will guide the viewers on where to put their money and hedge oneself from market volatility. This special show will help our viewers shield them against volatile moves through mutual fund investments.

    7. BUDGET ROUNDTABLE: The two-part special chat show will see industry experts sharing their thoughts on the key ingredients for Budget 2019. The show will be anchored by Nayantara Rai, News Anchor & Chief of Delhi Bureau, and Ruchi Bhatia.

    8. THE BUDGET HOTLINE: Forget complex tax tweaks and jargons, this show will demystify technical terms to help the common man make most of Budget 2019. In this special call-in shows, viewers will get their queries answered by experts. The show will be anchored by Nayantara Rai.

    9. STATE OF THE ECONOMY POLL: ET NOW will get the on-ground report of the state of the economy. This special show will provide our viewers a true picture of the economy as seen by top CEOs. This show will be anchored by Supriya Shrinate, Executive Editor, ET NOW.

    10. AGENDA FOR FM: On the eve of the Union Budget 2019, ET NOW will broadcast a special show setting the agenda for the Finance Minister on February 1, 2019. The show will be hosted and anchored by Supriya Shrinate.

    ET NOW will be a torch bearer of pre-budget debates 2019 with its power packed shows anchored by Nikunj Dalmia, Ayesha Faridi, Supriya Shrinate, Mythili Bhurnurmath, Nayantara Rai, Ruchi Bhatia, Taneia Bhardwaj, will ensure that the viewers get a comprehensive insight on Budget 2019.

  • Times Network international biz head Naveen Chandra moves on

    Times Network international biz head Naveen Chandra moves on

    MUMBAI: Times Network’s international business head Naveen Chandra has stepped down and will be serving his last day on 28 February. He confirmed the news to Indiantelevision.com.

    Chandra has been associated with Times Group for over 16 years. Previous to Times Network, he worked as head, strategy and new initiatives at Times Global Broadcasting Company (TGBCL), the parent company of Times Network. He joined Radio Mirchi as executive VP and National sales director.

    Overall, he has 25 years of experience in business operations, sales and marketing across broadcast tv, radio, print, internet and digital mediums across Indian and international markets.

    Before Radio Mirchi, he worked with Sesa Seat for over a decade.

    Earlier this year, Times Network has also appointed Amitabh Biswas as head of marketing, English entertainment cluster. In his role, Amitabh will lead the brand and media strategy for the Network’s English entertainment channels (Movies Now, Romedy Now, MNX and MN+) across platforms.

  • Times Network salutes the spirit of heroism with its Republic Day movie line-up

    Times Network salutes the spirit of heroism with its Republic Day movie line-up

    MUMBAI: Times Network, India’s leading television broadcasting network, celebrates the 70th Republic Day of India by taking its viewers on a remarkable journey of valiance on its channels MOVIES NOW and MNX. Celebrating strength, valour and action, the Network’s English movie channels MOVIES NOW and MNX outlines an exclusive line-up of Hollywood blockbusters on R-Day.

    Commending the true essence of heroism and passion, Movies NOW outsets the spirit of Republic Day with its property – ‘Badge of Courage’. Starting from 9am to 9pm, the day-long movie festival will salute the daring heroes who fought evil against all odds. The festival boasts an exclusive line up of movies including ‘Captain America: Civil War’, ‘Iron Man 3’, ‘The Dark Knight’, ‘Skyfall’ and ‘London Has Fallen’, that will definitely ignite the spirit of nationalism and patriotism amongst the viewers.

    In parallel, MNX will correct the incorrect with an explosive line up of films through its latest property ‘Line of Control’ that promises to showcase the true spirit of bravery, determination and resilience that personifies a real hero. The viewers will witness the tales of champions with a marathon of movies like ‘Gladiator’, ‘Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies’, ‘Robocop’, 10,000 BC and ‘The 13th Warrior’.

  • Broadcasters to TRAI: No further regulation of OTT communication services

    Broadcasters to TRAI: No further regulation of OTT communication services

    MUMBAI: Major broadcasters including Star India, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) and Times Network are clear they do not favour any further regulatory intervention on over-the-top (OTT) communication services. All three players have argued that OTTs should not be seen as a substitute for TSPs. While submitting their feedback comments on the TRAI consultation paper, the broadcasters have highlighted that although some of the services provided by OTTs may seem similar to TSPs, they have highly dissimilar nature especially when it comes to technology and revenue model. The major focus area of the TRAI paper is the issue regarding the relationship between OTTs and TSPs.

    Star India point of view

    Apart from suggesting TRAI to not regulate OTT communication services, Star India has also highlighted that OTTs are licensed under Section 4 of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 and hence the regulator does not have the authority to regulate them.

    The broadcaster feels that TRAI’s concerns around “Privacy, Security and Interception” are valid but the provisions under Information Technology Act, 2000 are already in place to address those. Moreover, the Justice BN Srikrishna committee is also working towards reinforcing the provisions under Draft Personal Data Protection Bill, 2018.

    “The consultation paper assumes certain applications of OTTs (‘OTT Communication Services’) as substitutes to TSP services. This assumption appears unfounded and there is no discernible rationale in keeping with any existing legal criteria or technical parameters, such as those outlined in basic competition law on substitutability, for TRAI to have concluded so in the consultation paper,” the broadcaster points out with respect to “Substitutability” as the basis for regulating OTT ecosystem.

    SPN’s take on the issue

    SPN has strongly advocated for the forbearance of OTTs as it will ensure the growth of the sector. According to the broadcaster, any additional regulation could have an adverse impact on the growth of internet applications and platforms.

    SPN has pointed out that the consultation paper mentions OTT players do not have licensing and regulatory obligations while TSPs incur license fees and have to meet regulatory obligations. The broadcaster, in its submission, has argued that the operation of OTT platforms is not dependent on TSPs but on the internet. In addition to that, the services being provided by the OTT platforms are free of cost, although consumers do bear the cost of data charges/internet which are accrued by TSPs and the revenues are not passed on to the streamers.

    “We believe that no regulatory intervention is required since it could stifle innovation and straitjacket technological innovation and the development of this sunrise sector. A policy of forbearance on regulation [as has been the case so far] should be continued in order to avoid hampering growth in the sector,” SPN said in the submission.

    At the same time, the broadcaster has also added that telcos should be given opportunities to avail fair market pricing as well as sufficient policy-backed impetus to enable them to invest in infrastructure and upgradation of technology.

    Times Network bats for forbearance

    On a similar note, the Times Network has also highlighted the differences between OTTs and TSPs. While voice calling and text messaging are the primary services of TSPs, the same are secondary services for OTTs. Moreover, there is an inherent difference in the technology used by OTTs and TSPs for calls and messaging. Hence, Times Network thinks the services cannot be classed as “similar services” from a licensing perspective.

    “Further, TSPs as ISPs are access providers who control the underlying broadband access infrastructure, with few market players due to high barriers to market entry. By contrast, OTTs do not control the underlying broadband access point, have significantly lower barriers to market entry and are faced with many competing services, unlike TSPs. Consumers can add or stop using OTTs at will whereas switching between TSPs involves incurring the cost for the consumer and generally involves a longer relationship,” the broadcaster added in the submission.

    Due to the palpable differences between TSPs and OTTs, Times Network believes OTT platforms should not be regulated on the lines of TSP. The broadcaster is also of the view that inter-operability of the OTT services with the services provided by the TSPs may promote competition and benefit the end users.

    “We also recommend non-introduction/ non-imposition of any unwarranted regulations which may impede the growth of this buzzing as well as budding industry which has given a huge push to the start-up entrepreneurial spirit in the country. Also, interoperability of OTT apps with traditional network-based services may lead to a loss of innovative features and functions available on OTT services,” the submission also read.

    As per Times Network’s outlook, any licensing norm for OTT would affect consumer welfare, individuals, companies and entire industries. It could also create entry barriers in the industry, especially for startups.

    ZEEL also against the regulatory framework

    ZEEL submitted its response to TRAI on behalf of its digital arm ZEE5. The growing online video player has also advocated complete forbearance on any kind of regulatory framework by the authority. It has also been added that OTT service providers are intrinsically distinct from network providers like TSPs and ISPs. Like other players, ZEE5 also thinks substitutability should not be treated as the primary criterion for comparison of regulatory or licensing norms applicable to TSPs and OTT service providers. It has also added that there is no issue of a non-level playing field between OTT service providers and TSPs providing same or similar services as both OTT providers and TSPs complement each other.

    “The future of digital product offerings and growth of OTT services will depend on a robust environment which does not stifle technology-based innovation and provide a competitive market environment. Low entry barriers for new entrants, minimal regulatory barriers and technological advancement will be the cornerstone of such growth of the sector for investments, innovation, and consumer interest. Therefore, we urge the Authority that a policy of forbearance is best suited,” ZEE5 stated.

    Most of the above-mentioned players agree that OTTs have helped in the growth of TSPs. As all the OTTs require high-speed internet, data usage increases among users which in turn help TSPs’ revenue. The decline in voice calls and messaging is being complemented by high data use helping telcos to recover the loss.

  • Times Network and NSE launch Prosperous India 2019

    Times Network and NSE launch Prosperous India 2019

    MUMBAI: Times Network, India’s leading television broadcasting network, in partnership with NSE launched ‘Prosperous India 2019’, a pathbreaking investor awareness initiative in Mumbai, today. Encouraging Indians for a greater participation in the country’s growth story, the initiative aims to enable investors, stakeholders and public with financial freedom, prosperity and an opportunity to ‘Rise with India’.

    India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and holds an advantage of a rising middle class across demography. ‘Prosperous India’ in its entirety is committed to improve the financial wellbeing of people with a focus to provide a platform to ensure financial security and sustainability for an investor to grow as India progresses.

    The launch event witnessed a fireside chat between Vikram Limaye, Managing Director and CEO, NSE and Nikunj Dalmia, Managing Editor, ET NOW on ‘Financially Sustainable India, A Prosperous India’. This was followed by a panel discussion on ‘When India Prospers, Investors Prosper’, moderated by Nikunj Dalmia with market stalwarts that included Vishal Kapoor, Chief Executive Officer, IDFC Asset Management, Manish Gunwani, CIO – Equity Investments, Reliance Mutual Fund and Lakshmi Iyer, CIO – Fixed Income & Head Products, Kotak Mutual Funds.

    Inaugurating the initiative, MK Anand, MD & CEO, Times Network, said, “We have been championing India’s growth story with our continued commitment to encourage citizens to ‘Rise with India’. Through this initiative, we see an opportunity to educate Indians to choose investment methods, thereby empowering them to secure a strong financial future. With Prosperous India 2019, we look forward to building a financially sustainable India and contribute to India’s growth story”.

    Commenting on the initiative, Vikram Limaye, Managing Director and CEO, NSE, said, “ Over the last 25 years, NSE’s commitment to investor education has been a continuous and consistent effort. As India’s largest exchange, we believe that one of our key responsibility is to encourage more people to participate in India’s growth story and benefit from the growing Indian economy. The substantial increase in participation in equity and mutual funds in the recent years and broadening of the investor base is an encouraging development. We need to help our new entrance into the market and guide the investors, members and ensure all participants benefit from the market over a long term. This will keep the investors interested and drive the markets towards the sustainable growth. The NSE ‘Prosperous India 2019’ initiative with Times Network is an important development and this launch event marks an important milestone”.

    As part of the initiative, ET NOW will host 24 on-ground forums, reaching out a wide spectrum of people across 12 cities – Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Indore, Lucknow, Pune, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai, Jaipur, New Delhi and Surat. ‘Prosperous India’ will educate the masses on investment methods and trends thus enabling them to make the best returns as India Prospers. The initiative will culminate with a grand telethon on TIMES NOW, ET NOW and Mirror NOW.

  • Times Network appoints Amitabh Biswas to Head Marketing for the English Entertainment cluster

    Times Network appoints Amitabh Biswas to Head Marketing for the English Entertainment cluster

    Mumbai: Times Network, India’s leading television broadcasting network, today announced the appointment of Amitabh Biswas as Head of Marketing, English Entertainment cluster. In his role, Amitabh will lead the brand and media strategy for the Network’s English Entertainment channels (Movies Now, Romedy Now, MNX and MN+) across platforms. Based in Mumbai, Amitabh will report to Vivek Srivastava, EVP and Head Entertainment Cluster, Times Network. 

    Commenting on the appointment, Vivek Srivastava, EVP and Head Entertainment Cluster, Times Network said, “I’m delighted to welcome Amitabh to the Times Network team.A versatile marketing professional with a proven track record in brand building along with a strong understanding of the business, Amitabhwill be an asset to our brands. I am confident that he will add tremendous value to our ambitious growth strategy in the English Entertainment segment.”

    Speaking on his new role, Amitabh Biswassaid,“It’s great to be back at the organization where I’ve grown through critical stages of my career.With continuous break-throughs in the media platforms, evolution of the connected consumer and tectonic shifts in their content appetite, I look forward to this opportunity to enter the next era with these leading entertainment brands.”

    With over 15 years ofbrand management experience acrossbroadcasting, advertising, telecom and management consulting, Amitabh joins Times Network after his entrepreneurial venture. In his previous roles, Amitabh has worked with Times Network’s news channels, RelianceInfocom, Star News, Bloomberg UTV,Star Majha, Star Ananda, where he focused on brand inventions, market research, strategic planning and operations.
     

  • Movie premieres, HD adoption, OTT challenge for English entertainment, movies in 2018

    Movie premieres, HD adoption, OTT challenge for English entertainment, movies in 2018

    MUMBAI:  It was a good year for English entertainment and movies channels. 2018 saw some big Hollywood premieres even as channels went the route of content segmentation and HD adoption.

    Leaving behind the concerns of GST and demonetisation, the industry did much better this year. Industry experts suggest that a small correction expected in the content acquisition cost in 2019. This will come on account of two things – revenue growth across years in the genre and the evolution of business models as some broadcasters are sharing their first output windows with SVOD players.

    Times Network EVP & head-entertainment cluster Vivek Srivastava said, “We had a strong festive season and are now set for an aggressive Q4 to end the year. We have driven premiums, sponsorships and managed to deliver great value to our advertisers. The highlight for us would be the success of MNX. With it, we now have two brands in top 4 (Movies Now and MNX) and that’s a healthy space to be in. We command more than one third of the total English entertainment viewership and are poised to drive our fair share from the market.”

    Two of its channels out of the four are in the top 5 list of BARC ratings week 49. Movies Now led the chart with 2769 impressions ‘000 and MNX was at the third position with 2213 impressions ‘000.

    Times Network’s newest brand MNX has been dangling above HBO in six metro markets. The group has close to 1500 titles and 25-30 shows for its movie channels. The content comes from four major production houses Disney, MGM, NBC and Warner Bros which are long term deals. The network holds the second output of NBC after SPN India.

    Sony Pictures Network India’s (SPNI) English cluster grew by 34 per cent in FY19 (17 per cent till date) as compared to FY18 (13 per cent). The legacy brand AXN, in 2018, emerged as the leader in all India 15+ market with 25 per cent market share according to the broadcaster. The channel introduced two new properties in 2018- AXN Premiere Club and AXN Bestsellers.

    In 2018, Sony Pix witnessed some big Indian television premieres like Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom, Mortal Engines, First Man, Skyscraper. SPNI business head English cluster Tushar Shah said, “We believe that content will continue to be the driving force. We at SPN offer best-in-class entertainment to viewers across all our platforms. Our programming and marketing initiatives are driven by clear consumer insight and deep market research. We are extremely happy with our content performance and are bullish about a bright future.” The English cluster of SPN picks up content from Disney, Warner Bros, NBC Universal, Lionsgate and PVR Pictures.

    The English movies genre is a tough nut to crack with many players vying for a small viewership pie. But that didn’t deter Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) from launching a new channel to wow viewers. On 3 June, &flix was launched under its separate ‘&’ brand identity. The channel claimed that it was meant for those who are in search of new experiences and wanting to take quantum leaps. This also saw the shutdown of Zee Studio, an 18-year-old brand.

    Zeel’s English cluster brings content from a large library of exclusive titles sourced from many independent Hollywood players and studios such as Paramount, PVR, Sony and Disney.

    This year also saw &Prive HD cement its base in the market. The channel had upped its list of top rated movies to show during primetime. In early 2018, it had 450 titles to boast of, just a few months after launch, from names like Paramount, Reliance, Tanvir and PVR. &Prive HD is taking the non-conformist route, just like its target audience of 22-50, by even picking up films from independent producers in Europe.

    Launching an exclusively HD channel and that too for the crème-de-la-crème of Indian viewers was a risk. High net worth homes are the target of &Prive HD but this is also the segment that can afford many other quicker options like OTT.

    Turner India, which holds two channels HBO and WB also had a list of premieres to enthral viewers including Dunkirk, Wonder Woman, The Lego Batman movie, Annabelle 2, Transformers: The Last Knight, Baywatch, Justice League, Kong: Skull Island etc. In the start of the year, the network had its aim as engaging its fans deeper with personal communication through mediums that they are comfortable with such as WhatsApp.

    According to the KPMG in India’s M&E report 2018, the English GEC genre saw an 8.5 per cent growth in advertising expenditure from 1.7 per cent in FY17 to 1.8 per cent in FY18, despite pressure on relative positioning in English viewership on account of the change in the measurement methodology. English Movies genre also witnessed an increase of 3.33 per cent in FY18 compared to FY17.

    “2019 is expected to start on a good note with Q4 carrying forward the positivity and excitement of the festive season. The fact that we have some of our biggest properties – ‘100 Mania’ on Movies Now and ‘Kings of Hollywood’ on MNX only strengthens the proposition. Also with the elections coming up in 2019 and the economy going strong, we are likely to have a strong exit to this financial year,” Srivastava added.

    Times Network estimated that the genre grew by 15-20 per cent more than the previous year’s figure which was Rs 700 crore.

    There was an increase in the uptake of HD channels with 10-12 million subscribers availing HD services at the end of FY18. This number is likely to have gone up by the end of the calendar year 2018. The DTH players have been the front-runners in up-selling HD services to their customers with MSOs only managing to garner about 1-1.5 million HD subscribers. On an average, an HD subscriber results in a 1.5-1.7x ARPU as compared to SD subscribers.

    Another challenge that these genres will have to face in the coming years will be that of the growing presence of OTT. With data cost coming down and access to content widening (over 30 OTT players already), viewers could be tempted to skip the remote in favour of their cell phones whenever they wish to watch an English show or movie. What still works in favour of TV is its picture consistency, which gets hampered on OTT due to unstable data, and the screen size. For now, it also looks like OTT players, including ones from SPNI and ZEEL, are more focused on creating new content rather than depend on seen ones to grow viewership.

  • Times Network announces new channel pricing with ‘The Times Network Value Pack’

    Times Network announces new channel pricing with ‘The Times Network Value Pack’

    MUMBAI: Times Network, India’s leading television broadcasting network, announced its channel packs in three categories – Times Network News Pack, Times Network Value Pack and Times Network HD Premium Pack, in compliance with the TRAI tariff order. With a strong bouquet of influential brands in its portfolio across best in class English news, world class Hollywood and Bollywood entertainment, Times Network’s unique proposition is a requisite for the smart urban viewers to complete their TV viewing experience. 

    The Times Network Value Pack at a compelling price of Rs. 13/- includes a strong mix of channels including Times NOW, ET NOW, Mirror NOW, Zoom, Movies Now, MNX and Romedy NOW, thereby making it a go to network for the consumers for their daily dose of information and entertainment. The other variant packs include Times Network News Pack at Rs. 5/- that includes English news channels and Bollywood entertainment channel and Times Network HD Premium Pack at Rs. 20/- which includes all SD (non-simulcast) & HD channels of the network. *refer list below for complete details of the packs

    MK Anand, MD & CEO, Times Network said, “TRAI’s tariff order is a transformational shift which will lead to a coherent framework that safeguards consumer interests and strengthen the offerings of the broadcasters. As we transition into this new phase, we see this as an opportunity that enables transparency and flexibility to TV viewing experience and benefits the entire TV ecosystem. We consistently create disruptive and engaging content for the progressive Indian consumers and we are confident that we will continue to be the preferred English network that offers differentiated content at a compelling price”.

  • Times Network sets India’s $5 Trillion growth agenda through the 5thedition of ‘India Economic Conclave 2018’: Day 1

    Times Network sets India’s $5 Trillion growth agenda through the 5thedition of ‘India Economic Conclave 2018’: Day 1

    MUMBAI: Times Network, a part of India’s largest media conglomerate, The Times Group, commenced its signature event, India Economic Conclave 2018 in its 5th edition in Mumbai today. Driving this edition’s theme, ‘Shaping India’s $5 Trillion growth agenda’, Day 1 of the two-day conclave witnessed influential leaders, global visionaries and key policymakers address the audience through a series of panel discussions and deliberations on enabling greater economic growth of India.

    Celebrating the leadership of Indian economy at the world stage, India Economic Conclave 2018 curated thought provoking sessions, insights and inspiring glimpse into the future with a clear focus to enable the rapid transformation of India to a global powerhouse.MK Anand, MD & CEO, Times Network delivered the inaugural address and DevendraFadnavis, Chief Minister, Maharashtra, set the context for the Conclave with his keynote address highlighting the key contributing factors in achieving the 5 Trillion growth agenda and his aspirations for making Maharashtra the first Indian state to have a Trillion dollar economy by 2025. Baba Ramdev,Co-Founder – PatanjaliAyurved Ltd., reflected his thoughts on ‘The Swadeshi Magic’ and Trivendra Singh Rawat, Chief Minister, Uttarakhand deliberated on how the Indian states can deliver to our Prime Minister’s vision of putting India in the elite club of 5-trillion-dollar economies. KiranMajumdar Shaw, CMD – Biocon Ltd, Arundhati Bhattacharya, Former SBI Chairmanand Suneeta Reddy, MD – Apollo Hospitalsdiscussed how India is progressing with more Women Achievers coming to the forefront. David Hanson gave an interesting and inspirational glimpse into the future through an interactive chat on Artificial Intelligence & Humans and Jimmy Wales & Ralph Simon in a fireside chat discussed the pros and cons of digital freedom.

    MK Anand, MD & CEO, TIMES NETWORK said, “India Economic Conclave through the course of its 4 editions has successfully carved its own niche to become the most definitive global platform for driving India’s Economic Agenda. The 5th edition comes in the backdrop of very volatile news flow, with ensuing global trade war on one side and key state election results on the other. From RBI Governor’s resignation to the upcoming general elections, the Indian economy is at an interesting inflection point. With a strong purpose to drive the narrative of shaping the $5 trillion agenda, India Economic Conclave strives to build conversations with policy makers, think tanks and global experts for constructive dialogue and discussions on critical points concerning the Indian economy”.   

    Mr. DevendraFadnavis, Chief Minister, Maharashtra, said, “What is the strategy towards the 5 Trillion Economy? The first trillion will come from Agriculture & Allied Activities, the second trillion should come from manufacturing. The biggest contribution to the 5 Trillion Economy will come from the services sector, it’s not just the traditional services but modern services – industries 2.0, and all the allied activities like fin tech, big data, AI, block chain and digital economy. It is estimated that out that out of this 3 trillion, 1 trillion can come from digital economy. To support these three verticals we need a horizontal push of infrastructure as that’s the key to fast tracking to 5 Trillion economy. 

    Highlighting Maharashtra’s contribution to the 5 Trillion economy, Mr. Fadnavis added, “Maharashtra accounts for 51% percent of big infrastructure projects in India. We have also created strong governances with a war room which has brought down the time of approvals by 75%. We have attracted over 8Lakh Crore investments through the registered 18000 projects. We have started a fin tech & direct purchase policy in the state. Today, Maharashtra is the start-up & FDI capital of the country. We aspire that by 2025, when India’s economy will be 5 Trillion, Maharashtra will be the first Indian state to have a Trillion dollar economy”

    Sharing his views at the India Economic Conclave 2018,Mr. RaghuramRajan,Former RBI Governorsaid, “We must first pat ourselves on the back for what we’ve done so far. 25 years of 7% growth is a good thing and so we have come some distance. What helps us grow in a healthy way is strong institutions, whether it’s the pollution regulator, the efficiency regulator or the financial regulator. So these are the structures that we must strengthen and they have to stand as independent bodies to ensure our growth is healthy. We also need to focus on equitable growth, creating more jobs for our increasing population. We also have wake up calls that we need to far more in terms of quality education and healthcare. We must focus on improving the quality of the research, the quality of our universities for our companies and start up ecosystem to get better. We also need to improve our statistical processes, qualitative and quantitative. However, I think there’s no immediate reason to be overly concerned about India but there is a reason to revisit our growth path to ensure it is stable, sustainable and equitable. If we can do all this, we are on the right track”

    The two-day India Economic Conclave that kick started today, December 12 will culminate on December 13, 2018. The 5th India Economic Conclave is powered by ET NOW, presented by Capital First and power partner Ravin. It will be aired over a series of episodes on ET NOW, India’s leading English Business news channel.