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Tag: Gaurav Gandhi

  • Sushant Sreeram to transition to the role of Country Director, India

    Prime Video elevates Gaurav Gandhi to VP, Asia Pacific

    By Our Staff

     

    Prime Video has elevated Gaurav Gandhi from Vice President, India to Vice President, Asia Pacific. In his new role Gandhi will lead APAC, incorporating Japan and South East Asia, alongside India. Effective April 2023, he will transition into this new role and will be based out of Singapore. As Gandhi moves to take on this larger responsibility, Sushant Sreeram, currently Director – SVOD Business, will be elevated to the position of Country Director, Prime Video, India.

     

    Prior to Amazon, Gandhi has worked in companies such as Viacom18, NDTV Imagine and STAR India in various leadership roles. He moved into the video streaming space in 2015, and set up, launched and ran Viacom 18’s streaming service VOOT as his last role prior to joining Amazon.

     

    Sreeram has worked closely with Gandhi since he joined Amazon in 2018 as Director – Marketing, and was elevated to Director – SVOD Business in 2022. As the SVOD business leader he was entrusted with building the Subscription Video on Demand (SVoD) business through acquisition, growth and engagement of subscribers across B2B and B2C segments.

     

  • The credo: Don't buy a dog. Adopt an Indie

    Another Idea for stray dog welfare

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Welfare of Stray Dogs (WSD) has produced a film by production house Another Idea with the credo: Don’t buy a dog. Adopt an Indie

     

    Said Abodh Aras of WSD: “The Indie dog is a hardy, loving, good looking, low-maintenance animal that is unfortunately neglected and seen as a “stray”. I am glad “Another Idea” came forward to make a film that highlights the pressing need to adopt these wonderful animals.”

     

    Added Gaurav Gandhi, CEO of Another Idea: “When we heard of this need, the team headed by Director of this film Hiten Bhatia and Producer Shuja Rahman were very excited. We are glad that we are playing a part in helping a good cause.”

     

    The film will be actively promoted by influencers and animal lovers on social media starting today, August 11. A digital campaign where pet owners would be encouraged to post pictures of themselves and their Indie dogs would also be launched with the hashtag #Proud to be Indiean on August 14.

  • Although no replacement has been announced for Gandhi’s role thus far, according to the grapevine, the hunt is on to find a suitable person to head the division

    Gaurav Gandhi quits Voot, to head Amazon Prime Video

    By A Correspondent

     

    After 8 years of working with Viacom18 in various roles, Gaurav Gandhi, Chief Operating Officer, Viacom18 Digital Ventures, has decided to move on. Although no replacement has been announced for Gandhi’s role thus far, according to the grapevine, the hunt is on to find a suitable person to head the division.

     

    Commenting on the development, Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO, Viacom18 said: “Gaurav has contributed significantly to Viacom18’s growth journey. He has led an extremely capable team to make VOOT a brand that is loved by its consumers. Gaurav has been a passionate and driven colleague whose counsel I have always valued. On behalf of all of us at Viacom18, I would like to thank Gaurav for his contribution and wish him the very best for his future endeavours.”

     

    Meanwhile, it is rumoured that Gandhi is all set to join as head of Amazon Prime Video.

     

     

  • Voot was the only online video service that was shortlisted for the awards

    Voot wins IBC2017 Innovation Award for content distribution

    By A Correspondent

     

    Viacom18’s video-on demand streaming service Voot has bagged the ‘International Broadcasting Convention 2017 (IBC2017) Innovation Award for Content Distribution’ for its Progressive Web App (PWA) product- VOOT Lite. VOOT was the only online video service that was shortlisted for the awards, along with other leading organisations, amongst 190-plus entries from around the world.

     

    Voot launched a Progressive Web App (PWA) product and that includes offline page caching functionality, fast loading, responsive interface and push notifications. Voot, notes a communique, was an early adopter of this technology which led to a huge jump in users and video watch time on its mobile web.

     

    Gaurav Gandhi

    Speaking about the awards, Gaurav Gandhi, COO, Viacom18 Digital Ventures said: “To win the IBC2017 Innovation Award for Content Distribution is a huge honour for us at Voot. In the Video steaming business, both Content & Technology play an equally important role. While Viacom18 is well known for pioneering efforts & leadership in the content business, it is indeed great to have our company feature on the global technology leaderboard as well. In this business particularly, partnerships & alliances are key to achieving big milestones and we would like to thank the team at Google for providing us support in our PWA”

     

     

  • This upgrade will allow for a high quality user experience

    Voot partners Google to launch VoD progressive web app

    By A Correspondent

     

    Voot, Viacom18’s ad-supported video-on-demand OTT service, has turned its mobile website into a Progressive Web App (PWA) using features such as ‘add to home-screen’and a service worker. PWA allows reliable, fast, and engaging experience for users on mobile web, notes a communique.

     

    Commented Gaurav Gandhi, COO, Viacom18 Digital Ventures: “In this business both content and technology have equal equity in realizing the potential of our Consumer Proposition. While content is our domain expertise, to push the envelope in terms of technology, we continuously work with partners from around the world. We are delighted to work closely with Google to launch VOOT on the PWA platform. This launch significantly enhances the experience for all VOOT users on mobile browsers and we believe this is a big step where users can have an equally rich experience of our service without downloading the app.”

     

    “We have moved the needle very significantly when it comes to user experience on the Mobile Web by adopting PWA,” said Rajneel Kumar, Head, Product and Technology, Viacom18 Digital Ventures, adding: “All the time and effort we’ve spent on technology and UI changes as well as optimisations seem to be showing very positive results. We are going to continue to refine this further and we are confident that we will continue to see significant consumer lift.”

     

    “We are delighted with the Voot implementation of a Progressive Web App. PWAs are well suited for India, where the mobile web allows publishers to reach a large audience across a highly diverse set of devices and bandwidth.  The early numbers on performance are very encouraging, and demonstrate the potential of mobile web media distribution” said John Pallett, Product Manager at Google.

     

  • Launch of special anthem for Voot Kids "Bachche Hum Goody Goody Banenge, Voot Kids Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karenge!"

    Voot draws up campaign for kids

    By A Correspondent

     

    Voot, Viacom18’s OTT platform, is set to roll out a high decibel marketing campaign for its Voot Kids service. With 1750 hours of content, 7000+ videos and 100+ characters, Voot Kids has curated a larg digital repository of premium kids content, since the OTT platform’s launch four months ago.

     

    Commenting on the importance of kids content and the need to market specifically to them, Gaurav Gandhi, COO, Viacom18 Digital Ventures, said, “Right at launch, we built the largest repository of premium kids content in the digital space in India.. At 15% share of the overall traffic, Voot Kids is a significant contributor to VOOT’s growth.  We feel that this segment is only set to grow, both in size and influence, and we want to be the default digital platform of choice for kids entertainment. Our endeavour is to build a parent-approved kids-favourite brand, and we will continue to develop exciting campaigns and dial up engagement with this community even further.”

     

    The campaign captures how kids from across India have taken to the new way of life and turned ‘goody goody’ in their ultimate quest to earn Voot time. Today’s kids know what they want and they’re smart enough to get it effortlessly. Parents are aware of this and are willing to reward a good behaviour. The campaign captures this dynamic between parents and kids very effectively, and delivers this insightful message through lucid storytelling and a catchy musical anthem that will really grab the attention of kid and parents alike.

     

  • Viacom 18's campaign for its VOOT platform banks on the restlessness of people to watch their favourite shows on the go

    VOOT aims to make you wanting for more

    By A Correspondent

     

    Did you ever want to watch a particular episode of your favourite TV show suddenly in the middle of a work? Or have you ever been restless to catch the final episode of the series you are addicted to? Well, we all have through these sudden impatient urge to catch our favourite shows on the go or at weird hours. This is exactly what the new marketing campaign of Viacom 18’s digital VOD (video on demand) service VOOT captures.

     

    The campaign- ‘VOOT wanting wanting’- has been launched with purpose of making VOOT the go to destination for quality entertainment content consumption through over the top (OTT) services. The focus will, for now, be on the top six markets of Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Hyderabad. With over 17,000 hours of programming (across languages and genres) including television shows, movies, cartoons and some original VOOT creations, this service promises viewers   content that is addictive in nature. Thus, the campaign,gives emphasis to the fact that when one is addicted, they need to get that thing as soon as possible and as often as they can. Any roadblocks on their path make them restless.

     

    “Our core idea of creating an exclusive destination and maximising watch time is reflected in this campaign. We believe this business at heart is a content business. All our efforts have been to create the VOOT experience- both in terms of content and product offering- that will leave our viewers addicted and therefore keep coming back for more anytime and anywhere. And that is the singular message that you will see in all our communication- You are most happy when you VOOT, but being away from VOOT will leave you restless and wanting wanting for more” said, Gaurav Gandhi, COO, Viacom 18 Digital Ventures about the brand campaign. Akash Baneji, Head of Marketing and Partnerships, Viacom 18 Digital Ventures, speaking about the idea behind the campaign, said,“India is at the cusp of exciting times. A whole aspiring generation of digitally equipped Indians is charged up by the everyday possibilities around them. VOOT believes we can be their happy entertainment stop. But our brand of happiness is unique. For people who spend hours on mobile it is the urge, restlessness and the excitement to connect instantly with great stories. That was precisely the context and the overriding principle that led to the creation of these creative.”

     

    The campaign comprises three TVCs with different protagonists in each of the films- a woman, a kid and a young boy – thereby highlighting the appeal of content available on VOOT catering to multiple TGs (Target Groups). The TVCs highlight VOOT’s key proposition of having content so addictive that once you start watching, you just can’t stop (Ek bar watching toh non-stop wanting).

     

    “Some few things we kept in mind when we got the brief are the content is so good, there are both long and short format content and the quality of content is so good that you cannot stay away from it. That is the premise we operated with. It is entertainment that you can consume anywhere anytime. That was something we expanded on, which is for us, what happens when you are with some exciting entertaining programme and people and things come in the way” said Ayyappan Raj, Executive Vice President, MullenLintas, one of the key brains behind the campaign.

     

    This campaign will be promoted within all Viacom 18 channels as well as channels outside their network.

     

  • Alok Nath, Gulshan Grover, Baba Sehgal and a host of celebs will frontline originals in advertising-led Voot platform

    Viacom18 unveils Voot with originals and huge kiddie content

    By A Correspondent

     

    Viacom18 has launched Voot, a digital video-on-demand platform that will will be advertising-led and available for free on iOS, Android and web-led devices.

     

    Other than 17,000 of Viacom18 content from across channels and languages, the Voot drivers will be a massive kids foray plus a diverse set of originals. Voot will house popular characters from across networks – from Nick characters like Dora, Spongebob, Motu Patlu to blockbuster characters like Chhota Bheem and Pokemon. Meanwhile, Voot Originals will roll out shows in both long and short formats across genres like comedy and drama. Bollywood actors Gulshan Grover, Baba Sehgal, Alok Nath and a host of celebrity scriptwriters and directors will be frontlining these shows. Furthermore, Viacom18 will move its entire content library, including Colors, MTV and Nick, to be digitally available only on VOOT.

     

    Commenting on the launch, Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO, Viacom18, said, “India is at the cusp of a digital boom with over 400 million internet users and 200 million+ smartphone users spending significant amount of time online with entertainment and allied content being the prime driver. As more people move towards consuming content online, it is time for Viacom18 to move into the world of connected screens. Hence Voot.”

     

    Echoing his CEO’s enthusiasm, Gaurav Gandhi, COO, Viacom18 Digital Ventures explained further, “As a network we are a content powerhouse, be it through our television channels or through our film studio. Our content strategy for Voot is true to Viacom18’s philosophy of inclusive entertainment. Between Voot Originals, Voot Kids, our network content and Content-around-content created exclusively for the platform, the idea is to peddle happiness to the ‘always wanting’ India, racing to go digital. Our marketing campaign, set to kick off in the next few days, also highlights this brand philosophy that is at the core of Voot. ”

     

     

  • The agency's mandate would be to provide strategic recommendations pertaining to marketing and promotion of the brand

    Mullen Lintas wins creative mandate of Viacom18’s VOOT

    By A Correspondent

     

    As it gears up for the consumer launch of its advertising led VOD platform VOOT, Viacom18 has appointed Mullen Lintas, the advertising agency of the MullenLowe Lintas Group as its creative partner.

     

    The agency’s mandate would be to provide strategic recommendations pertaining to marketing and promotion of the brand and also provide ideas that go beyond conventional advertising.

     

    Commenting on the appointment, Gaurav Gandhi, COO, Viacom18 Digital Ventures, said, “As we set out to launch a new brand in this space, we needed a creative partner who could not only help in building a distinct positioning for VOOT, but also bring-to-life key facets of our product and content proposition in the campaigns. Our choice for Mullen Lintas is not only because of the fantastic credentials of the agency, but also the very deep consumer insights and creative edge that the team brings with it.”

     

    Expressing his views on the immense scope that the brand presents, Amer Jaleel, Chairman & CCO, Mullen Lintas said, “We are delighted to partner Viacom 18 for their high-decibel launch of VOOT. Time and place are no longer the deciding factors for accessing entertainment. This is the future of entertainment and we have no doubt that VOOT will play a big role in shaping this category. We are committed towards creating magic for the brand VOOT.”

     

    On winning the new mandate, Virat Tandon, CEO – Mullen Lintas said, “Technology is changing the way people are consuming content. Video on demand is the next big leap after the remote control. It’s a super exciting space and an opportunity to create the next big entertainment brand in this new tech world. Also exciting is the opportunity to work with some remarkable bunch of people at Viacom 18.”

     

    The name VOOT signifies happiness & enthusiasm and is a popularly used word in the digital world.

     

    VOOT is a digital video entertainment platform launching with over 17,000 hours of content (across languages and genres) including the biggest TV shows, Kids content and films. This will be supplemented by fresh and original web series, Digital films and other original content created only for VOOT.

     

    Content on VOOT will be classified based on genres such as reality, comedy, drama, kids and other segments and has been formatted based on a year’s research on what people watch on digital video platforms.

     

  • The brand identity for Voot has been created by transnational brand consultancy Brand Gym and Pune-based Elephant Design

    Viacom18 announces plans for OTT platform ‘Voot’. To be only source for all network content

    By A Correspondent

     

    It’s the last of the big GEC-led broadcast networks to announce an OTT platform. But, then, the time is possibly just right to be in the business. Viacom 18 Digital Ventures, the digital arm of Viacom18, the brand name and identity of its OTT platform. The soon-to-be-launched service has been branded Voot,  “an expression used by the digital generation to express happiness, enthusiasm and triumph”. The brand identity for Voot, which is expected to go live in the next quarter, has been created by transnational brand consultancy Brand Gym and Pune-based Elephant Design.

     

    Voot will be the exclusive destination and source for all of Viacom 18 network’s content portfolio, including an independent and aggressive original programming strategy spearheaded by the seasoned broadcasting professional Monica Shergill.

     

    According to a communique, Viacom18 Digital Ventures has been working for the last few months with its set of strategic partners on the brand designand logo with the aim of keeping it distinctive, differentiated andin-sync with the brand mission to create a fun filled world of entertainment.

     

    Specifying the need for an exclusive new platform, Sudhanshu Vats, group CEO, said “As one of the fastest growing media companies in the country, for us at Viacom18, digital content creation, delivery and access are essential focus areas for driving growthThe brand mission of Voot is to create a whole new world of entertainment, filled with happy discoveries and addictive content”

     

    Said Gaurav Gandhi, COO, Viacom 18 Digital Ventures: “The idea of creating this new brand comes from our desire to create a new, alternate and differentiated world of entertainment for audiences in the digital space. The core essence of the brandis ‘infectious fun’ and ‘happiness’, and this is something that not only flows through in our bright and colorful logo, but will also resonate in our content philosophy.

     

    Working with strong technology, content & branding partners in India & across the globe, the new service will deliver high quality content to consumers on a wide variety of connected devices over Wi-Fi, 4G, 3G and 2G networks.

     

    ABOUT VIACOM18 DIGITAL VENTURES

    Viacom18 Digital Ventures is a newly created division within Viacom18 with a mandate to build consumer facing digital businesses for the company. In addition to building direct-to-consumer streaming businesses, Viacom18 digital ventures will also manage all digital licensing and monetization for the company’s content assets. The division will also look at expanding the group’s digital businesses and partnershipsvia both organic and in-organic routes.

     

    The mission of Viacom18 Digital Ventures is to entertain and enrich the lives of every online Indian, by bringing personalized world-class entertainment experiences on their connected screens

     

    For further information

    Siddharth Bijpuria

    Director – Corporate Communications

    Phone: 9920706646

    Email: siddharth.bijpuria@viacom18.com

  • The effort of the new venture will be to develop a convergent digital media platform for evolved consumers and marketers

    Viacom18 sets up Viacom18 Digital Ventures with Gaurav Gandhi as COO

    By A Correspondent

     

    Gaurav Gandhi

    Viacom18 has announced Viacom18 Digital Ventures to help converge traditional broadcasting with digital innovation. Gaurav Gandhi who is currently Group Chief Operating Officer at IndiaCast Media Distribution (a TV18 & Viacom18 venture) will be Chief Operating Officer of this venture. His new role is effective August 1, 2015.

     

    On the announcement of Viacom18 Digital Ventures and the key appointment, Group CEO, Sudhanshu Vats commented, “The broadcast industry is growing rapidly, and digital content, delivery and access are the new green shoots. We are looking to leverage the interception between a highly digital audience and the current content offerings. Gaurav’s rich experience in media, keen understanding of digital,strong base in distribution and his entrepreneurial instinct have made him our obvious choice”.

     

    Says Gaurav Gandhi on the new role, “I am very excited about this opportunity of building out a consumer facing digital business for Viacom 18. With the everchanging media landscape, fast growing high-speed internet access andexplosive growth in video consumption across screens, there could not be a better time to move forward in this space. We at Viacom 18 want to be the forefront of this digital convergence with our products & content offerings”

     

    Gandhi joined Viacom18 as Chief Commercial Officer & Head of International Business in March 2010. His previous stints in leadership roles have been at NDTV Imagine (Executive Vice President – Business Operations & Content Sales), Star India (Vice President, Commercial & Business Planning), Turner International India and Madison Communications.

     

  • Currently, the Aapka Colors SD feed is widely available to subscribers of multiple MVPDs

    Aapka Colors beams in HD in the US

    By A Correspondent

     

    Aapka Colors, the general entertainment channel of Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd. announced the launch of the channel’s high definition (HD) feed which will be available to viewers in the USA starting June 3, 2015. Aapka Colors will first be available on Dish, one of the leading pay-TV providers in the US. It will also be available on Sling International starting June 3, 2015.

     

    Currently, the Aapka Colors SD feed is widely available to subscribers of multiple MVPDs including DISH, Sling TV, AT&T, RCN, Verizon Fios, among others. The introduction of the HD feed offers DISH and Sling subscribers all current content of Aapka Colors with an even more immersive viewing experience – clearer picture as well as superior sound.

     

    Gaurav Gandhi, Group COO – IndiaCast, said, “With the launch the HD service of Aapka Colors on DISH and Sling, we further enhance our offering on those platforms. We at Viacom 18 and IndiaCast, strive to bring the best of Indian entertainment to the South Asian diaspora around the globe. The fact that US will be the first market after India where we will launch the HD service of Aapka Colors demonstrates our commitment and focus towards the market. Together with DISH and Sling, we look forward to offering a truly world class viewing experience to our audiences who have contributed phenomenally to the growth of our business in the US.”

     

    Chris Kuelling, Senior Vice President, International Programming, DISH and Sling said, “We are proud to be the first pay-TV provider in the U.S. to deliver AAPKA COLORS in HD, giving our customers an enhanced viewing experience and delivering on our ongoing commitment to provide high quality, affordable entertainment that connects viewers to their culture.  And with Sling, viewers will be able to access Aapka Colors in HD on almost any device including IOS, Android, Roku, Xbox, Amazon Fire and more.”