Speaking about the association, Sanjeev Mohanty, CEO and MD, Jabong said, “We are very excited to launch Mexx exclusively in India and more than anything else we are thrilled that our brand ideologies are similar. With Mexx on board, we continue to broaden our international brand offering and have few other exciting names in the pipeline.”
The Mexx Spring-Summer’16 collection that will be available online takes inspiration from the following trends: Street, collection and Atelier.
Commenting on the partnership, Umit Eroglu, CEO, Mexx, said, “We are very excited to launch Mexx in India and to have Jabong as our experienced and knowledgeable partner for optimizing our online presence. Based on our global brand awareness and the outstanding price-quality mix of our collections we are very confident about the desirability that our brand will have with the Indian consumers.”
Jabong has in the past launched high-street brands such as TopShop, TopMan, Dorothy Perkins, Missguided to name a few.
Flipkart will offer complete collection of furniture from Godrej Interio, which includes designs for living room, dining room and bedroom, the company said in a statement.
“Our combined strengths in product development and marketing and distribution is going to help expand the footprint for the brand, while at the same time enable an all new furniture shopping experience for our customers,” said Sandeep Chandrakant Patil, Senior Director Business, Flipkart.
Godrej Interio is looking at a long-term partnership with Flipkart to make its offerings available to a larger online customer base across the country, the e-commerce head of Godrej Interio, Shanu Singh said.
The online furniture market is valued at USD 130 million and is expected to grow at a compounded annual rate of 75 per cent and reach over USD 700 million by 2020, according to industry experts.
This growth is to be attributed to the fact that furniture and the home-decor category is evolving beyond its utilitarian value to become part of one’s lifestyle choice.
Growing interest exhibited by smaller cities, such as Jamshedpur, Aurangabad, Bhubaneshwar and Lucknow also contribute significantly to the growth of this category, experts added.
“Given the threat to the livelihood of our partners, at the expense of reliability, we are temporarily suspending surge with immediate effect,” Uber tweeted.
Uber did not specify if the surge pricing would resume after the second phase of the odd-even traffic scheme ends on April 30.
It also pledged to work with the Delhi government to provide reliable mobility solutions to people in the city, “especially at a time when the citizens need us the most”.
Ola cab services also announced rollback of “peak pricing” in Delhi NCR.
“To make the government’s odd-even initiative a success, Ola has temporarily pulled out Peak Pricing in Delhi NCR,” its business head (north) Deep Singh said in a statement.
Kejriwal warned of strict action against online cab aggregators, especially Ola and Uber, over arbitrary surge pricing, a technique used by the cab aggregators to hike the fares owing to higher demand.
The Delhi government on Monday directed the impounding of taxis charging exorbitant fare from the public.
Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai had said that apart from impounding taxis, they would also seize the licences of the taxi drivers and cancel their permit.
He said the order was applicable to all kinds of cab services including online aggregators as well as private taxis, radio taxis and black-and-yellow taxis.
The demand for taxis has shot up on account of the odd-even traffic scheme that started on April 15 and will run till April 30.
Under the scheme, aimed at battling pollution, diesel and petrol driven private vehicles with odd registration numbers can ply only on odd dates and those with even registration numbers on even dates.
Passengers complained that taxis were over-charging taking advantage of the scheme.
“Now anyone, with just their phone, can have that front-row experience without having to be there,” technology website The Verge quoted Neal Mohan, chief product officer, YouTube, as saying.
Just as watching a concert in 360 degrees can give you an unmatched immersive experience, spatial audio allows you to listen along as you do in real life, where depth, distance and intensity all play a role.
Mohan’s announcement arrives just after Facebook unveiled its plans for expanding live-streaming and its own design for a 360-degree camera, the report said.
“As a user, you don’t need to do anything,” Mohan said, adding, “There is no fancy technology to purchase or integrate.”
Just open the YouTube app on your smartphone and you are ready to go.
According to Mohan, along with 360-degree live streaming, they are also launching spatial audio for on-demand YouTube videos.
“We are working with companies like VideoStitch and Two Big Ears to make their software compatible with 360-degree live streams or spatial audio on YouTube and more will be available soon,” Mohan noted.
He said that the company would also make 360-degree live streaming and spatial audio technologies available at all YouTube Space locations around the globe.
Using Tata Communications’ service, ATN will offer a mix of news, sports and entertainment content to Canadian viewers on virtually any device later this summer. The service will come with potential for further international expansion.
Speaking about the association, Shan Chandrasekar, President& CEO, ATN said, “With consumer internet traffic growing exponentially every year, it was imperative for us to expand our content delivery strategy to ensure a reliable viewing experience for our customers.”
Through the first phase of deployment, ATN’s South Asian cultural content will be made available through several linear channels, across multiple formats such as iOS and Apple TV, Android, Roku, Fire TV and SMART TVs. This will complement ATN’s current national distribution of more than 50 linear services, enabling the network to future-proof its offering as the way people consume content continues to evolve.
“The way today’s millennial like to consume content, anytime, anywhere, on any device, is a far cry from the way their parents used to watch traditional TV just ten years ago. Tata Communications’ cloud based Media Ecosystem will arm us with the ability to accelerate time to market and bring richer content experiences to our viewers today and in the future,” added Chandrasekar.
Currently Tata Communications provides ATN Canada with video transport solutions to deliver media content via broadcast to customers in Canada. With the expansion of OTT services, ATN will be able to reach more viewers.
Commenting on the partnership,RanguSalgame, CEO, Growth Ventures, Tata Communications, said “We are excited to expand our relationship with ATN Canada by becoming their sole provider of global OTT connectivity through our flexible, scalable content delivery network,” says. “This globally scalable model enables ATN Canada to launch news, sports and entertainment content to all their customers across Canada, and globally in the future.”
Today we would like to introduce you to MagicSewa, a transport start-up with an all-sedan fleet of 100 per cent CNG taxis that provides reliable, secure and value-for-money city cab service across NCR.
The inception of MagicSewa
MagicSewa was launched by Rakesh Agarwal, a social and an entrepreneur who has been working closely with auto drivers’ community since 2002. The idea behind this venture is to redefine mobility by offering a quality driven, secure, convenient, transparent, energy efficient and 100 per cent law compliant cab service in NCR.At present it’s a bootstrapped venture and is growing through self-funding and that of family and friends.
Speaking about the opportunity in this space, Rakesh Agarwal, Director & CEO, MagicSewa said, “The size of the opportunity is massive. Considering that we travel every day, the lack of public transport infrastructure has resulted in a shift in consumer habits towards instant gratification, on demand services and convenience. With multiple established players offering services only via mobile applications, it is safe to assume that it is largely done online.”
Back in 2008, Agarwal created an animated movie which envisioned connecting commuters with auto rickshaws using dialogue recognition technology. This was at a time when android didn’t exist and the iphone had just made its entry in India. However, work on the venture began seriously a year and a half ago and it was finally launched last December.
The challenge
Agarwal believes that there are already several established players in the segment, capturing market share is probably the biggest challenge. Apart from that, there are several parameters that could go wrong. From partnering with the right drivers, ensuring safety of passengers and working constantly towards taking lakhs of cars off road are things that need to be monitored closely and constantly.
“We are completely compliant with the law, unlike other players who have had multiple run-ins. Surge prices are a big pain point for customers and we keep our prices consistent irrespective of the demand. Our aim is to provide both an affordable and safer alternative to commuters, expressed Agarwal.
The mechanism
Based out of Delhi, the team MagicSewa consists of 40 members and drivers are treated as partners and not as employees.It follows the commission based model and has partnered with existing drivers and empanels them to drive for Magic Sewa.
More than 50 per cent bookings originate from South Delhi and one third of the calls for drop at the airport or railway stations.
“Conceptually, our services are similar to those of other leading cab aggregators. However, having entered the market at a later stage, we were able to correct the faults in our offering that were noticed in other players. There have been multiple news stories regarding incidents with women so we made safety our priority. Apart from GPS trackers, we have fitted panic buttons and monitor all night rides with women passengers, added Agarwal.
Agarwal has been working with the auto rickshaw drivers’ community since 2000, thus he is familiar with their environment and committed to their wellbeing and overall development. He informed that venture has also facilitated drivers’ purchases and bank financing of the cars, and invest in training the drivers. Drivers keep 85 per cent of the fare.
The Odd-Even scheme
According to Agarwal, the Odd-Even scheme may not have been very effective in terms of bringing air-pollution levels down but it has definitely impacted traffic. He mentioned that people still need to follow a routine, get to work and will look for alternatives, and that’s where we come in.
During Odd Even phase I, MagicSewa was a newbie and team was busy in establish the venture. However, this time MagicSewa is prepared. Commuters have been bracing themselves up for Odd-Even by creating or joining carpools, looking up public transport options and of course checking cab prices.
Despite the rise in demand during Odd-Even, MagicSewa intend to keep the prices consistent and also planning to introduce more cars on the road to meet customer expectations.
“We are currently operating only in Delhi-NCR and our immediate goal is to expand to other cities. We are looking to capture a significant market share in all the markets we go to”, concluded Agarwal.
Since its global launch in January, Netflix has already concluded partnerships with leading infocomm players in Asia including Singtel and StarHub in Singapore and PCCW Media’s now TV in Hong Kong.
Prior to Netflix, Zameckowski was running the international operations of Victorious, a Kleiner Perkins-backed startup in the mobile video space with a focus on building new business and international partnerships for the US-based digital company.
Before Victorious, Zameczkowski spent eight years at Google/YouTube both in Europe and Asia, where he most recently managed the YouTube Music business across the APAC region based out of Singapore. He was among the first few employees to be part of the video-sharing platform, when it was acquired by Google, and first came to Asia close to five years ago when he was based in Hong Kong in his capacity as Head of Partnerships for Greater China and Southeast Asia. He also worked for six years at Warner Bros. Television as Sales and Business Development Manager, licensing content to broadcasters and VOD platforms in Europe.
“One of the next steps in Netflix globalization is about building and leveraging strategic partnerships in the region that will drive our memberships in Asia-Pacific,” Zameczkowski said.
Zameczkowski is based in Singapore and reports to US-based Bill Holmes, Global Head of Business Development at Netflix. He holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, as well as a Master’s degree from ESSEC Business School.
Focusing on Indian and broadly South Asian heritage, Sahapedia is set to be launched on 23rd April.
Making full use of modern design and technology, Sahapedia will enable its users to experience the subcontinent’s culture from ancient times till date in a comprehensive manner.
Speaking about Sahapedia, Sudha Gopalkrishnan, said, “It is an interactive online encyclopedia encompassing the histories, arts and cultures. We would serve as an ever-growing resource being enriched by a team of researchers in collaboration with experts and institutions.”
The goal is to “inform, educate and act” on subjects such as knowledge traditions, visual and material arts, performing arts, literature and languages, practices and rituals, histories, institutions, people, built spaces and natural environment, she explained.
With a goal to inform, educate and act on subjects such as knowledge traditions, visual and material arts, performing arts, literature and languages, practices and rituals, histories etc, www.sahapedia.org will be beneficial to scholars, practitioners, students, teachers, travellers and enthusiasts.
Gopalakrishnan noted that traditional performances or festivals in India are not isolated events but part of a larger cultural environment.
“Sahapedia’s content on each of the topics includes text articles, images, audio-video records, maps, timelines, lineage trees and much more,” she said.
Any Sahapedia module will typically feature contents and tools backed by participatory content creation, scholarly and archival material, research and editorial matter, institutional partnerships, workspace and multiple languages.
“We aim to foster knowledge-sharing, encourage engagement and generate action towards understanding and revitalising the diverse aspects of culture,” added Gopalakrishnan.
Messenger’s latest feature was set to be rolled out globally over the next 24 hours on Android and iOS devices for free and users can start a group Voice over IP (VoIP) audio call from any group chat, TechCrunch.com reported.
Voice over IP (VoIP) is a methodology and group of technologies for the delivery of voice communications and multimedia sessions over Internet Protocol (IP) networks such as the internet.
“There are situations where typing is not enough and when people prefer talking to one another,” a Messenger spokesperson was quoted as saying.
To start a group call, a user needs to just tap the “Phone” icon, select which of the group chat members he or she wants to include and call. All the selected members will receive a Messenger call simultaneously.
If one misses the initial call but the call is still in progress, the users can tap the Phone icon in the group chat to join the call.
The user can also see who all are joined in the call and can add participants during the group conversation.
Commenting on the launch, Hiren Gada, Director & CFO, Shemaroo Entertainment said, “We are glad to now launch Miniplex on DishTV. This tie up will enhance our reach across the country. A number of movies get released in theatres but go missing on TV. Miniplex intends to bridge this gap through premium ad free viewing experience. The service is already doing well on other platforms and we are happy to offer it to DishTV audience now.”
With Miniplex, customers can avail premium movie content for a subscription fee of Rs 60 per month. This premium movie service will be available on channel number 212 on DishTV& Zing. Customers can easily activate this service by giving a missed call on 18002741100 or through SMS.
Speaking on the association, Arun Kumar Kapoor, CEO, Dish TV, said “Being a pioneer and market leader DishTV has always stood up to its promise of providing maximum Width and depth of content. We have always taken the lead in enhancing the value proposition and believes in providing the maximum and the best in entertainment to its subscribers. We are glad to announce our partnership with Shemaroo to launch Miniplex on our platform. The experience of watching latest movies at a click of a button has redefined the way consumers watch movies today. With this latest addition to our value added service we take the entertainment quotient a notch higher and allow movie buffs to watch latest blockbusters in the comfort of their home at relatively much reasonable cost.”
The service offers an un-paralleled experience to the movie viewers with ease of consumption as movies are scheduled at fixed timings throughout the day. Hence the viewers have the option of watching the movie at their convenience and leisure. The service is designed such that it gives the audience theatre-like-feel at home.
Commenting on the campaign, Varun Khaitan, Co-Founder UrbanClap said, “Experiencing the gift of Motherhood is one of life’s greatest joys. The unbreakable bond between a mother and child showcases exemplary love and strength between them. To celebrate and honor that essence, we have partnered with BabyChakra to launch the ‘Wow a Mom’ campaign for Supermoms, and thank them for all the sacrifices they have made to make us happy. We all love our moms, and it is time we show our appreciation and let them know that they mean the world to us!”
Sons and daughters, with aspirations for their super moms can nominate their mother’s profile on a micro-site, which has been specially created for this campaign. They will be able to share the same within their social circle via various social media platforms to generate as many votes as possible. Top most nominees who garner maximum votes will be treated to a well-deserved day-long pampering session, courtesy UrbanClap.
Sharing his thoughts, Raghav Bhandari, Head Alliances & Partnerships at BabyChakrasaid, “Mothers are an epitome of love and strength. They are our guides, nurturers, educators, and most importantly, protectors. Our joint campaign with UrbanClap is a celebration of the glorious experience that is Motherhood.”
The week-long affair will commence from 21st April, 2016 and will continue till 29th April, 2016. Winners of the contest will be announced on 30th of April, 2016.
This Twitter Seva should split-up regulatory issues related to Startup ecosystem and work towards the fullfiment of promises made during the Startup India initiative.
Single Point of contact for grievances
It should act as a single point of contact in routing grievances in real time to the concerned officials/departments.
Awareness about Twitter usage
Even now, there are quite a few entrepreneurs from smaller cities who are not well versed with Twitter. The government should make demo videos and online tutorial programs to explain the usage of twitter and this service.
Seamless communication
There should be smooth communication from Government with timely response.
Implementation
This service should be successfully implemented and there should be timely analysis of its impact in order to keep reinventing the wheel.
Direct messaging facility
Direct messaging in the inbox should be made public and should get timely reply from the government. Government should make necessary settings on their twitter handle so that even if they are not following particular startup they should get direct message from them.
Key caution areas that the government should keep in mind, while operating the Seva:
This service should only be used for official purpose and there should not be any trolling on this platform. Government should hold accountability and take necessary steps to avoid such incidents.
There should be set of instructions for entrepreneurs explaining what kind of queries needs to be asked and kind of suggestions to be given on this platform pertaining to specific department.
Since Government has just entered into social media domain they need to be on their toes and ensure quick response.
This article is authorised by Ashwani Rathore, CEO & Co-Founder, SpiderG.
Speaking on the association, Govind Rajan, COO, FreeCharge, said“We are excited to partner with BookMyShow and enhance the experience for customers with the amazingly fast FreeCharge wallet. Our endeavour is to be the digital payment OS for a digital India and with each partnership, we are inching closer towards this vision.”
The collaboration also offers cashback of Rs.175 on booking “VIVO IPL” on BookMyShow.com, using FreeCharge wallet.
“We are glad to have FreeCharge on board as a payment partner,” added Marzdi Kalianiwala, VP-Business Intelligence & Marketing, BookMyShow.
Speaking at the 2nd edition of the Global Exhibition on Services, organised by the commerce department, SEPC and CII at the India Expo Centre and Mart here, he, citing a recent survey bringing out how internet is the innovation with the most transformational impact, to impress how the growth of smart phones, especially availability of cheaper phones, will boost the use of data services, open up new markets and boost e-commerce.
Deepak also mentioned the flip side. “People with no access to internet or smart phones will get more and more marginalised thus widening the digital divide. This will not only lead to greater asymmetry in information, but also asymmetry in opportunity,” he said, adding that three areas that needed focus to bridge this divide – connectivity, language and digital illiteracy – and government and industry must work together to address these.
About the second challenge, language, he said while most mobile communication at present take place in English but by 1st January, 2017, mobile devices will be enabled for English, Hindi and one vernacular language.
Simultaneously, technology-enabled language conversions are also underway to enable people to access data in different languages.
On the issue of digital illiteracy, he defined a digitally literate family as one where at least one person in the household can use a computer or mobile app, and said the National Digital Literacy Mission is expected to boost digital literacy in a big way.
Bridging the digital divide will have far-reaching benefits, socially and economically, he added.
“Through this Twitter Seva, queries on matters relating to Department of Commerce (DoC) and Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) will be answered.
Speaking on the launch, Sitharaman said, “All officers have been sensitized to respond to the tweets within a short time frame.”
Anyone desirous of assistance from the ministry can use the hashtag #mociseva. An institutionalized mechanism with a special Twitter cell has been created in the ministry manned by officers, who will monitor and direct all the tweets to the concerned officers.
Swati Bhargava, Co-Founder, CashKaro believes that Twitter Seva is a great step by Modi Government under the Startup India- Stand Up India initiative to directly connect with budding entrepreneurs.
Sharing her thoughts on this initiative, Bhargava said, “We as start-ups face a lot of issues which are related to newer policies, regulations, taxation etc. to finding the right partner for collaboration and raising funds. Setting up a hotline such as this on Twitter, will lead to better communication with the Government and help in resolving grievances. It is imperative though that the speed of responses on Twitter is fast so that real time change can be effected.”
Queries regarding SEZs, tea, coffee, rubber and spices boards will be addressed by the ministry while that on manufacturing policy, industrial corridors, investment promotion, Make in India, Start-up India, Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB), FDI, Intellectual Property Rights, patents, trademarks, copyrights, light engineering industry, cement and rubber industry will be addressed by DIPP, the statement said.
On the other side, according to Ashwani Rathore, CEO & Co-Founder, SpiderG Twitter Seva from Government of India is a great initiative. It will support budding entrepreneurs.
“This Twitter Seva should split-up regulatory issues related to Startup ecosystem and work towards the fullfiment of promises made during the Startup India initiative,” expressed Rathore.
“This acknowledgment validates that the path we have chosen of creating a world-class Indian internet company that delivers quality products and reliable service at an affordable price to millions of families across India,” a Flipkart statement cited both the Bansals as saying.
The iconic magazine’s profile of the Flipkart founders in 2016 Time 100 said: “Binny and Sachin do have modest lifestyles, by billionaire standards, but they’re also nimble tacticians and hardheaded realists, and they dream big.”
The Bansals were included in the list under the ‘Titan’ section with company from Yuri Milner, Pope Francis, Stephen Curry, Pricilla Chan, Mark Zuckerberg, Dwayne Johnson and others, the statement added.
RCOM said the department has taken on record 800MHz spectrum sharing in seven circles of the company and two circles of Reliance Telecom, a wholly owned subsidiary, with Jio on April 21, 2016.
The nine circles are Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh (East), Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Assam and North East.
According to sources, this nod will allow RCOM and Jio to offer 4G services on 10 MHz block in 800 Mhz band. “Move paves way for similar arrangement in the remaining 13 Circles as well, where Reliance Jio will be acquiring spectrum from RCOM vide spectrum trading,” one source added.
Based on International Telecommunications Union standards, a 10 Mhz block can provide up to 80 Mbps speed and, with the 800 Mhz spectrum advantage, this can deliver Internet faster than many wireline broadband and Wi-Fi services offered now at a much more affordable cost.
The subscriber capacity also multiplies exponentially when spectrum is combined into a single block of 10 Mhz.
Target rating point video buys on Facebook or photo-sharing website Instagram can now leverage day-parting and Nielsen Designated Market Area (DMA) targeting — two features that were previously unavailable — www.adage.com reported.
DMAs are defined by Nielsen Media Research and are used to identify specific media markets for those interested in buying and selling television, advertising and programming.
DMA targeting allows marketers to home in on a specific local television market area while day-parting delivers advertisements during specific parts of the day.
The move will provide marketers further brand building capabilities on mobile as well as flexibility to extend TV and video campaigns on Facebook with a currency broadcast advertisers are familiar with.
“At the same time, the company is telling advertisers to rethink the way they deliver video on Facebook — particularly on mobile — as opposed to TV,” the report said.
Facebook said that broadcast advertisers should consider various factors when implementing TV ads on its mobile News Feed.
“The mobile feed has fundamentally changed the way people view and absorb information, and this is especially true with video,” Matt Idema, vice president of monetisation product marketing at Facebook was quoted as saying.
“For marketers, this shift makes it essential to take new creative considerations into account when designing effective video ads,” Idema added.
According to data released by Facebook this week, on Facebook’s mobile News Feed, for example, users spend on average 1.7 seconds with a piece of content versus 2.5 seconds on desktop.
