Tag: Vishnu Mohta

hoichoi brings exciting offers for its subscriber-base by associating with GrabOn

MUMBAI: hoichoi, world’s largest digital content platform for Bengali movies & shows has entered into a unique partnership with coupon giants GrabOn. This tie-up will provide users with amazing discounts on a wide variety of verticals from food, fashion, travel, recharge and more from their merchants. hoichoi will be promoting these coupon & promo codes sourced from GrabOn on their social media platforms and also through other channels, to give their consumer base enthralling concessions in varied categories. At the same time, GrabOn would be creating a microsite and list all the offers available across categories which users who subscribe to hoichoi can avail. The microsite will again be promoted through hoichoi’s social channels and their user base through email, sms and other mediums.

Vishnu Mohta, Co-Founder of hoichoi, commented: “hoichoi will be the one of the first OTT platforms to enter in an interesting partnership with GrabOn. This will enable our subscribers to get offers from GrabOn through their website to avail them at their own accordance. We are a ‘customer-first’ company and we have always been focused at giving something extra to our subscribers. This partnership with GrabOn allows exactly that!”

GrabOn’s Founder & CEO, Ashok Reddy stated: “The partnership will help the market leaders break through to a whole new user demographic helping them save big on online shopping and purchase. This alliance will benefit both the parties, as hoichoi subscribers can avail the best discounts while GrabOn users can enjoy the extensive content library like originals and movies which hoichoi provides.”

March 25, 2019
Airtel partners Bengali OTT platform Hoichoi

MUMBAI: Hoichoi, the over-the-top platform exclusively for Bengali content, has entered into a partnership with leading telco player Bharti Airtel. The former’s exclusive content will be available now on the Airtel TV app following the partnership.

Hoichoi’s library includes original shows as well as chartbuster movies. After completing one year since its launch, the company recently announced 30 original shows and 12 original films for the next one year. This entire originals catalogue will also come to Airtel TV.

“It gives us immense pleasure to announce this partnership with Bharti Airtel to offer complete digital entertainment experience to their customers. This will help us in extending our content distribution network through Airtel TV’s fast-growing user base,” Hoichoi co-founder Vishnu Mohta said.

Moreover, some of their original shows like Hello, Byomkesh, Dupur Thakurpo, Cartoon, Mismatch and Charitraheen are dubbed in Hindi and Tamil to reach out to a wider audience base. As the platform claims, two leading shows Hello and Byomkesh are also performing extremely well on the Airtel TV app.

“We are delighted to bring Hoichoi’s quality content to Airtel TV that will offer our Bengali users access to their favourite digital content in their local language, with a simple click of a button. With consumption of regional content going up significantly, we will continue to focus on adding diverse entertainment content to our kitty as we work towards building a world-class digital content ecosystem,” Bharti Airtel West Bengal and Orissa CEO Sameer Anjaria commented on the partnership.

November 23, 2018
Content catalogue, brand awareness major achievements of Hoichoi: Vishnu Mohta

MUMBAI: The opportunities for OTT players to flourish in the regional market may be huge. But challenges still keep players out. In the Bengali field, we have SVF-backed Hoichoi, nearing its one year anniversary.
At the new juncture, it is strengthening its presence in other potential markets with enough Bengali speaking population. Hoichoi(http://www.indiantelevision.com/iworld/over-the-top-services/hoichoi-to-double-original-content-to-100-hours-this-year-180521) co-founder Vishnu Mohta sees its content catalogue and brand awareness as the biggest achievements in the first year.
Bangladesh and the UAE are two markets Hoichoi is looking at for international expansion due to the Bengali speaking crowd as well as diaspora. The apps have been present there for a while but awareness is being done now.
Mohta thinks it has not done enough local activity, local marketing and personalisation to enable people to know about the platform. To get the pulse of the market he mentions the importance of proper local teams. “We have got an office in Bangladesh and already recruited a few people over there. We plan to do the same thing in the Middle East. So a combination of our own team, the right set of partners will help Hoichoi to reach as many people as possible in that local market,” he said.
The head of SVF’s new media section also mentions the need for on-ground activation, specific targeting, and influencer marketing in local markets. The two new markets demand different strategies. For Bangladesh, he thinks producing local content is a smart move, while for UAE they plan to work more on marketing, distribution. In UAE they want to be more precise, have local press releases, take help from biggest telcos for larger data and communication network.

For Bangladeshi market, it has already announced Dhaka Metro, a show directed by renowned Amitabh Reza Chaudhuri. Though Mohta did not reveal too much, he indicated that it might come up with more such shows. Accepting the fact that Bengals from the two sides of the border have different taste in content, he says the uniformity in language will let the problem not be critical.
In the one year of launch, Mohta realised the difference in Hoichoi not being available in Bengali. The lack of pay per view option was another issue. For a platform backed by SVF, having an option to watch movies on a-la-carte basis could bring huge money.
Now Hoichoi wants to take its content to other language speakers through dubbed versions. Though the plan seems very optimistic, it’s still in the ideation stage. Dubbed versions could be available on platforms like Airtel TV. After testing the water with a selected number of people, it will take it to a larger level.
Byomkesh, Dupur Thakurpo, Japani Toy, 6 and Holy Faak have emerged as the most popular shows in the last year which are returning for season two. Among the 30 originals, most of them will be released for binge watching while few, based on the nature of the show, will be launched in two-three episodes together.

Last year, Hoichoi(http://www.indiantelevision.com/iworld/over-the-top-services/bengali-ott-players-prioritise-market-growth-over-competition-180705) created a buzz in the market with #Hoyejak campaign during Durga Puja. On 1 October, the platform is set to launch another campaign on the same lines to reap benefits from the festive season of Durgapuja again. The platform has a remarkable trend to create witty hashtag campaigns which go viral easily. “We are called Hoichoi(non-stop excitement) , if we don’t get Hoichoi, we are doing injustice,” Mohta says in a light mood giving credit to the in house social media team for the campaign.
While SVF’s magnitude in terms of financial profit is unquestionable, the young digital arm of it has a long way to go break even. Mohta says it brings a new energy to the parent company.
“SVF, the leader in this business, has been in the market for 22 years. We are still very young. It infuses that energy and newness to the overall ecosystem allowing us to constantly innovate and renew our content strategy. A film might release every month and Hoichoi has to be updated every day, every week. So that vibe transcends to SVF as a team and keeps the DNA very healthy today,” he commented.

September 27, 2018
Hoichoi to introduce pay-per-view, offline payment method

MUMBAI: SVF, the big name in Bengali entertainment industry, last year launched its Bengali OTT platform Hoichoi riding the wave of digital growth. In the second season of its journey, it is expanding its footprint into Bangladesh and UAE market. Though dependent on the SVOD model since birth, it will now introduce pay per view model as well. Moreover, in a first of its kind move in the industry, it has launched Hoichoi Top Up card which will be available in nearest retailers or upcoming Hoichoi kiosks. Given the preference for cash payment, this is an offline payment method.

Along with a new payment method and business plans, it has the ambition to add more than 100 hours of original content in the upcoming year. The new content pipeline includes 30 original shows, some of which are second seasons of popular web series already aired on the platform. While SVF, the parent company has a rich history in the Bengali film industry, the digital venture aims to add 12 original films.

Hoichoi co-founder Vishnu Mohta mentioned the high user engagement of the app though kept mum on subscriber numbers. He claims the average time spent in-app is one hour per day. It is not certain how the company has been able to get its return but the awareness of Hoichoi has been created.

Like other OTT platforms, Hoichoi is also seeing traffic from tier-II and III cities. In addition to that, almost 40 per cent of the audience comes from non-urban areas and Hoichoi director and co-founder Mahendra Soni mentions this as the rationale behind introducing offline payment method.

While Bengali industry makes many good films, the natives living outside Bengal don’t get the chance to watch them in theatres often. The plan of digital premiere is aimed to bridge this gap. “In yet another first in the Bengali entertainment space, we are now introducing the ‘pay per view’ feature as part of the TVoD model. We will be releasing movies on Hoichoi very soon after their theatrical release and the viewers will have the option to pay for the content on an a-la-carte basis,” Hoichoi director and co-founder Shrikant Mohta said.

A partnership with Airtel TV in India, Robi in Bangladesh and Etisalat and du in UAE have also been struck.

There is also a plan for a Bengali app and website interface making it more comfortable for users. Simultaneously, Hoichoi wants to dub the shows into other languages like Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. To position it more strongly as a brand, the platform also start merchandising.

September 20, 2018
Bengali OTT players prioritise market growth over competition

MUMBAI: Demand for regional content has received a boost like never before thanks to the smartphone and internet explosion in tier II and III cities. Not only are international and national over-the-top (OTT) players delving into regional content, but also local players.

One such upcoming regional OTT market is the Bengali one. Though Hoichoi is climbing the ranks to the top, Addatimes is also chasing not far behind. For now, the two players believe in healthy co-existence rather than competition.

Addatimes and Hoichoi, both were launched in the same year, i.e. 2017. For obvious reasons, Hoichoi could come up with more content and better market strategy because of its parent company SVF’s huge capital. Now, Surinder Films, another leading production house in Bengali industry has started investing in Addatimes for a 33 per cent stake which could give a major boost to the platform.

Addatimes managing director and founder Rajiv Mehra had a 14 years stint in the Bengali television industry. Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Mehra said that he felt there was no creativity left in daily soaps and channels had the ultimate power in hand. Then came the inflection point when he decided to start a digital venture. Despite knowing the fact that it would take a long time to break even, he trusted the digital medium.

All content was free for the first five months and then a subscription model was added at Rs 100 for three months and Rs 300 for a year. The Addatimes spokesperson claims to have 30,000 subscribers currently and 39 lakh unique viewers.

Since its launch, it has emphasised on original content but there are some movies also. From mid-August the films produced by Surinder Films will be available on Addatimes. Till July, the platform will see the launch of one web series and one movie a month and from August onwards, there will be two of each.

Mehra expects the business to break even in 2021. Due to limited funds, it is strategically avoiding cash-burning mode so that the platform can sustain in the market for the next three to four years.

Hoichoi isn’t too concerned about competition in the market. “We don’t think about competition because it’s not critically important today. It’s about getting more and more people in online ecosystem to grow. Having more players is better because that helps to grow the ecosystem, grows awareness and creates a habit among consumers,” said Hoichoi co-founder Vishnu Mohta. He also sees opportunity in the market for more players dedicated to Bengali content. Other than West Bengal, Bangladesh is also a potential market for both the platforms.

Mehra also reflected the same tone. “It’s not about what we have, they don’t have. Everyone is going forward with their own strategies for the business. But since they (Hoichoi) have more capital, they might reach the desired target one year before us. Eventually, we will also reach the target,” he commented on the competition with Hoichoi.

These apart, deep-pocketed players at the national and international level will also be able to get into people’s phones faster than the regional ones. If the regional players fail to make a mark soon, they will face difficulty in grabbing a larger market share.

July 5, 2018
Hoichoi to double original content to 100 hours this year

MUMBAI: The over the top (OTT) platform that has been a rage in the eastern part of India has ambitious plans for the coming year. With about 50 hours of original content live on the platform, Hoichoi aims to double that to 100 hours by the end of 2018.

A product of Shree Venkatesh Films (SVF), Hoichoi has 16 original shows (with three in-house productions) and 500 movies thanks to its parent. With 20 years of experience in the media business, SVF was no stranger to the content business when it launched Hoichoi in September 2017. The mandate was simple: give premium and ad-free content in turn for subscription. While other players are jittery when it comes to subscription, Hoichoi co-founder Vishnu Mohta says it has been confident of an SVOD model in the niche Bengali market.

Mohta says that out of the three plans of Rs 399 for 12 months, Rs 249 for six months and Rs 149 for three, the six-month plan is the opted for the least. As long as people continue to pick the annual plan, the lack of uptake for the middle one doesn’t bother.

The first six months were dedicated entirely to brand awareness. Heavy marketing has been kept for later. However, Mohta believes that word of mouth will be a way to attract new customers. “We still believe very strongly that people, who want to watch content of this sort, will largely be driven by referrals. I think that drives a lot more business than pure marketing. We don’t do marketing on large scale. Our focus is largely on awareness,” he says. Last year’s #HoyeJak campaign was called a success and soon another campaign is on the anvil.

Using feedback, Hoichoi keeps updating its library and recently added an audio-streaming option too. Despite having originals, Mohta thinks that the power to acquire customers lies in the movie section since West Bengal has an active movie market.

“Movies make your decision easier when you subscribe because they come in handy on a Sunday afternoon. Originals are about impulse, someone can see a trailer or may be told by a friend about a show. However, we made a promise to our consumers that we would continue with our originals,” he adds.

Among recent originals, Japani Toy was launched on 12 May. Another original Dupur Thakurpo which got great traction across Bengal, will see its second season launch on 26 May. Another show Shei Je Holud Pakhi, starring famous faces from the Bengali film industry Saswata Chatterjee and Tridha Choudhury will be launched sometime in June.

Hoichoi sees a potential market outside the state in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Agartala. Even the Indian diaspora markets of the US, UK and Middle East and even Bangladesh are large pockets offering good opportunities to leverage. For exploring the Bangladeshi market more, Hoichoi will provide payment options in local currency in the next one or two months. It has also bundled up one Bangladeshi show shot there and directed by a local name. The show Dhaka Metro will be followed by at least two more in 2018 itself.

Being in an industry which is backed by partnerships, Hoichoi is dependent on Viulift since its launch for tech support. To provide customers a seamless experience, Hoichoi depends on Amazon Cloudfront as CDN partner. It is in talks with many telcos both in India and Bangladesh too.

Customers are demanding more features, especially from second seasons, and this has thrown challenges for Hoichoi. But it looks like the plan for 2018 is a done deal.

May 21, 2018
hoichoi launches new brand anthem to celebrate life

MUMBAI: After entertaining audiences with the best in Bengali entertainment, hoichoi, the world’s largest digital platform exclusively for Bengali content, has now launched its brand anthem. The anthem is an ode to celebration and talks about taking a break from busy schedules, getting together and having fun, which is also what the word ‘hoichoi’ is synonymous with.

Music being the one thing that unifies people, the central theme of the hoichoi anthem, which is in Bengali, is to bring people together through music and entertainment. The anthem will be distributed on major platforms through hoichoi’s distribution channel as part of SVF Music, and will be made available as a ringtone and other such features. The music video would also be available on the Hoichoi streaming platform. The brand also plans to distribute the song to local Puja Pandals across Kolkata.

The music video for the anthem has been directed by renowned Tollywood director, Birsa Dasgupta and produced by SVF Entertainment. The catchy tune has been composed by Indraadip Das Gupta and written by Prosen and Rajeev Chakraborty. Talented young singers – Ishan, Somlata and Prasmita – have lent their voices to the anthem. Suyasha Sengupta, the lead singer of Indie Rock band Ganesh Talkies, has also been roped in as part of the video.

Speaking about the hoichoi Anthem, Hoichoi, Executive director – SVF and co-founder, Vishnu Mohta said, “The message of the anthem is to bring people together through entertainment, which is also the mission of hoichoi, as a brand.”

January 16, 2018
1000 hours of original content a year is our target: Hoichoi’s Vishnu Mohta

The Bengali content market may not be spoken of much, but it is not without its share of audience. There are 258 million Bengali speaking people around the world, and this is the target for the latest kid on the block. Hoichoi, a Bengali OTT platform was launched on 20 September 2017 by Shree Venkatesh Films, a Kolkata-based media company.

Hoichoi means positive activities happening around you. The ad-free platform has already launched seven original web series and three more are lined up for this month. Co-founder Vishnu Mohta, who has been with SVF since a decade, speaks to Indiantelevision.com’s Kirti Chauhan about the growth and future plans of the platform.

What was the thought behind launching a Bengali OTT platform?

We wanted to give our customers high-quality Bengali entertainment and the market was ready for it. Currently, India is equipped with all the ingredients to make content available over the internet with a ready to serve system, availability of bandwidth, cheap data, digital payment friendly generation and a smartphone handy generation. It was the right time to provide content for people to consume on their smart phones and set top boxes, which include internet, connected devices like – Apple TV, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, etc.

Where all are the Bengali audiences located?

India and Bangladesh contribute the largest Bengali community. In India, the Bengali speaking community is around 90 million, wherein, Bangladesh has a population of around 160-170 million Bengali expats and rest of the world has a Bengali diaspora between 5-8 million.

Currently, 30-40 per cent of Indian population has access to the internet. However, in the coming five years, the number will double, which will include the crowd of tier II and III cities. This new internet user will prefer to consume content in his vernacular language. 75 per cent of the new internet users will come from rural India, of which 75 per cent want to consume content in their local language.

What would make a person pick Hoichoi over others?

Our experience of over 20 years has enabled us to understand the needs of the Bengali people, which will be visible through our original content. Apart from this, we have the largest collection of the best in Bengali entertainment that is not available on any other platform. We are offering 360 degree entertainment – movies, original shows and in the future, it will be music streaming. We have started with over 500 movies, 1000 songs and 10 original shows in Bengali language.

What type of content does the Bengali community like to watch?

They are an evolved audience. They like to watch mystery shows and films, horror movies, mass films, documentaries and much more. They have an ability to absorb different genres of content.

What are the new shows in pipeline?

We are coming up with a stand up comedy show called ‘Stand up’, then another show is ‘Bhutu Re’ which is an investigative story around a haunted house and the third one is ‘Bouma Detective’ where a housewife will be playing the role of a detective. We have 4 shows for November and December too.

You have kept different subscription charges for Indian and global audiences. Will the same pricing be applied in Bangladesh, which economically weaker than India?

Our subscription charges for Indian audiences are Rs 399 for 12 months, Rs 249 for six months and Rs 149 for three months. Internationally we have kept the charges around $8.99 per month and $79.99 per year. The international audience is ready to pay for content since they are already in the habit. We haven’t come up with subscription charges for Bangladeshi audiences yet but it won’t be very different from India.

Will there be any content specifically catering to Bengali audience of Bangladesh?

We are in process of buying and creating content for Bangladeshi audience. We are creating 2 feature films in Bangladesh, likely to release next year.

Why did you choose ViewLift for technology over Brightcove, Kaltura or Diagonal Technologies?

We wanted to work with an experienced company that is aware of current technological demands of the Indian market, since we are new to digital. ViewLift is specifically working on this technology from the past 10 years and has already launched similar platforms worldwide. We are the first Indian company to have worked with ViewLift. Other technology providers like Brightcove, Kaltura and Diagonal are best in content management system. They are a platform itself and you can build on top of it but can’t provide an end-to-end customisation.

Why you did not choose in-house technology option?

It would have been a time-consuming experience for us if we had taken the in-house technology option. There was a possibility of making mistakes in the beginning while dealing with the learning of new technology. We did not want to make any mistake in the beginning and so decided to take an expert as our technology partner for best results.

What is the average time spent on Hoichoi?

We have just begun and within a month, the average time spent on Hoichoi is around 39-40 minutes.

How large is your team?

Hoichoi is a collaboration of three separate teams. We have 300 experts working for SVF, some of whom are actively engaged in the development of Hoichoi. We have 35-40 people of ViewLift working with us. And, Hoichoi separately has a team of 30-35 experts. Altogether, 200 people are working for Hoichoi.

What are your future targets?

Our ambition is to create 1000 hours of original content every year, i.e., three hours per day. In addition, we are targeting to launch two shows every month.

Q. When and what are you planning to bring for kids in your library?

Kids as a separate genre on Hoichoi will likely be seen early next year. It will be a combination of acquired/curated and created content. Satyajit Ray has written various interesting stories catering to kids. We are planning to translate them in animation for our kids.

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October 23, 2017