MxMIndia

Category: NEWS

  • Martin da Costa of 70EMG tells MxMIndia how 2012 has been, and what he looks forward to

    Jaldi 5 with Martin da Costa: Time is perfect to roll out ticketed IPR events

    While the last two years have been rough for the Events & Experiential domain in India, it has been smooth sailing for 70EMG that has managed to beat the odds and register good growth. According to Martin da Costa, CEO, 70EMG, the growth has been possible due to its focus on IPR development and experiential investment.

    Martin da Costa opens up to MxMIndia on what was the year 2012 like for his company and what is in store for 2013.

     

    01. As 2012 draws to a close, how would you define the growth journey for Seventy EMG this year? Anything you were particularly proud of?

    We’re looking at 15-20 percent growth over last year. Nowhere near the 50 percent plus levels we experienced up to 2010. The last two years have seen the Events & Experiential business largely flatline – a trend 70 EMG’s been able to beat through IPR development and experiential investment.

     

    The development and launch of the India Bike Week Festival brand with Fox TV as a major new festival for India’s huge community of bikers and bike fans was a unique experience.

     

    As for the business, it has performed more or less as expected. The IPR development business has exploded into action this year. We’re seeing a dramatic increase in paid experiential & entertainment activity.

     

    02. What are your expectations from India Bike Week that’s scheduled for Feb 2013?

    The biker profile today is wildly different from the late 90s. Harley-Davidson has changed the face of Indian leisure biking. The Superbikers, the Ducati dudes, the Japanese speed fans, and the Vintage bike collectors are growing at an incredible rate. And when you add in the 80 odd Bike Clubs that we’ve contacted so far, together with the astonishing fact that there’s over 30 bikes on the road per 1,000 Indians, that’s when the spectacular idea of a bikers festival hit us hard and you can agree that we have got something of a winner on our hands here.

     

    Basically, IBW will be a ton of fun, and a festival which we think will grow and grow in India.

     

    There are many elements to the weekend – a Vintage Bikes Concours, Superbike & Customization Stages, Stunt Arena, 3 Music Stages, great F&B, MMA Fight Stage, Open Gym, Cigar & Whiskey Club, a non-commercial Bike & Biker Flea Market, Speakers Corner, Biker Journey Cinema, Pimp My Bike & The Fixer Zone, Brand Exhibitor Zone, Men of Steel Parade & Ride of the Heavies (650CC plus bike parade through the center of IBW).

     

    As for the plans of taking it forward, we are hoping to see an exponential increase over the next 3-5 years as the festival matures and develops. And in future there will be plans to extend the Bike Week concept to other Asian markets but not before the brand have been established over three years in the Indian market.

     

    03. What are some of the hurdles that crop up while organizing large events in India?

    Venues, infrastructure, government licenses, local licenses – all the usual culprits. However, they’re tempered somewhat by the fact that 70EMG has had over 15 years of experience in this field. That we’re perhaps the largest festival planners in the country (Goafest, IndiaFest, The Kala Ghoda Art Festival). And finally, that there are so many areas of entertainment and cultural experience that are still untapped for live, ticketed events.

     

    04. How does the Events industry look like in India? Do you think the market is cluttered or is there scope for more growth?

    It’s looking increasingly robust. Unsurprisingly, given its relative youth. There’s scope for growth in almost every field of the Indian event and experiential business I believe, and whilst in the short term margins will be squeezed, this year and next will be the perfect time to roll out ticketed IPR events and experiences that will then reap the advantages that the eventual upturn will create.

     

    05. What is the current market share you occupy in India so far? What is the growth spike (in percentage) you hope to see for 2013?

    We’re not in the game of assessing market share – we don’t compete on the btl activation business for example, and we’re very circumspect about both the business we do, and the clients we work with. We’re very firmly a Festival and Special Events business – with the accent being on large format, high-end, well produced, well planned execution. We’re certainly large enough to be placed in the country’s top ten experiential agencies – but it’s probably not a fair comparison given the limited type of high-end / large format events and brand experiential work we like to do, and the fact that most of the other nine agencies in the top 10 compete in the BTL & Activation space.

     

  • Star India CEO Uday Shankar and the team behind Satyamev Jayate were honoured for their contribution in highlighting several social ills and generating awareness and solutions for them

    Satyamev Jayate Bags ‘Indian of The Year’ Special Achievement Award by CNN-IBN

    Left to right: Uday-Shankar-CEO-Star-India-Svati-Chakravarty-Bhatkal-and-Satyajit-Bhatkal-from-team-Satyamev-Jayate-Actor-Shabana-Azmi-at-the-CNN-IBN-Indian-of-the-Year-Award-Ceremony

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Non-fiction television show Satyamev Jayate on Wednesday bagged the CNN-IBN Indian of The Year – Special Achievement Award 2012 for its path-breaking initiative.

     

    A release from Star India said that this accolade for Satyamev Jayate follows soon after recognition by the Government of India earlier this year. The show had been rewarded by the National Commission for Scheduled Castes in October for its efforts to create awareness against social discrimination.

     

    Satyamev Jayate won the CNN-IBN ‘Indian of The Year’ award under Special Achievement category along with Olympian Mary Kom and missile scientist Dr K C Thomas.

     

    Star India CEO Uday Shankar and the Satyamev Jayate team were honoured for their remarkable contribution in highlighting several social ills that continue to plague modern India and to help create awareness against such evils through the pioneering TV programme.

     

    “This award is extremely special to us at Star as responses from viewers were critical in deciding a winner. Satyamev Jayate was an initiative to offer a public platform to issues that concern all Indians and it’s quite humbling to see these efforts being recognized,” Mr Shankar said.

     

    Satyamev Jayate was also nominated in the most influential entertainer of the year category for its innovative use of television as a medium for social change.

     

    Satyamev Jayate was a landmark show in Indian television that set new benchmarks from the very first episode earlier this year. Star India was instrumental in helping conceive the show, which also demonstrated how TV can be an effective tool to influence social change and empower people.

     

    CNN-IBN Indian of the Year is one of the biggest and the most credible awards that are decided on the basis of votes from the general public as well as the eminent citizens of India. The award has been recognizing outstanding contributions by Indians to nation- building for the past seven years.

     

    The winners were selected through a four-tier process that began with selecting nominees in different categories by senior editors of Network18 which is ratified by a jury consisting of Padma awardees and concluded with polling by citizens from across the globe to choose their favourite Indians.

     

    Satyamev Jayate reached a third of India’s population, airing simultaneously in multiple languages. It was the most-talked about show during its 13-week run, questioning social mores, helping shape mindsets and leaving an imprint on the minds of people with compelling tales from everyday life.

     

  • A company cannot claim right over the punchline in its logo if it has no relevance with the products, rules Ahmedabad Court

    Cos can’t claim irrelevant taglines: Court

    By Vishal Dutta

     

    A company cannot claim right over the punchline in its logo if it has no relevance with the products, a court in Ahmedabad has ruled last month, reminding of an earlier Pepsi Vs Heinz case, wherein the Delhi High Court disallowed monopoly over words commonly used to describe a product’s character.

     

    The latest ruling rejecting injunction appeal came after textile group Ashima sought trademark protection on its slogan Texcellence, inscribed in its logo, and urged the court to restrain a garments company Texcellence Overseas from using it. However, the court said Ashima Group never used the word “Texcellence” for its goods and there was no chance of confusion.

     

    In 2010, foods company Heinz won a case against soft drinks-maker Pepsi when the Delhi HC allowed it to adopt words used by Pepsi in the catchline for its sports drink Gatorade. Heinz’s Glucon-D advertisement said “Glucon-D Isotonik rehydrates fluids, replenishes vital salts and recharges glucose’, as against Pepsi’s tagline ‘Rehydrate, Replenish, Refuel’.

     

    In 2003, Gujarat-based Ashima alleged infringement by Ahmedabad-based Texcellence Overseas, saying it had originally coined the word “texcellence” from two different words Textile and Excellence. Ashima argued saying the catchline adopted since its inception in 1982 was synonymous with its reputation and goodwill, and Texecellence Overseas merely adopted the trademark in 1996 to confuse the public.

     

    Texcellence Overseas pointed out that Ashima did not sell any product with the trademark and that there were no instances of any confusion, according to its lawyer Samrat Mehta. An email query sent to Ashima Group remained unanswered.

     

    Abhishek Pandurangi, CEO, Closer2patents, says taglines or punchlines or slogans can be protected by trademark law only if one can show a relevant connection between commercial use of the products and the tagline.

     

    Trademark attorney Pranit Nanavati feels Ashima could have registered the word Texcellence separately and not just as part of the logo.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

     

  • The government will publish names of questionable Multi Level Marketing companies

    Public can seek MLM info filed by govt

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Ministry of Corporate Affairs is considering publishing names of Multi Level Marketing companies which come to its adverse notice.

     

    Giving this information in written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on Thursday (Dec 13), Sachin Pilot, Minister of Corporate Affairs, however, said that the members of the public can view the names of the companies registered under the Companies Act,1956 and documents filed by any company on MCA-21 portal of his Ministry by paying a nominal fee of Rs 50.

     

  • MxMIndia commissioned DDB Mudra Concrea to check what Mumbai & Delhi collegians would like to see happen in the media

    What do our metro collegians want?

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    From tracing behavioural patterns of the customers from the comfort of their offices a few years ago to carrying out extensive fieldwork in the remotest parts of India today, marketers have come to realize the facets that really drive the populace to take a liking to a product or an offering. In fact, analysis drawn up from extensive market research activities today enables marketers to go the extra mile and bombard the consumer with offerings that are relevant to his or her liking. But what such exercises have managed to do in the recent past is also gaze into patterns or strata that were not catered to in much detail before.

     

    Like for instance, the youth. There’s no denying what this TG has managed to do to every brand and the marketer who scamper to have a piece of his or her attention. That India is a nation where more than half its population is young (including children), makes this TG a goldmine for brands seeking them. But while brands are making use of umpteen mediums to pass on their message to the young populace, what was important was finding out whether the youth is satisfied with what is being thrown across to them. And if they are not satisfied, then what would be the ideal solutions they feel could drive the industry into the future.

     

    As part of the MxMIndia Annual print edition, MxMIndia commissioned youth marketing and communications consultancy firm DDB Mudra Concrea to conduct a survey and question a cross-section of the urban youth on a stream of solutions or ideas they felt were standouts from each of the following mediums -television, print, radio, digital, outdoor, creative and PR & events. The survey was conducted among 700 students from the top 5 colleges in Mumbai and Delhi NCR region. These comprised Jai Hind College, K.C College, St. Xavier’s College, H.R. College of Commerce & Economics and Sophia College for Women in Mumbai whereas from Delhi the list comprised Lady Shri Ram College, Hans Raj College, Hindu College, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and Jesus & Mary College.

     

    To begin with, in the domain of television about 32 per cent respondents said watching television on mobile would be great, while 26 per cent said they preferred having video phone facility on television. A further 23 per cent said that they preferred watching television on computer while 18 per cent were in favour of having social networks on television.

     

     

    For the domain of print, about 48 per cent respondents were in favour of the medium being interactive while 38 per cent said that print media sampling was what excited them. The remaining 14 per cent of the respondents thought that QR codes would be the next big thing that would drive this domain.

     

     

    When asked about digital, about 42 per cent respondents felt that augmented reality gaming was something unique while 26 per cent felt that topical memes was good. A further 24 per cent felt that location-wise tagging was a neat feature to exist while 8 per cent said that live streaming concerts was exciting.

     

     

    As for radio, about 45 per cent respondents felt that consuming radio on the internet would be a big boon followed by 23 per cent respondents who said that having genre specific stations would drive the show in India. This was closely matched with 22 per cent respondents who said that community radio stations would be the way ahead for India.

     

     

    For the domain of outdoor, the idea that took the cake was installation art that was supported by about 35 per cent respondents. This was followed by 29 per cent respondents for whom augmented reality was important. Summing up the table was the remaining 17 per cent respondents who preferred having more LED-based hoardings.

     

     

    In the domain of PR, about 42 per cent respondents were in favour of having more UGC-based platforms. A surprising 33 per cent felt that doing away with the regressive Medianet  offering would do wonders for the medium while the remaining 26 per cent felt that disintegration of corporate-politics-media will bode well for the domain. It is of course known that Medianet is not a policy of any PR agency, but that of a leading media company. The ‘paid editorial’ policy is also practised by many print and electronic media companies.

     

     

    For the domain of creative or advertising, about 40 per cent respondents said that it would be good to see young brand ambassadors while 39 per cent said that they wanted to see more interactive digital creatives and 21 per cent felt that integration of consumer realities in strategy would be useful.

     

    Youth Say:

    “I’m a TV addict. I live, eat, sleep TV. Thanks to 3G and TV-Mobile, I get to watch TV anywhere.”

    – Sarthak Nagpal on the medium of television

    “The Volkswagen ‘Feel the Shiver of Excitement’ print ad was one of my favourite newspaper ads of all time. Everyone talked about it for a whole week.”

    – Raghav Bagai on the print medium

    “The Nintendo Wii actually helped me lose weight! I think interactive gaming is the future of the gaming world.”

    – Faateh Ahmed on the digital medium

    “The fact that I listen to the radio anywhere and anytime on my mobile is surely one of the best innovations in this stream.”

    – Nitin Jethani on the radio medium

    “The best way you can market your product is to make the consumer experience it. So put it out there and let them perceive it.”

    – Barkha Singh on the medium of Outdoor

    “The City Ninjas initiative started by Anisha Sharma is an awesome way to get to know any city.”

    – Jubin Jacob on the medium of Creative

    “The Red Bull Stratos jump is probably one of the most memorable things to happen in our time. Our parents had Neil Armstrong, we have Felix Baumgartner!”

    – Priyanka Kumar on the PR medium

     

  • Dentsu Communications, a full service independent communications agency and a part of the Dentsu India Group, has begun operations in Kochi

    Dentsu strengthens Southern India network

    By A Correspondent

     

    Dentsu Communications, a full service independent communications agency and a part of the Dentsu India Group, commences operations in Kochi.

     

    Rohit Ohri, Executive Chairman said, “Our commencement of operations in Kochi is part of our larger strategic plan of accelerated growth in India. We’re now fully equipped to offer integrated communication services to all our clients in the Southern India. Arijit Ray, CEO Dentsu Communications, Suresh Mohan Kumar, National Planning Head and Ashwin Prathiban, Regional ECD (South) will drive this new initiative. I’m confident that under their leadership, we shall see a new spurt of growth in this region.”

     

     

    Commenting on the expansion and the South market, Arijit Ray, CEO Dentsu Communications said, “We are extremely upbeat about our operations in the South. The Bangalore operation is our largest and most integrated with 3 pillar clients. Toyota, Nissin and TVS. With a clear focus on building the Bangalore operation into a hub of excellence to cater to all markets in the South, the capability and talent building process is bearing fruit. With a fully integrated, Creative, Events, Media and PR Team, that has conceived and executed the Etios Motor Racing programme, the team is set to leverage integrated opportunities on current and potential clients. What is heartening is that we have been able to build our strategic integrated capabilities around our clients brand and business mandates.”

     

    Adding further, Mr Ray said, “We see a lot of potential in Kochi. We have a great team that understands the local nuances to start our journey in Kerala. Saji Jayakumar our Kochi head and his team will surely do everything to make it a stellar operation.”

     

    Ashwin Parthiban, Regional Executive Creative Director, Dentsu Communications said, “Dentsu’s Kochi presence offers exciting creative possibilities, and an interesting opportunity to work on a mix of both local and national brands that are based in Kerala. There is a refreshing appetite for path-breaking creative ideas among clients here, and benchmarks are set very high. But most importantly, Keralites have a rich story-telling culture, not to mention a very evolved appreciation of film, and this mix provides delightful creative inspiration.”

     

    Suresh Mohan Kumar, National Planning Head, Dentsu Communications said, “Kochi office underlines Dentsu’s emphasis on and commitment to southern markets. Our key differentiator would be our ability to conceive and deliver totally integrated communication solutions. Bangalore will continue to be the planning and creative hub but we will tap into our teams’ local expertise to provide our clients with solutions that make a difference in the market place.”

     

  • The gaming application marks another successful digital marketing campaign for Homeshop 18

    MindShift launches gaming app for Homeshop18

    By A Correspondent

     

    MindShift Interactive, digital research and marketing firm has launched Land of Luck, a gaming application for Homeshop18.com, to engage consumers online. The four-level game that ranges over a span of 45 days allows fans and participants to explore various lucky charms through their journey, shop through Homeshop18’s offerings within the game and win exciting prizes, leading onto winning the luckiest person prize too with an international holiday of the players choice.

     

    Users could participate through the Land of Luck microsite or use the Facebook application. The score in the first level, spread over 26 days converted into time that allows users to Shop in the second level, ‘Mall of Luck’. Users were given 11 lists comprising of various products that they need to shop from the Mall in a given time and then select the same products from HomeShop18, sharing their favourite brands. This level of over 15 days enabled winners to win an iPad or Samsung Galaxy S3, thus, resulting in an increase in visits onto the website as well. The third phase allowed users to put their names in the lucky jackpot which was an entry point for the international holiday phase. The fourth and final level was a four-day activity where users answered ‘What made them the Biggest & Luckiest Fan’. The answer with the maximum Votes won an International Holiday.

     

    A filler by Network18 allowed users to win exciting prizes by guessing the number of logos that have featured in the Network18 TVC that plays during the game. Through this game, Homeshop18 has managed to maintain a balanced brand connect, whilst also making the game highly viral and addictive.

     

    Zafar Rais

    Said Piyush Bhargav, Vice President – Product and Marketing, HomeShop18.com: “Social Media is an extremely challenging medium in terms of achieving new numbers since the audience is quite selective. The only way to engage a picky audience is to offer something new and refreshing, every time. It’s this reason that led us to design an engaging game play – Land of Luck – which could stir a two-way communication rather than a run-of-the-mill gaming experience.” Said Zafar Rais, Founder & CEO of MindShift Interactive: “Innovation in marketing and its techniques is what makes or breaks a brand. On insights gained about consumer purchase trends, we built Land Of Luck, taking a shoppers belief in luck further and giving him an addictive platform to test his luck at all levels. In Social Media, we need to constantly evolve and that’s exactly what we continue to do.”

     

  • Mr Jejurikar resigned after a stint of just 10 months

    Rajesh Jejurikar quits Zee, to return to M&M

    By A Correspondent

     

    Rajesh Jejurikar

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEE) has announced that Rajesh Jejurikar, the company’s President has stepped down after a brief stint of 10 months, to explore new vistas. His role at ZEE, involved managing all the key verticals at Zee, except programming. Mr Jejurikar is reported to be returning to his former employer, Mahindra & Mahindra.

     

     

    Punit Goenka

    Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited said, “In a short stint at Zee, Rajesh has brought in newer business perspectives and has contributed to the process immensely, bringing in positive business impact to the organization. The entire Zee family wishes him all the success in his new endeavors.”

     

    Speaking on his tenure at Zee, Mr Jejurikar said, “The time spent at ZEE was extremely fruitful. I am thankful to ZEE and Punit for giving me an opportunity to explore and broaden my experience in the media & entertainment space. ZEE has all the fundamentals required to become a global media enterprise. As I part ways, and move back to the manufacturing sector, I wish ZEE all the success.”

     

    Mr Jejurikar’s last day with the company will be December 31. All verticals and department heads at Zee, will now report into the MD & CEO, Punit Goenka.

     

  • The Vikatan group with an array of Tamil publications is now looking towards building an events calendar and launching verticals under its popular titles

    Vikatan Group focuses on events as growth strategy

    By Tuhina Anand

     

    Tamil publications group Vikatan has charted out its plan for next year which will help it in accelerating its growth. The group is stepping up its interest in doing on-ground activities as it sees immense opportunity that these events provide while helping in growth as well as building the brand further. The strategy being to give advertisers additional platform, increase circulation and bring into fold new readers with new and some revamped offerings.

     

    Talking about their plans, Pravin Menon, National Head, Ad Sales, Vikatan Media Services, said, “Vikatan is a strong brand with a heritage of 85 years and we feel that with our print, digital and on-ground offerings we have a very strong portfolio to deliver to the clients as well as readers and meet their needs.”

     

    Vikatan is now working on finalizing its events calendar for 2013. The focus being that the events will not just help in reaching their advertisers and giving them an additional platform but also their readers. Especially with the reach that Vikatan has it will help them in making inroads with customized events in various parts of Tamilnadu. As Menon puts, “We have a deep understanding of the Tamilnadu market and we want to leverage that. This we want to combine with our diverse offerings by building on ground activities and launch verticals of the mother brand.”

     

    In this regard, the group which has under its umbrella Aval Vikatan, a fortnightly has targeting women, and launching Aval Vikatan Mangalam. This will be a wedding special and is positioned as one stop point for brides-to-be. The edition is planned for January 2012. The magazine highlights different community weddings of Tamil Nadu, different types of foods served at wedding, tips for a fun wedding, wedding collections, beauty tips, unique wedding themes, jewelry, honeymoon destinations and best photographers, among others.

     

    The idea is to catch the readers and advertisers in the wedding season. This will also be present in a digital avatar.

     

    Currently, Vikatan has 10 magazines including their flagship brands Ananda Vikatan, Aval Vikatan and Junior Vikatan. The group has been very active this year in making itself visible to people and pushing itself further to reach the potential readers. Recently it launched a weekly magazine Timepass , an entertainment magazine targeting those young at heart. To launch the magazine the group had also come out with a TVC. Hence, as one can understand that there has been a shift in the way the group is marketing itself. There is an increased emphasis on the digital media and reaching people through the social media. The Vikatan Group is more aggressive and looking at a comprehensive strategy to reach their customers.

     

  • Tribal DDB India will be handling the digital mandate for Marico's Set Wet hair gels

    Tribal DDB wins Marico’s Set Wet

    By A Correspondent

     

    Venkat Mallik

    Following a multi-agency pitch, Tribal DDB India has won the digital mandate for Marico’s Set Wet Hair Gels. The Set Wet range of products comprises deodorants, hair styling products such as hair cream and hair gels and spray talc.

     

    On winning the account, Venkat Mallik, President, Tribal DDB & Rapp India, said, “Its fantastic to get to work with the team at Marico. SetWet operates in highly cluttered categories and it’s important to create an exciting and clutter breaking creative solution. We are eagerly looking forward to launch a series of break through digital initiatives and creative units.”

     

    For the record, Tribal DDB India’s clients include Emirates, Kimberley Clark, McDonald’s, Star TV and Livon among others.

     

  • CII president and chairman of the Godrej grou Adi Godrej says India’s recent reforms initiatives have changed the perception of the country for the better

    Recent reforms have boosted country’s image: Adi Godrej

    By Rasul Bailay

     

    Adi Godrej

    Adi Godrej, president of Confederation of Indian Industry and chairman of Godrej Group, says India’s recent reforms initiatives have changed the perception of the country among global investors as well as local businesses for the better.

     

    “The mood in the country and outside is much better than six months ago and I am optimistic if we are able to get some more reforms through, then 2013-14 will be a different year from 2012-13,” Mr Godrej said in an interview on Saturday.

     

    The Union Government recently initiated a slew of reforms measures that included allowing foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail, civil aviation, power trading and broadcasting. Bills on increasing FDI limit in banking and insurance firms are before Parliament.

     

    Mr Godrej suggested that Asia’s third-largest economy should make further efforts to boost foreign investments and help create the right perception needed to attract overseas capital even as he dismissed the recent outcry against FDI in multibrand retail as political “rhetoric”.

     

    “In my view there will be some rhetoric, especially in Parliament. The important thing is the final result,” he said. Mr Godrej singled out the uniform goods and services tax to be the biggest boost for reforms as well as for the overall economic growth.

     

    “The most important reform is goods and services tax and that will add 1.5 to 2 percentage points to the GDP growth,” he said. He said the differences between various states and the union ministry of finance have been mostly ironed out.

     

    “Earlier they (the various states) had underestimated the benefits they would be getting. Now there is a better consensus on it and we are hopeful it should go forward and it is the single most important reform to get growth accelerated in our country,” Mr Godrej said.

     

    He also lauded the recently constituted Cabinet Committee of Investment, which will be headed by the Prime Minister. The panel would not only help resolve inter-ministerial differences on issues but would also try fast-track reforms and projects.

     

    “This is a framework for things to get done. I am not saying it will solve all our problems but it’s good development,” Mr Godrej said.

     

    The CII president also advocated lowering of interest rates and said there is direct correlation between high lending rates and the slowing economy and the pressure it exerted on the rupee. He said lowering interest rates could not only help stoke growth but would also help contain inflation.

     

    “In Turkey, there was a similar situation. They reduced interest rates and inflation came down. So we have to have some creative solutions to the present problem,” he said.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

     

  • Star India CEO Uday Shankar is new Chairman of FICCI's Media and Entertainment Committee

    Uday Shankar is new Chairman of FICCI’s M&E Committee

    By A Correspondent

     

    Uday Shankar

    The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commercie and Industry has announced the appointment of Star India CEO Uday Shankar as Chairman of its Media & Entertainment Committee. The position was held earlier by film-maker Yash Chopra who passed away in October this year. Mr Shankar will be supported by film-makers Ramesh Sippy and Karan Johar as Co-Chair of the Committee.

     

     

     

    Man Jit singh

    Mr Man Jit Singh, CEO, Multi Screen Media, will now be the new Chairman of the FICCI Broadcast Forum, a position held by Mr Shankar.

     

    On taking over as the Chairmanship, Mr. Shankar said that he would work with all industry stakeholders closely to formulate an agenda for sustained growth of the burgeoning entertainment sector and keep up regular and meaningful dialogue with policy-makers.