MxMIndia

Tag: Harsh Jain

  • OTT, not communication, tops internet use in India

    OTT, not communication, tops internet use in India

    As high as 86% of internet users in India, that is 707 Mn people, enjoy OTT audio and video services, making it the top use-case for internet in the country. These numbers were revealed by the ‘Internet in India Report 2023’, jointly prepared by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and Kantar, the leading marketing data and analytics company.

    The report was released by Harsh Jain, Chairman, IAMAI, and CEO and Co-founder Dream Sports, at the inaugural session of the two-day India Digital Summit 2024, being held in Mumbai (Feb 27 and 28). “‘Internet in India’, which is based on the ICUBE 2023 study, covering over 90,000 households across all states and Union Territories of India (barring Lakshadweep), is the most comprehensive survey of internet usage in the country,” he said.

    Puneet Awasthi, Director, Specialist Businesses, Insights, South Asia – Business Development, Kantar, India, presented the key figures of the report.

    The rise of digital entertainment services is also bolstered by the rise of non-traditional devices (smart TV, smart speakers, Firesticks, Chromecasts, Blue-Ray etc) that has witnessed a growth of 58% between 2021-23 at all India level. The adoption is driven by the new generation ‘cordcutters’ as for the first time, there are more people accessing video content over internet only devices (208Mn) than over conventional linear TV (181Mn).

    Other top use-cases of internet in the country are communications, with 621Mn users, and social media with 575Mn users. These are the second and third most popular services availed by Indian internet users. OTT refers to audio/video streaming either from subscribed or user-generated content UGC platforms while Communication refers to text/ voice/ video chat or used email, video conferencing, etc. using an online website or app in the last one year.

    The report points out that users from rural India are driving all these use-cases, accounting for more than 50% of the user base for each use case.

    The growing internet penetration in India surpassed a new milestone of 800Mn as total Active Internet Users reached 820MN in 2023, meaning more than 55% of Indians have used internet last year. Internet penetration grew across the nation at a modest 8% YoY. Rural India (442 Mn) is a clear majority accounting for over ~53% of the total user base.

    From a Male:Female ratio of 71:29 in 2015 we have reached 54:46 in recent times, which is almost at par with the overall sex ratio of the addressable population in the country.

    Reading between the lines the report reveals that the growth has decelerated in both urban and rural areas. Rural India, which has been driving internet growth rates for the last many years has been witnessing a slowdown lately (11% YoY), effectively in the post pandemic period, that is lowering overall growth rates (8% YoY). However, while the growth rate has slowed down, in terms of actual numbers it is still phenomenal, since 8 per cent and 11 percent in a base of over 800 million are huge numbers.

    One of the ways to accelerate the growth may be to focus on Indic languages which shows a healthy sign of growth in some states. The report finds that 57% users prefer to access content in Indic languages, with languages such as Tamil, Telegu and Malayalam having the strongest language preference for content.

    Finally, it is also a matter of great optimism that states with the lowest internet user base is also showing signs of highest growth rates. States such as Jharkhand (46% penetration) and Bihar (37% penetration) are showing above average growth rates of 12% and 17% respectively.

    For a copy of the full report please visit: thought-leadership | India Digital Summit.

  • Tiger Global, TPG, ChrysCapital and Footpath Ventures invest monies

    Dream Sports nets 225 mn dollars investment

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sportsech major firm Dream Sports, owners of Dream11, FanCode and DreamX, has announced the completion of a primary and secondary investment led by Tiger Global Management, TPG Tech Adjacencies (TTAD), ChrysCapital and Footpath Ventures worth $225 million.

     

    Talking about the deal, Harsh Jain, CEO and Co-Founder, Dream Sports said: “We are excited to welcome our new partners, who share our passion for sports and have extensive experience in building highly valuable tech companies in India. As a homegrown Indian company, we are proud to continue adding value to our 10 crore Indian sports fans, investors, employees and the overall sports ecosystem in India. In the last two years, we have grown beyond fantasy sports to sports content, merchandise, streaming, experiences, and there is much more to come. Our vision is to ‘Make Sports Better’ for India and Indian fans through sports technology and innovation.”

     

    Added Bhavit Sheth, COO and Co-Founder, Dream Sports, said, “We welcome our new partners in this phase of our growth. We have grown from one to many brands and from 200 Sportans (employees of Dream Sports) to 450 in the last two years. I am proud of our lean yet highly efficient team that has been the driving force behind the creation of ‘Sports Tech’ as a new industry category in India.” Avendus Capital was the financial advisor to Dream Sports on the transaction.

     

     

  • The communique adds, and we don’t miss out on the significance of the statement: Dream11 (Sporta Technologies Pvt. Ltd) is an Indian company based in Mumbai, Maharashtra

    BCCI formally announces Dream11 as title sponsor for IPL 2020

    By A Correspondent

     

    There were rumoured to be some hiccups. So for nearly 24 hours after the IPL chairman Brijesh Patel announced that fantasy game league Dream11 was the title sponsor for IPL 2020, the formal press release was made public on the Indian Premier League website.

     

    The IPL Governing Council has confirmed that Dream11 is the new title sponsor of the 2020 edition of the league. The communique adds, and we don’t miss out on the significance of the statement: Dream11 (Sporta Technologies Pvt. Ltd) is an Indian company based in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

     

    It also adds: Dream11’s association with sports has grown over the years and it is presently partnering a total of 19 sports leagues along with six Indian Premier League Franchises.

     

    Said Patel in the statement: “We welcome Dream11 on board as title sponsor for the 2020 edition of the IPL. Dream11 upgrading their association from an Official Partner to Title Sponsors is a great testament to the brand IPL. Dream11 as a fantasy sports brand will only grow the engagement of the IPL with its fans. As a digital brand it will give them leverage to create exciting online engagement for fans sitting at home and watching the matches. We look forward to delivering great value to Dream11.”

     

    Added Harsh Jain, CEO & Co-Founder, Dream Sports (Dream11): “The launch of IPL in 2008 gave birth to the idea of Dream11. As avid sports fans, we wanted to offer fantasy cricket to IPL fans to help them further engage with the sport they love and showcase their sports knowledge and skill. Being a proud homegrown Indian brand that is made in India, by Indians and exclusively for Indian sports fans, we would like to thank the BCCI for giving us an opportunity to become the title sponsor of IPL, which in our opinion is the world’s greatest sports property. We believe that ‘Dream11 IPL’ also perfectly defines what IPL is all about: every team fielding its Dream11 team culminating in the IPL finals determining The Dream11. We are happy to continue building our partnership with BCCI & IPL to further promote sports fan engagement in India, and look forward to 10 Crore+ Indians making their Dream11 for every Dream11 IPL match.”

     

    There were some murmurs of discontent amongst sports sponsorship-watchers given a minority stake held by Chinese investments major Tencent.

     

     

  • In this role, Justice Sikri will provide strategic counsel, resolve disputes brought forward regarding binding rules or financial discrepancies

    Sports gaming fed appoints Justice AK Sikri as ombudsman

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Indian Federation of Sports Gaming (IFSG) has announced the appointment of Justice A K Sikri as its Ombudsman & Ethics Officer. Justice Sikri is a former judge of the Supreme Court of India and was recently appointed as a judge in the Singapore International Commercial Court.

     

    He will be responsible for investigating queries/complaints raised by users of the Online Fantasy Sports Gaming platforms. In this role, he will provide strategic counsel, resolve disputes brought forward regarding binding rules or financial discrepancies as well as steer hearings and make announcements for smooth operation and ease of functioning.

     

    Commenting on the new appointments, Harsh Jain, President, IFSG said: “Justice A K Sikri’s association with IFSG is an important development for the industry body. The sports gaming industry is growing at an exponential pace and so is the need to ensure that all operators adopt best-in-class ethical business practices. With Anwar as the CEO of IFSG and Justice Sikri as the Ombudsman, IFSG will be able to frame robust industry benchmarks with strong governance protecting our industry’s 8 crore users and 32 operator’s interests.”

     

    Commenting on his new role, Anwar Shirpurwala, CEO, IFSG said: “I am delighted to be part of IFSG and look forward to contributing to India’s emerging online sports gaming industry. With growing digital infrastructure, expanding smartphone penetration and increasing integration of technology with sports, online sports gaming has seen immense adoption by avid sports fans. The last year has seen an increasing number of operators entering the industry to provide sports fans with immersive experiences. While this presents an immense opportunity, it is critical to establish best practices to grow and scale the industry responsibly.”

     

    Commenting on his new role, Justice A K Sikri, Ombudsman, IFSG added: “I am proud to be entrusted with the role of Ombudsman for IFSG. The sports gaming industry provides an untapped opportunity for sports lovers to showcase their sports knowledge and come closer to their favorite sport. As the industry prepares for the next wave of sports enthusiasts, as a self-regulatory industry body it is important to protect and educate operators & users about the industry and its best practices.”

     

     

  • Celebrates a culture driven by passion, purpose and performance

    Dream11 unveils its latest initiative – #BeAGameChanger

    By A Correspondent

     

    Dream11 has unveiled its digital-first employer branding campaign – ‘Be a GameChanger, Be a Dreamster’.

     

    Commenting on the Dream11 Culture tenets, Harsh Jain, CEO & Co-Founder, Dream11, said: “What brings Dream11 together, makes our team greater than the sum of our individuals and unites us is our culture. It is our team spirit, team chemistry and how we play to win everyday​. We believe in hiring great talent and help us transform the way a sports fan consumes sports.”

    Speaking about the campaign, Pratik Gupta, Co-founder, FoxyMoron, said: “At FoxyMoron, people are at the heart of what we do. From the very beginning, we have been one of the few places where culture comes first, and we make bonds beyond just the workplace. Therefore, this campaign is very close to our hearts (hence all the visual oxymorons).”

     

     

  • PagalPanti appeared in the list of topics breaking globally.

    Red Digital creates the second successful TweetMob for Mirinda

    By A Correspondent

     

    Post the announcement of Mirinda signing up Red Digital for its social media duties and in the back drop of having successfully introduced and executed the concept of a TweetMob, Red Digital yet again created a TweetMob on February 24 for Mirinda. The result this time was even better. Twice in two weeks now, Mirinda TweetMob #tags were one of the most talked about topics on Twitter.

     

    With the hot Indian summer approaching fast, PepsiCo has launched a new campaign for its orange soft drink, Mirinda. The campaign, which orbits around the theme ‘Pagalpanti Bhi Zaroori Hai’, is based on the thought that drinking Mirinda, this summer, is an intense and inescapable experience that leaves one breathless.

     

    “We think of TweetMob as a flashmob on Twitter where our intention is to take over Twitter and engage the twitterati for a certain duration while plugging the brand connect. After the successful execution of the first TweetMob on February 14, it was a challenge for us to out-do ourselves with the benchmarks we set for Mirinda and, more importantly, prove to ourselves that it was not a one-off success by repeating it in a grander manner. It was great to taste success again and take over Twitter,” said Yashraj Vakil, Chief Operating Officer, Red Digital.

     

    The TweetMob started at 3pm on February 24 with a simple question asking people what they thought was crazy enough around them to be called #PagalPanti. The TweetMob lasted till midnight during which Red Digital created and managed conversation around the hashtag ‘#PagalPanti’. Through the TweetMob, Red Digital helped connect Twitter and Facebook users who tweeted about the topic with various Mirinda branded hash tags, creating a plethora of endorsements for the brand.

     

    It wasn’t long before #PagalPanti started trending inIndia. The activity saw 3,700 tweets in the span of 9 hours for @MirindaIndia. Every 50 tweets with #PagalPanti helped the brand reach 7,990 people generating close to 0.6 million views. The brand reach this time was 5 times of what the first TweetMob generated. #Pagalpanti featured among the topics breaking globally and trended in Mumbai,New Delhi,HyderabadandBangalore. @MirindaIndia also saw itself trending in Chennai andHyderabad.

     

    The TweetMob will happen again on March 2 and the following Friday after that.

     

    Commenting on the TweetMob and its success, Harsh Jain, Founder & Managing Director, Red Digital said, “Flashmobs are suppose to be innovative, rebellious and spontaneous. With every flashmob now being represented as a Bollywood song and dance activity, we wanted to showcase their true power in other forms. We chose Twitter because it has become a platform for people to share ideas, collaborate, aggregate and explore new things spontaneously. Twitter is both a place where like-minded people can interact as well as a place for rebels to express their views. We are proud to have created and introduced the concept of the TweetMob; success was just a corollary. The independence of ideating with a bold and social brand like Mirinda has given us this opportunity to explore and innovate. We are thankful as well as determined to create and execute many more path breaking ideas through our association with Mirinda.”

     

    Speaking on Mirinda’s partnership with Red Digital, Ruchira Jaitly, Executive Vice President – Marketing, Beverages (Flavours), PepsiCo India said, “As marketers, we continuously seek ways to engage with the consumers via innovative means. Mirinda’s TweetMobs is a unique innovation on the digital space that utilizes the strengths of the medium effectively to communicate with our consumers on our latest initiative. The idea is fun and youthful and helped to create awareness of our new flavour campaign in a never-before fashion. It is delightful to see the results of this path-breaking idea for the second time in a row.”

     

  • Red Digital will make use of consumer-centric platforms to help connect the online and offline worlds

    Red Digital bags social media duties for Mirinda

    By A Correspondent

     

    Red Digital has been awarded the social media mandate for PepsiCo’s Mirinda. Red Digital will build and execute social media strategies that will help Mirinda, as a brand, reach out to their audience on social media platforms. The agency will play a key role in creating online buzz about the brand’s new offerings along with launching various campaigns and building engagement across social networks.

     

    For Mirinda, Red Digital’s immediate mandate on social media is to create an impact for its latest breathless campaign, with which it has launched two new flavours, Mirinda Orange Masala and Mirinda Orange Mango, while continuing with the base Mirinda Orange flavour.

     

    The launch is supported by a robust 360-degree campaign called the Taste Twister Challenge, supported via Radio, Outdoor and On-Ground activities, along with social media.

     

    Red Digital will help in bringing the experience to Facebook and On-ground. The program requires consumers to call or SMS at 08800033333 to choose the Taste Twister of their favourite flavour and recite it repeatedly in one breath for as long as possible; longer the recording, greater are the chances of winning exciting prizes, including 10 MP3 players and 1 tablet PC every day. Red Digital has replicated this experience on Facebook and Android tablets for on-ground activation, making the programme truly 360-degree.

     

    Red Digital is also geared to exploit the new disruptive full sleeve packaging that captures the taste and fun experience of drinking Mirinda through applications on Facebook. These applications use the most prominent aspect of the packaging: the emoticons, to bring alive the new flavours. The applications range from allowing fans on the Mirinda India Facebook fan page to enter into an augmented reality world and play with the emoticons to classifying friends in various taste categories. The agency will also be creating an augmented reality iPhone and Android application.

     

    The campaign, for the first time ever, will also see Red Digital creating TweetMobs through the duration of this campaign. These will be high-impact subjects being tweeted by Mirinda and re-tweeted by a group of people within a specific time frame. Red Digital will connect with the Twitteratis and get as many people to tweet about the topic with various Mirinda branded hash tags creating a plethora of endorsements for Mirinda.

     

     

    Commenting on the development, Harsh Jain, Founder & Managing Director, Red Digital said: “Social media provides seamless opportunities to build interest groups. Digital is no longer just about showing banners and clicking on them. It’s about generating engagement, activation and creating convergence between the online and offline worlds. We are glad to have an innovative partner like Pepsi Co onboard and look forward to creating path-breaking innovations in new media in the near future. The new activities for Mirinda brand emphasize our continued focus on digital innovation aimed at bringing value to our clients.”

     

    Speaking on Mirinda’s partnership with Red Digital, Ruchira Jaitly, Executive Vice President – Marketing, Beverages (Flavours), PepsiCo India said: “Social Media has become a very important tool for engaging with consumers and having a dialogue with them on a constant basis. We are pleased to have Red Digital on board as our social media partner for this initiative. Their prior experience in handling leading brands coupled with a deep understanding of consumer behaviour in the digital space will ensure there is a high level of engagement and traction for Mirinda’s campaign on three flavours.”