MxMIndia

Category: NEWS

  • IAMAI has prepared a 100-day Internet agenda for the new government, given the importance of this medium to India's future and efforts to ensure good governance

    IAMAI unveils digital agenda for new government

    By a correspondent

     

    Even before the election results are declared, it is believed that Internet and social media may have played a major role in the outcome of the 2014 General Elections, as all major political parties have leveraged the medium to reach out to voters and put across their message and vision for the country. In fact, in 2013, IAMAI, in a report, had predicted that social media would have a very high impact in 160 constituencies, out of a total of 543 constituencies involved in the Lok Sabha polls.

     

    IAMAI thus believes that whichever dispensation comes to power, will have a strong agenda of growth for the Internet industry. It is in this context that IAMAI has prepared a 100-day Internet agenda for the new government, given the importance of this medium to India’s future and efforts to ensure good governance. While portions of this agenda may require continuing efforts beyond the first 100 days of the next government, the kick-starting of this effort to have empowered and high level policy-maker engagement on these issues is key to ensuring India’s position as an Internet leader. The six point submissions are summarized below and explained in further detail in the agenda paper attached herewith.

     

    1) Old Laws and New Technology:

    Ensure that Indian laws help Internet platform businesses to have a conducive environment to operate. Carry forward reforms to the rules issued under the Information Technology Act and ensure copyright law allows Indian web developers to innovate

     

    2) India’s contribution to a connected world

    Create an environment allowing India to be a hub for global data flows and processing and shape India’s global Internet governance agenda in such a way that we drive global consensus to expand its multi-stakeholder administration and its collaborative benefits for our industry and users

     

    3) Accelerate the growth of meaningful Internet Access for Indian users and businesses

    Existing projects like the NOFN should be accelerated using additional support along with stakeholder review of its strategic plan. Indian broadband policy efforts need to widen their focus to include the promotion of 100 per cent meaningful Internet access coverage in urban areas to bridge the growing deficit there. Telecom policy measures also need to be reformed to promote shared infrastructure models as well as new technologies such as dynamic and shared spectrum, along with removing impediments to large public wi-fi projects.

     

    4) Innovation

    Safeguard India’s digital opportunities by keeping the Internet open and allowing innovation to thrive. Remove roadblocks to greater investment in the e-Commerce sector and look to understand the regulatory and business hurdles affecting India’s efforts to be a leader in cloud based services. Provide incentives to mobile app technology development and digital finance, along with ensuring regulations are not holding back the growth of these industries in India

     

    5) Harnessing benefits for Governance

    Establish a focused effort around understanding how the Internet and other technologies can help enable greater information sharing, feedback, and transparency in Government using experts from government, industry, and academia.

     

    6) Promote Indian venture capital

    Make sure the environment is more conducive for angel investments and other sources of funding used by startups and Internet businesses in India. Ensure India’s financial and commerce policy-makers study the problem affecting the sector and prevent further regulatory roadblocks from developing.

     

  • LinTeractive will add a layer of brand and consumer engagement expertise on top of the usual capabilities offered by most digital agencies

    Lowe Lintas & Partners’ digital division – LinTeractive, relaunched

    By a correspondent

     

    Post its association with IPG’s full-service digital agency Interactive Avenues last year, Lowe Lintas & Partners has announced the relaunch of its digital division – LinTeractive.

     

    Apart from its focus on offering solutions to clients across digital platforms, what will set LinTeractive apart will be its focus on brand strategy and creative throughput that will form the core of its digital strategy. The end offerings will be delivered seamlessly across multiple platforms by teams of domain specialists comprising strategists, technologists and creators.

     

    LinTeractive will be managed by Mr. Vikas Mehta, Chief Marketing Officer, Lowe Lintas & Partners, who has been entrusted with an additional responsibility of heading the relaunched division.

     

    Speaking about the relaunch activity, Mr. Joseph George, CEO, Lowe Lintas & Partners said: “The relaunch marks Lowe Lintas & Partners’ broader vision of strengthening its group offerings and our proven ability to deliver in-market success for our clients. LinTeractive will work closely with brand teams and Interactive Avenues in conceiving and executing ideas that consumers want to belong to and get involved with.”

     

    Outlining the agenda for LinTeractive in India, Vikas Mehta, CMO, Lowe Lintas & Partners said: “With LinTeractive, we are making a decisive move towards mainlining digital and embedding it into the core of all our offerings including advertising, PR, activation, brand consulting and so on. We believe that digital disciplines have become too crucial to brand success to be treated like a specialist-only function.”

     

    LinTeractive will add a layer of brand and consumer engagement expertise on top of the usual capabilities offered by most digital agencies including search, social, web|mobile, technical development, analytics, campaign activation and digital media.

     

    The new division will work with existing clients of Lowe Lintas & Partners on digital integration as well as with independent clients as a full-service digital agency. Interactive Avenues would continue to partner ‘LinTeractive’ for execution in areas like SEO, SEM, technical development, and online media planning and buying.

     

    The relaunched division would function with offices in Mumbai and Delhi with plans to open the Bangalore arm soon.

     

  • To be held every month, Life OK Now Awards will recognize and honour talent from the previous month in a glitzy awards ceremony

    Now, Life OK inks pact with Reliance Broadcast for film & TV awards

    By a correspondent

     

    Life OK in partnership with BIG Productions has introduced Life OK Now Awards, India’s first Instant awards to celebrate excellence in the field of film, music and television. The best entertainers from the film, music and television fraternities will be brought to the fore with a 100 percent audience voting campaign. To be held every month, Life OK Now Awards will recognize and honour talent from the previous month in a glitzy awards ceremony. Bollywood star Akshay Kumar has been roped in as the Face of the first edition of the awards.

     

    Ajit Thakur

    Announcing the launch of this innovative property, Ajit Thakur, General Manager, Life OK, said, “Captivating audiences with innovative and resonating content is one of our key strengths. Being India’s fastest growing GEC, our content innovations has cemented our connect with family audiences and every launch of ours has taken this connect a notch higher. This one-of-a-kind award will give an opportunity to the audiences to vote for, celebrate and cherish their favourite stars instantly and regularly. We are glad to be associated with BIG Productions and together we are all set to create fabulous entertainment for our viewers.”

     

    Conceptualized by Life OK, the awards will be produced by BIG Productions and have 92.7 BIG FM as the radio partner. As a part of the promotional campaign, Life OK will be creating engagement and excitement throughout the country by promoting various award categories across multiple media platforms. The awards property will reach huge HSM audiences through Life OK’s massive distribution network.

     

    A monthly entertainment property, Life OK Now Awards will have some of the most renowned Bollywood artistes come together to perform and entertain their fans and audiences. Audiences can cast their vote starting 19th May 2014 and get exclusive content with a simple process by giving a missed call on 1800 270 8701 or download the Life OK Now Awards app from android Store or Google Play or by logging on to www.lifeok.com/NowAwards .

     

  • News channels make hay as the General Elections results are announced + On MxM today

    It’s Raining Revenues on Results Day

     

    By A Correspondent [summary updated, story was filed yesterday]

     

    If you thought only politicians made for strange bedfellows, you mustn’t miss this. Over the last fortnight, leading English channel Times Now has been going to town with its promotions on Hindi news channel Aaj Tak. Nothing wrong with it. General entertainment channels often cross-promote teleserials on news channels, but in this case Aaj Tak has a sibling in Headlines Today which competes with Times Now.

     

    On MxMIndia Tomorrow
    Although every election is bigger than the previous ones, General Elections 2014 was by far the biggest for the media. These were the first general elections after the social media explosion. It was a ‘Made for Television’ election.

    On Friday, May 16, we will not come to you with our regular mid-morning edition. However, we have a special offering for that day:

     

    01. Livetweeting through the counting process. Our brand of commentary on the way the election results are being covered. Follow our Twitter handle: @mxmindia

     

    02. A very special edition at 4pm that day. Special Columns by Ranjona Banerji, Shailesh Kapoor and Amith Prabhu. Plus Mediaah! Also, a lot more of news and reactions.

     

    03. A Google Hangout on the election results at 4pm discussing the election coverage. To be aired live on YouTube and where you can interact with our guests.

     
    Shailesh Kapoor

    The stakes are big for Results Day or Friday, May 16. The Made-for-Television general elections of 2014 are destined to see a huge spike in viewership. “It has emerged as the most promoted date by far in our television history,” asserts Shailesh Kapoor, television insights specialist and CEO of Ormax Media, adding: “More than 20 news channels will fight a fierce battle on Results Day.  The results of this battle within the battle may have a long-lasting impact on our news television economy.”

     

    Prasanth Kumar

    According to Prasanth Kumar, Managing Partner, South Asia, Central Trading Group of GroupM, advertising demand for May 16 has been on the rise. “Advertisers have shown keen interest in election as a property with most taking 4-8-week sponsorship deals. For sponsors, about 10-15 per cent of their campaign monies have been parked for the Results Day.”

     

    “Inventory on news channels is flexible and especially on a day when we feel there would be a lot of breaking news with results and numbers being declared, it would be difficult to put a fix on the bookings,” added Mr Kumar.

     

    Anita Nayyar

    When asked whether her clients have chosen to advertise on news channels given the elections fever,  Anita Nayyar, CEO of media Havas Media Group, India and South Asia said: “It is a once-in-five-years opportunity hence many of our clients are taking advantage of the same. This is a captive audience for brands like auto and liquor who typically target the male audience and has not been a deterrent.”

     

    This time each party has been extremely aggressive in its marketing, says Nayyar. Eyeballs are expected to be on news. Even no IPL matches are scheduled for May 16 when cricket by itself is hot property in India.  All the channels – regional, Hindi and English (in that order) will see a spike from their regular viewership.

     

    And what kind of advertisers are making a beeline for news channels? “Elections tends to see a concentration of advertisers focused towards male audiences so does news. However, given the general elections, the female viewership is also better than the normal viewing of news channels,” Ms Nayyar said matter-of-factly.

     

  • IndusInd Bank owns the branding rights of Rapid Metro Station for 5 years

    IndusInd Bank Cybercity station inaugurated in Gurgaon

    By a correspondent

     

    IndusInd Bank and Rapid Metro Gurgaon Limited (RMGL) have announced the inauguration of IndusInd Bank Cybercity Rapid Metro Station recently. This is the first and the only metro station in the country which has been named and branded by a bank, thus making it an excellent example of transit mode of advertising in India opted by IndusInd Bank. The Bank and RMGL have inked a 5-year contract for naming rights of the metro station.

     

    IndusInd Bank Cybercity station has a rich aesthetic and artistic feel to it as the interiors and exteriors of the station don the brand colours conveying the inherent brand values of the Bank. The grand illustrations at the station have brought alive the great heritage of one of the oldest civilisations of the world – the Indus Valley civilisation from where the Bank derives its name and inspiration. The metro station is strategically located in the heart of Cybercity, which houses CyberHub and many other key commercial establishments of Gurgaon. The station runs parallel to National Highway 8 (NH-8) and is visible to the commuters of the highway.

     

    The smart messaging across the station can be related to the new age banking requirements of the millennium city. The Bank has installed two ATMs inside this station. All the other Rapid Metro Stations have been provided with at least one ATM by the Bank.

     

    RomeshSobti, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, IndusInd Bank said, “It is a matter of pride for IndusInd Bank to get associated with such a novel project in the millennium city. IndusInd Bank Cybercity station is happy to showcase & enhance its brand quotient in Gurgaon, which happens to be a high priority market for the Bank.”

     

    Speaking on the launch, SanjivRai, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Rapid Metro Gurgaon Ltd. said, “We are very happy to have received overwhelming positive response from corporates on this branding model and we are delighted to be associated with IndusInd Bank. We are confident that commuters will appreciate this synergy and both Rapid Metro and IndusInd Bank will continue to drive value in the long-term. This is one of the important stations of our Phase-1 and within the first quarter of operation we expect this station to have one of the highest foot-fall. We assure our riders that we will continue to provide them with the best of our services in many more times to come.”

     

  • Others participating in the deal were creative firms including Dave Stewart's First Artist Bank, Gerard Butler and Jean Pigozzi

    Starwatch invests in Talenthouse global

    By a correspondent

     

    Starwatch, the music and live entertainment group within Germany’s pre-eminent media and entertainment company ProSiebenSat.1, has made an investment in Talenthouse global. Others participating in the deal were creative firms including Dave Stewart’s First Artist Bank, Gerard Butler and Jean Pigozzi.

     

    For more than 3.5 million artists in the Talenthouse community, this investment and strategic alliance will provide access to bigger and better Creative Invites than ever as the firm will tap in to ProSieben’s incredible network of leading brands and talent and add to its client representatives. It will also enhance technology improvements to the platform as the company will bring on more engineering talent to deliver more remarkable features. This association will also help the artists to reach out to wider audiences, as every successful brand invitation will extend the potential reach and impact of the next Creative Invite.

     

    Led by Roman Scharf and Amos Pizzey, Talenthouse is a global creative community where brands can connect with artists who create content that connects with people. Companies using the platform include Adidas, Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Dolce &Gabbana, Samsung, Kleenex, HP, Intel and Volkswagen.

     

    Roman Scharf, Co-CEO and Founder of Talenthouse said, “ProSiebenSat.1 is the leading TV company in Germany and one of the strongest media companies in Europe. For Talenthouse, this partnership represents a one-of-a-kind opportunity to expand its network to the German-speaking countries and implement unique marketing concepts for businesses. The reach and the access to brands and creatives in TV and in the digital world afforded by this investment will permanently speed up Talenthouse’s growth.”

     

    “Talenthouse enables brand owners to conduct a direct dialog with a particularly interesting target group while also involving them in the product development process at an early stage. That is unique,” said Christian Wegner, member of the executive board of ProSiebenSat.1.

     

    “After the mobile shopping app Shopkick, Talenthouse is the second import agreement signed by ProSiebenSat.1 this year,” added Wegner. “Thus, we continue to implement our strategy of investing in successful digital companies and actively shaping their entry into the European market.”

     

  • This initiative of Hungama.com will continue to foster collaboration among device manufacturers and software & hardware component providers

    Hungama. associates with Qualcomm Design & Wireless Innovation Summit

    By a correspondent

     

    Digital company Hungama.com has become a part of Qualcomm Design and Wireless Innovation Summit. This initiative of Hungama.com will continue to foster collaboration among device manufacturers and software & hardware component providers to develop devices as well as explore new business opportunities in the rapidly evolving era. This will help Hungama.com innovate and differentiate, as well as build new business relationships with other associates from hardware and digital entertainment ecosystems including Alibaba, Baidu, OmniVision, Reverie Language Technologies, Samsung Electronics (CMOS Image Sensor), SK Hynix, Sohu and Tencent.

     

    Hungama.Com will explore the following at the Qualcomm Reference Design and Wireless Innovation Summit program:

    > Innovations powered by 4G LTE and the Qualcomm  RF360™ Front End Solution

    > Regional software packages, modem configurations and testing for certain regional operator requirements

    > Potential global opportunities to help international commercialization

    > New wireless vertical opportunities

    > Hands-on commercial technology across the Snapdragon portfolio, including 4K Ultra HD, advanced camera features and the latest in graphics technologies

    > Differentiation through software, including new options for Windows Phone

     

    “The Qualcomm Reference Design (QRD) program by Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. offers industry-leading technical innovation, differentiated hardware and software and customization options that are designed to help save engineering costs and accelerate development time,” said Larry Paulson, VP of Product Management, QTI. “This is our fifth summit and it promises to be one of the most rewarding for the ecosystem that has developed around the QRD program.”

     

    To date, more than 425 commercial QRD-based devices have been launched in 21 countries and more than 40 OEMs and IDHs have commercially launched QRD-based devices. The expanded QRD portfolio includes Snapdragon 610, 615, 400, 410 and 200 processors by QTI with support for the Qualcomm RF360â„¢ Front End Solution, Qualcomm Global Pass and Windows Phone 8.1.

     

  • This year's entries have also been characterized by a significant number of web-based and online journalists pitching their stories too

    Press Club Mumbai’s RedInk Awards on June 7

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Press Club RedInk Awards for Excellence in Journalism 2014, instituted by the Press Club Mumbai, have received a good response with over 800 entries from 75 print and internet publications. This year’s entries have also been characterized by a significant number of web-based and online journalists pitching their stories into the ring. This shows online journalism and web-based platforms becoming increasingly active and popular as vehicles of mass communication.

     

    The Awards have now moved to the stage of evaluation and judging, a humungous task by any standards. The Press Club has convened a transparent process of forming juries consisting of 3-member panels for each of the 10 sections of awards. The juries are a mix of industry experts, well-known knowledge leaders and senior journalists. The distinguished panels include eminent names such as ShyamBenegal for the ‘Entertainment and Lifestyle’ section, Rahul Dravid for the sports category, Dr Swati Piramal judging ‘Health and Wellness’ entries, Dr KC Chakrabarty, RBI Dy. Governor  for ‘Business’ section, noted lawyer Satish Maneshinde for ‘Crime’ and celebrity lensman Pablo Bartholomew sitting on the photography jury.

     

    The Grand Finale for the RedInk Awards will be held on June 7 at the Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, at the NCPA, in Mumbai.

     

    The Awards, which offer Rs One lakh to each of the winners, is in its 4th year now, and is the only recognition of merit for journalists from a professional platform. The Awards this year have expanded to include new categories like ‘Human Rights and Environment’. Juries will judge breaking news stories and features separately this year as the 2 categories involve different skill sets.

     

    Star India is the Presenting Partner for The Press Club’s Red Ink Awards for Excellence in Journalism 2014. The awards partners are Yes Bank, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, Aditya Birla Group, Zee Entertainment, BSE, Eros International and the Adani Group; communication partners are DNA and exchange4media.

     

  • IAA's India Chapter was awarded the 2014 IAA Chapter Excellence Award with Pradeep Guha winniing the Samir Fares Award for his contribution to IAA and Pheroza Billimoria was inducted as IAA Honorary Life Member

    IAA India Chapter, Pheroza Billimoria & Pradeep Guha win accolades at IAA World Congress

    It was an Indian Summer at the 43rd IAA World Congress. India born Indra Nooyi, Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo Worldwide was the recipient of the most prestigious IAA Award for her contribution to global marketing and advertising. And then the IAA India Chapter has won the 2014 IAA Chapter Excellence Award. According to Heather Leembruggen, Chairman of IAA Awards 2014 Committee, “IAA India Chapter had stiff competition from three other countries, but the variety of events across India and the quality of each event, put IAA India Chapter on top to win this coveted recognition.”

     

    The presentation of the 2014 IAA Chapter Excellence Award was made at the 43rd IAA World Congress in Beijing on May 10, 2014.

     

    Faris Abouhamad, Chairman & Worldwide President expressed his happiness and extended congratulations to the India Chapter and invited the Chapter President, Srinivasan Swamy, to receive the award.  Mr Abouhamad praised the work the India Chapter had done in the past two years and said he was indeed pleased with the Chapter for making an outstanding contribution to the core values and mission of IAA – in particular, the providing of a forum for international industry debate, advocacy and professional development opportunities and an exceptionally healthy growth in memberships.  “The inventiveness shown by the India Chapter is commendable and will, I am sure, resonate to all other chapters so that we can hear about similar initiatives by IAA chapters in other countries” he said.

     

    While accepting the award, Mr Swamy said that it was the cumulative result of the good work by all the managing committee members at IAA India.  He also thanked the IAA members in India for their continuous support and involvement in IAA initiatives.

     

    The Chapter Excellence Award (formerly called the Golden Tulip Award) is presented to the IAA Chapter judged to have made the best overall contribution to achieving the aims and objectives of the IAA over the previous two years.  The award was established in 1957 by the IAA Holland Chapter. It was originally presented to the European company recognized for the best international advertising campaign.  Then, at an IAA Pan-European meeting in Amsterdam on 22 February 1973, it was decided it would in future be for IAA Chapters in the European Area.  From 1980 it was extended to embrace all Chapters worldwide. India has won the award in in 1998 and 2010 in the past.

     

    In addition, IAA Past President and Area Director, IAA Asia Pacific Pradeep Guha was honoured at the World Congress. He was the recipient of the Samir Faris Award this year, making him the 12th beneficiary since its inception in 1990.  It is awarded to professionals in recognition of their outstanding service in furthering the objectives of IAA.

     

    Commenting on the Award, Mr Guha said “I never expected this and I am humbled. I am thankful to the IAA Executive Committee and the Global Board for this honor. I do hope I can contribute more to further the cause of this respected body”.

     

    Another important recognition that came India’s way was Mr Abouhamad announced that Pheroza Bilimoria be given the Honorary Life Membership of IAA for all her contribution to the global body. Ms Bilimoria was till recently the Honorary Secretary of IAA Global and has been actively involved in IAA India Chapter since its inception. Since Ms Billimoria could not attend the Congress in Beijing, she was therefore given the certificate of IAA Honorary Life Membership at the IAA Young Turks Forum event in Mumbai on June 13 by Mr Swamy.  Said Ms Bilimoria “I am so deeply touched, honoured and, most of all, humbled, by this gracious recognition. I  used to often sit in the audience at IAA World Congresses to admire and applaud those of my seniors who were the deserving recipients of this honour;  so it came to me as such an amazing delight to find that I have now joined their ranks!”

     

  • One of the many factors why the NDA emerged victorious was its ad and PR campaign. A quick chat with brand consultant Harish Bijoor

    The Rise & Shine of Brand Modi

     

    Even as the final results were coming in, it was clear that one of the many factors why Narendra Modi and the NDA emerged victorious in the General Elections 2014 was the advertising and public relations campaign. Shobhana Nair spoke to Harish Bijoor, well-known brand expert and CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc to discuss the rise and rise of Brand Modi

     

    Harish Bijoor

    On what has worked for Brand Modi in the last year?

    Hard work. Very hard work. Add to it the fact that Brand Modi started off the block much before elections were announced. Brand Modi established itself first when it saw Narendra Modi as a hat-trick CM of Gujarat. This image was further boosted with development as a cue. And then came the announcement of Modi as a PM candidate of the BJP. This was decisive and focussed branding. And then kicked in the campaign.

     

    The solus attention on Modi has helped the BJP immensely in this victory. If you remove Modi from the BJP, you will find a huge crevice in terms of the resultant imagery. To that extent, this is a pure Modi win. In many ways, this paves the way for an epochal shift in the way campaigns will be run in this country. The individual will become more important than the party. Parties that hide behind the cloak of group-think will need to think individual personas, American style, in the future.

     

    Do you think it was smart marketing that gave Mr Modi the comprehensive victory?

    Absolutely. Narendra Modi is the ultimate political marketer. He had able support, and he was decisive in the way he managed his campaign. His campaign was a 360-degree campaign that had everyone else watching with awe. The best of product marketing gyaan was brought into this campaign. And it worked. Modi is a product. And this product promised what the people wanted. And in him people saw a strong  and decisive leader, someone who was an anti-thesis of sorts to the persona India was used to in the past decade with Manmohan Singh at the helm of affairs.

     

    Would you say the BJP’s ad agencies produce great advertising, or at least advertising that worked?

    They did. I love the “Abki Baar Modi Sarkaar line”, as did I love the jingles that captured the need of the people in bundling hope: “Acchhe din aane waale hain…” And media organizations loved the amount of money that was spent in airing all of this for sure.

     

    And do you think the Congress loss was caused by bad advertising?

    Not really. In the beginning, it is all about strategy. I do believe the gaps lie in the strategy rather than in the advertising executions. I do believe enough of emphasis on voter insight was not given. The campaign was top-down and ignored the bottom-up possibilities.

     

    How does Brand Modi not suffer from the same fate as various Opposition/non-Congress governments have in the past?

    Brand Modi is beyond it all for now. His assessment will start happening one year from now. And that will be the biggest challenge to tackle. Every single promise needs to be fulfilled. With care, tracking and passion.

     

  • Zoya, which has so far taken the print and outdoor campaign route, has for the first time released a TVC on air

    Zoya unveils first TVC; plans to add more stores across country

    By A Correspondent

     

    Zoya, the diamond brand from the house of Tata, is both a product and a retail brand and is targeted at the discerning, design seeking woman who is international in her aspiration. As part of its expansion plans, Titan has unveiled a third store in Mumbai, renting a 5000 square foot premium property in the posh shopping district of Linking Road, that is home to many jewellery brands.

     

    Zoya which also has so far taken the print and outdoor campaign route, has for the first time released a TVC on air which showcases the brand and highlights brand messages of exquisite design and craftsmanship along with the values of trust that are integral to a Tata product.

     

    Zoya deals in exquisite styled ranges, primarily in diamonds, apart from the traditional and fusion polki & kundan jewelry besides providing an unmatchable buying experience. The store showcases luxury in its most undiluted form. Zoya is also a corporate luxury brand in the jewelry segment that launches a seasonal collection each quarter. The latest collection is Fire and will be introduced on May 21, which pays tribute to nature’s most brilliant element with a magnificent array of jewellery, embellished with radiant sapphires, radiant gold and exquisite diamonds.

     

  • The prestigious German football competition will be aired on the TEN Network until 2018

    TEN Sports to broadcast DFB Cup

    By A Correspondent

     

    The German Football Association (DFB – Deutscher Fussball-Bund) and TEN Sports Network, have closed a media rights agreement for the DFB Cup. Between the 2014/15 and 2017/18 season, the German knock-out competition will be broadcast across the TEN Sports Network. Infront Sports & Media, the exclusive international media rights advisor to the DFB, has facilitated the long-term contract.

     

    TEN Sports has acquired the exclusive media rights for live and delayed coverage with a commitment of 11 key matches per season and upto a potential 19. Territories included in the contract, cover the breadth of the Indian Sub-Continent includingAfghanistan,Bangladesh,Bhutan,India,Maldives,Nepal,PakistanandSri Lanka. Across the majority of these regions, TEN Sports holds a leading position. Its programming also features other top national and international football properties including the UEFA Champions League.

     

    Rajesh Sethi, CEO, TEN Sports, commented: “Ten Sports is proud to re affirm its commitment to DFB and Infront by renewing rights for the DFB Cup for a further four years which will see matches live on Ten Action, Ten Sports & Ten HD and also available for live streaming on tensports.com. As incumbent rights holders for the UEFA Champions League & Europa League and the DFB Cup, we have seen incredible performances by German Clubs on the field as well as their financial stability off it. DFB Cup forms a key part of our premium football bouquet which also includes the UEFA Champions League & Europa League, Copa Del Rey, Capital One Cup, French League among other properties and we are delighted to extend our rights partnership.”

     

    Infront has supported the DFB in its media rights sales for the international market since 2012. The negotiations with TAJ TV Limited have been handled by Infront Pan-Asia – the new Singapore-based subsidiary.