Startup of the Week:Gadgets & mobile related accessories contributes 41% to the e-tailing industry: Rohit Sahni

Back in 2014, when ecommerce was booming and smartphones penetration was also going up. A Delhi based tech geek Rohit Sahni with love for gadgets and gizmos decided to quit his family business, in order to do something with tech and gadgets. Thus, Spider Design came into existence.

Speaking about initiating the online marketplace, Sahni said, “According to Internet and Mobile Association of India IAMAI, gadgets and mobile related accessories are highest selling items on e-tailing websites like Amazon and Flipkart. So I see tremendous potential in dedicated gadget and electronic e-tailing stores. I thought why not have a brand and website dedicated entirely to these products for gadget buffs like myself.”

With a simple revenue model of offline and online sales, Spider Design hasn’t approached any VCs so far and managing to run a successful bootstrapped venture. It targets everyone who is fond of updating with technology and using new gadgets.

The changing trends

According to IAMAI, gadgets and mobile related accessories contributes Rs.9936 crore or 41 per cent to the e-tailing industry. Higher incomes and a constant need to own the latest smartphones and gadgets among youngsters have driven this industry to greater heights.

Sahni informed that the biggest change the venture is experiencing that the customers started accepting new brands like Spider Design in front of conventional bigger brands which were leading markets since years.

“While the general perception is that gadgets are more of a craze among young men, we’ve seen lost of traction and orders from women and older men as well. Social media and advertising has broken down all segmentations that we may have in our heads”, expressed Sahni.

This is happening because now the customer is getting updated with latest news about technology and designs because of social media.

The competition

 Undoubtedly, the competition is very tough in this segment, as every online marketplace consist of a vast portfolio in their gadgets and mobile category. Leading players are already competing and it would be difficult for a new player to sustain.

According to Sahni, people run away from gadgets because of their complexities. Therefore, Spider Design promotes simplicity, with a range of multi-functional gadgets.

Apart from this, to compete with biggies, Spider Design initiated an in-house RnD department who is working all the time on developing designing and procuring the latest and most affordable products from around the world. The venture is also working on after sale customer experience to stand out from the rest of the market.

Logistics, inventory & distribution

Spider Design has a vast portfolio ranging from different speakers, headphones, speaker phones, portable speakers, cable connectors and many accessories that combine fashion and technology. Spider Designs is pushing the edge with both aesthetics and technology.

At this stage Spider Design is selling its products on all leading e-tailing sites which have their own logistics tie-ups. Apart from this it has more than 120 offline dealers across country and it is also processing to develop its own distribution channel.

Spider Design’s warehouse is located at Mathura road in Delhi and has also developed a sourcing and supply channel to avoid large stocks.

Performance so far

Spider Design started its journey with 3 employees and within a year now it has more than 30 employees taking care of different departments such as online product management, accounting, logistics, marketing, and inventory management.

“We see every part of India as our market because of our innovative products; however the absence of offline retailers in tier 2 and tier 3 cities have given us a lot of traction and bookings”, added Sahni.

Sahni still feels user experience is way better on a PC than on an app. According to him, this is the reason e-tailers like Myntra are going back to mobile site.

Road ahead

Sahni informed that in future when the time and stage is right they will go for funding rounds. Lots of acquisitions are taking place in the industry and this venture is also open for such fields.

“Within this year we planning to take our SKU to 1000,and we are planning to introduce more brand in consumer electronics and health gadgets under same roof. Our sales has grown 600% in last 6 months and we like to move in the same phase,” concluded Sahni.

Source: IndianMediaBook - Digital

Bournvita inspires parents with new ‘tayyari jeet ki’ campaign

Malted food drink brand Cadbury Bournvita launched a new campaign promoting its new product – Bournvita Badam Booster. Conceptualized and carried out by Olgivy & Mather, the ad film tries reaching out to parents at large trying to create an awareness on the importance of providing a good rounded education.

The 360-degree integrated marketing campaign reinforces the brand’s philosophy of ‘tayyari jeet ki’, by positioning the new variant to be a partner in preparation for exams.

Commenting the campaign strategy, Amit Shah, Associate Director, Marketing, gum, candy and powdered beverages, Mondelez India Foods, said, “We are delighted to launch Cadbury Bournvita Badam Booster which will provide the nutrition of Cadbury Bournvita’s pro-health vitamins along with goodness of real almonds and honey to our consumers. We believe that parents are partners in their child’s journey and try to instill in them good habits which help them prepare and meet life’s challenges.”

“Our latest TVC is inspiring, in an otherwise functional category, reinforcing the importance of the child’s overall learning over rote learning to score marks in exams. The TVC interweaves these insights into the Cadbury Bournvita philosophy of “tayyari jeet ki” along with the unveiling of our new product Cadbury Bournvita Badam Booster.” added Shah.

Bournvita Badam Booster – Tayyari Har Exam Ki

The commercial, a school Principal addresses parents at a parent- teacher meeting. She begins by saying that the examinations were round the corner, which should be “fun”, inciting nervous laughter from her audience. She then asks some of the assembled parents if they could remember the marks they had secured in the ninth grade in school or even at college. When she draws a blank, the Principal of the school admits to having secured just 59 per cent in the ninth grade, pointing out that she had still managed to become the Principal of the school they sent their children to.

The lady then advises the assembled parents to focus on the learning experience of their children, instead of the grades they scored, for the grades were only numbers that no one would remember in the end. A voice in the backdrop then announces, “aisi hi ek nayi soch ke saath bana he, naya Bournvita Badam Booster, asli badamo ke saath” (just such an insight has inspired the making of the new Bournvita Badam Booster, which is enriched with real almonds). The campaign’s tagline, ‘Tayyari Har Exam Ki’, summarizes the theme of the TVC.

Cadbury Bournvita Lil Champs – Kya Aap Jaante Hain

Bournvita has been following the brand philosophy of addressing the mother’s concern to get the right balance of nutrition for their children. For the product, Bournvita Li’l Champs which caters to children from 2-5-years of age, the brand launched ‘Kya Aap Jaante Hain’ campaign with celebrity actress Kajol. The actress was seen identifying with the need of parents to provide their children with adequate nutrition as well as physical and mental stimulation to develop their young minds.

Cadbury has helped millions of mothers by providing essential nutrients for their which might otherwise be lacking in the average Indian daily diet. In the new campaign, Kajol communicates the relevant message in a fun and engaging manner.

Expert Take

“In a world where it is all about scoring and little about real learning, this ad is a refreshing parallel take, that too coming from the character of an academician. New age parents are highly involved in their children’s progress & the ad is a positive reminder of values that matter. I liked the casting of the protagonist as also the setting. Story of Bournvita well told. However, the Badam story did not come across strongly. Sort of underwhelming in just that part,” expressed Ashwini Deshpande, Founder, Director & Practice Head, Elephant Design.

Source: IndianMediaBook - Digital

Facebook keen on Asia despite India saying no to Free Basics: Top executive

Despite India saying no to Free Basics and going for net neutrality, the social networking giant eyes big growth in Asia than any other parts of the world, a top Facebook executive told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on Tuesday.

According to Dan Neary, Facebook’s vice president for Asia Pacific, the potential is greater in Asia-Pacific than it is in any other region because we’ve got two thirds of the world’s population, and it’s all mobile.

Neary said that Facebook is adding users in Asia at a much faster rate than the rest of the world.

“Some 540 million of Facebook’s 1.59 billion monthly active users were in Asia as of the end of December, up from 449 million a year earlier,” informed Neary.

According to Mark Zuckerberg, CEO, Facebook, their work with internet.org (later rechristened as Free Basics) around the world has already improved many people’s lives as more than 19 million people in 38 countries have been connected through Facebook’s different programmes.

“It was disappointing that Free Basics didn’t get the ruling that we had hoped (in India),” commented Neary.

Last month, Indian telecom watchdog Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) ruled against Facebook’s Free Basics programme upholding net neutrality and leaving a level playing field for all players.

TRAI said that no service provider would be allowed to charge “discriminatory tariffs” for data services on the basis of content.

Zuckerberg conveyed his disappointment in a post but reiterated his commitment to keep working to break down barriers to connectivity in India.

“While I am disappointed with the decision, I want to personally communicate that we are committed to keep working to break down barriers to connectivity in India and around the world. Internet.org has many initiatives, and we will keep working until everyone has access to the internet,” Zuckerberg added.

“Connecting India is an important goal we won’t give up on, because more than a billion people in India don’t have access to the internet,” he posted, adding that “our mission is to make the world more open and connected. That mission continues, and so does our commitment to India.”

“India firmly holds that internet is one of the finest creations of human mind and it should not become the monopoly of few,” said Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad during a summit in Morocco earlier this month.

“We instinctively value internet to be open, plural and inclusive and access should be without discrimination,” Prasad added.

According to Facebook, it has been able to offer Free Basics services to a billion people across Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Source: IndianMediaBook - Digital

HDFC Bank launches SmartUp for Startups

HDFC Bank launched SmartUp, a dedicated solution for start-ups, to fulfil all their banking needs. SmartUp was launched in association with Zone Start-ups India, a start-up accelerator in Mumbai. SmartUp is tailored to meet all the requirements of a start-up, offering banking and payment solutions, along with advisory and forex services.

Speaking about the initiative, Smita Bhagat, Branch Banking Head – North and Co-Head, eCommerce, HDFC Bank, said, “We believe start-ups in India need partners, who will be with them right from the start of their entrepreneurial journey, creating solutions that evolve as the company grows. This offering has been created after working with them to understand their requirements and will be available across India, even in tier 2 and 3 cities which emerging as startup hubs.”

This initiative is part of a larger effort by HDFC Bank to create an ecosystem to nurture the spirit of innovation and enterprise in the start-up space.

The launch

SmartUp for start-ups is a complete banking solution created by HDFC Bank. It not only provides the basic banking transactions, but also valuable services like advisory services, forex and payment solutions.”

In a function organized at the Bombay Stock Exchange, SmartUp for Start-ups was launched by Navin Puri, Country Head – Branch Banking, HDFC Bank and Ajay Ramasubramaniam, Director – Zone Startups India along with Smita Bhagat, Branch Banking Head – North and Co-Head, eCommerce and Mr. Parag Rao, Country Head – Card Payment Products, Merchant Acquiring Services and Marketing from HDFC Bank. The launch was also attended by senior officials of HDFC Bank and also startup companies.

“We are happy to be a part of the launch of SmartUp, a bespoke banking solution for start-ups launched by HDFC Bank. To drive the entrepreneurial spirit and growth, start-ups, particularly at the initial stages, need a tailored banking solution and SmartUp meets their requirements,” expressed Ajay Ramasubramaniam, Director – Zone Startup India.

The benefits

Waiver of AMB for the first six months and extendable to 12 months,

Salary Account for employees by waiving the minimum number of employees criteria,

PayZapp for Business – a payment and collection solution,

Dedicated Relationship Manager, Recommendation of a Chartered Accountant for Tax, Regulatory and Compliance issues,

Opportunity to showcase products on SmartBuy to 32 million HDFC Bank customers.

Source: IndianMediaBook - Digital

Google India asked to revise Project Loon proposal

The government has asked Google India to give a revised proposal for its Project Loon, aimed at providing internet connectivity in rural India, parliament was told on Wednesday.

“The matter was discussed with all stakeholders and it was concluded that frequency band 700-900 Mhz to be used in the pilot test of Project Loon is being used by cellular operators and if the pilot is carried out, it will lead to interference with cellular transmissions,” Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told the LokSabha in a written reply.

“Revised proposal from Google India with change of frequency band is yet to be received,” he added.

Source: IndianMediaBook - Digital

Airtel launches ‘The Airtel 4G girl’ campaign

Airtel launches yet another campaign towards its 4G services called as ‘The Airtel 4G girl’. Conceptualized by Taproot Dentsu, the campaign showcases Sasha Chhetri, the face of the Airtel 4G challenge in a new avatar. The campaign was aired through India vs New Zealand match and will been running throughout the on-going ICC World T20 Cup.

Commenting on advertising strategy, Rajiv Mathrani, Chief Brand Officer, Bharti Airtel (India & SA), said, “Airtel’s 4G campaigns have redefined communication around high speed mobile data services and the brand has powerfully surged ahead. With the expansion of Airtel’s 4G network across India, the campaign showcases the network in some of the most picturesque locations and is delivered in a casual yet persuasive tonality. We will see Sasha in a refreshingly new avatar as she continues to build a strong youth connect for Brand Airtel.”

The campaign will have a total of five films and will be supported with communication spread across outdoor, print and digital mediums.

The first two ads films have already been released where the Airtel 4G girl, is seen on a vacation with her friends, who are happy with the thought that they might not get any mobile network service at remote locations. The local residents surprise her with their 4G service.

Airtel 4G Challenge

In August 2015, Airtel initiated its disruptive 4G ‘Challenge’, where Sasha Chhetri had become the synonymous with 4G in India. The ad film showcased her as a confident go-getter who can deliver the brand’s message with panache.

The campaign showcased two girls who were given a task to find out about Lucknow station. The girl using Airtel 4G does it before the other one. The next task given was to find out top 10 MBA colleges, which was yet again won by the Airtel 4G user.

The last task that was given to them was to download a full movie and the 4G user does it surprisingly fast. The crowd around her is anxious to know her Internet service provider, which she then reveals to be Airtel 4G. The video ends with the 4G user throwing a challenge that if someone has a faster network than Airtel 4G, their one year phone bill will be taken care of. The campaign was seen trending with more than 4 million likes on YouTube.

With Airtel’s 4G Challenge, the brand rolled its services across 296 cities in India such as Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Pune, Chandigarh and Amritsar. Airtel was also seen partnering with brands such as Samsung and Flipkart to proliferate 4G devices. The advertisement was seen trending across social media platforms becoming a favorite one for a lot if experts.

The social connect

Airtel has been focusing on its campaigns with a 360 degree approach. With focus on achieving broad digital objectives of awareness and product usage, the brand creates exclusive video content for various social media platforms.

The brand is witnessed seeding content across owned platforms on Facebook and YouTube and exclusive short versions of TVCs across video platforms.

The brand has a stronger approach to the digital and mobile media sice the positioning of the brand is more focused towards the technology and financially savvy youth audience.

Source: IndianMediaBook - Digital

Times Internet elevates Satyan Gajwani to Managing Director, Gautam Sinha to CEO

Times Internet announced that Satyan Gajwani, formerly CEO, will become Managing Director of Times Internet, and Gautam Sinha, formerly COO, would become CEO of Times Internet. Vineet Jain, MD of Bennett Coleman and Company Limited, will also continue to serve as Chairman of Times Internet. The new appointments come into effect in April.

“Times Internet is the largest digital products business in India, and operating across 30+ business segments with speed and effectiveness requires executional excellence. Having worked with Gautam closely for many years, I have great confidence in his understanding and capabilities with digital businesses. Most importantly, Gautam has helped shape Times Internet’s culture, and he and I continue to believe that our roles are simply to enable and empower great business teams to execute as effectively as possible,” expressed Gajwani.

As a technologist and business leader, Sinha has more than 28 years of global experience in technology companies, and will bring his capabilities in execution to the new role. Sinha has been with Times Internet for over 8 years, having served as Chief Technology Officer and Chief Operating Officer, prior to his new role. Before Times Internet, Sinha was a Silicon valley entrepreneur and executive, building digital businesses and creating significant value for shareholders.

Speaking on his new role, Sinha said, “Digital news, entertainment, classifieds, and commerce are rapidly shaping the Indian consumer’s habits, and I am delighted to have the opportunity to spearhead an industry leader, with over 150 million highly engaged monthly users. Leading such a diverse portfolio in today’s dynamic environment is a mammoth task. Satyan has done a fantastic job creating a solid cultural foundation, vision and team, and I’m excited to continue to work alongside Satyan to deliver world class products and experiences.”

Source: IndianMediaBook - Digital

Oxigen Sponsors the New Zealand T20 Cricket Squad

Oxigen Services emerged as the Official Sponsors for New Zealand Cricket T20 squad this cricket season. Under the sponsorship alliance, the NZC T20 squad will be facilitated by Oxigen for matches in India, which entails their tour to India in October and November this year and for the World Cup T20.

Commenting on the association,Pramod Saxena, Chairman and MD, Oxigen Services, said “This sponsorship is inspired by the overwhelming response Oxigen wallet received with our sponsorship of the South African T20 team, Oxigen Proteas, last season. We ran an innovative campaign, by becoming a Host Nation that welcomes International guests. The Campaign #Playthehost, will see its second season, as we Play the Host to the New Zealand Blackcaps for WT20, who have a strong fan following and will amplify our brand engagement. Since, the signing up of Sachin Tendulkar as our brand ambassador, Oxigen has embraced sports as an integral part of its marketing strategy and engagement.”

New Zealand Players will be seen sporting Oxigen jerseys during the World Cup T20 and their tour to India. The jerseys are designed with the brand’s official logo positioned on the lead arm for the T20 World Cup and in front, on the chest for the ODI matches during the India tour.

Speaking about the sponsorship, James Wear, General Manager, Commercial at New Zealand Cricket said, “We’re excited to have an Indian brand of repute like Oxigen on board with New Zealand Cricket, who will appear on Black Caps playing kit when the team plays in India. We look forward to forming a strong partnership.”

Source: IndianMediaBook - Digital

Twitter officially launches app for Windows 10 smartphones

Effectively updating its universal Windows app to support desktops and tablets, micro-blogging website Twitter has launched its app for Windows 10 smartphones, a media report said.

While newly-launched smartphones already have this new app, for existing Windows Phone devices, Microsoft officially plans to roll out Windows 10 Mobile in the first quarter of 2016, venturebeat.com reported on Wednesday.

“When bringing the app to mobile phones we carefully considered each section of Twitter and how the user interaction translates from desktops and tablets,” commented Angela Lam, Product Designer, Twitter.

“We found that 90 percent of the UI (User Interface) and interaction models could be shared from these devices to mobile phones, but there were places where we decided to make adjustments to optimise for each,” added Lam.

Twitter for Windows 10 includes almost all the new features the social network has recently implemented, including Moments, group Direct Messages, camera support (shoot, edit, and tweet videos), and quote tweet.

You can even check out top tweets, search, check out profiles, and peruse Moments without logging in, the report said.

Twitter for Windows Phone includes a dark theme, which the company says was popular and has thus been included in the updated Windows app, that is available on desktops and tablets as well, not just phones.

The app can be downloaded from the Windows Store.

Source: IndianMediaBook - Digital

NexG TV introduces new data saving feature

NexG TV the subscription-driven video entertainment app and mobile TV introduced a new feature that allows users to manage their data flow at will during a streaming session, minimizing its usage and substantially extending the validity of their data plans, realizing immense savings for end-users across both on mobile and Wi-Fi networks.

Speaking about the new feature Abhesh Verma, Chief Operating Officer, NexG TV said “It is unfortunate that most digital consumers have to keep a careful eye on their data usage to avoid overshooting their monthly limits lest they incur prohibitively high data charges. Our new ‘Save Data’ feature will enable viewers to regulate their viewing experience, allowing them to not just continue streaming video but also conserve data simultaneously.”

The feature named data saving debuts in the the NexG TV App, which has just been released on the Google Play store. Positioned on the top right corner of the streaming screen as a toggle button with switch on-switch off functionality, the feature alternates between data saving and performance modes.

This approach allows a user to change or edit the pre-configured streaming profiles defined by NexG TV, which otherwise, automatically detects the network environment a user is in to enable the most appropriate or optimum streaming experience.

“Given the rising data cost as well as usage sensitivity for most consumers, it is imperative that users derive the maximum ROI from their data plans. The ‘Save Data’ feature has been introduced for the benefit of the end-consumers helping them juice their data plans completely. We are confident that users will appreciate this feature and use it extensively to conserve data while streaming” added Verma.

Aside from data-saving feature, the latest build also features other improvements such as Ease of play, enabling full landscape view which works even when portrait-landscape changeover is disabled on a device, as well as faster response times owing to compressed communication between the server and the device.

Source: IndianMediaBook - Digital

Ola to add over 5,000 CNG cabs in Delhi

Cab aggregator Ola is planning to expand its fleet in Delhi by adding more than 5,000 CNG cabs in the next one week, a company statement said on Thursday.

Ola said that over the next six months, it was planning to invest Rs.200 crore for CNG adoption in the city.

“Through this mega event, we intend adding 5,000 new CNG vehicles on our platform in the region, which would in turn contribute to a clean and green Delhi NCR,” said Pranay Jivrajka, chief operating officer of Ola.

The statement said: “Drivers across Delhi NCR stand to benefit from savings of up to Rs.150,000 on exchanging their old diesel vehicles for a new CNG one.

“Ola has rolled out to a number of programmes that help driver partners take the first step towards entrepreneurship by bringing the best deals for them through backward integration with car manufacturers, banking and financial institutions and other ecosystem partners,” added Jivrajka.

Ola partnered with dealers of leading car manufacturers including Maruti, Tata, Hyundai, Chevrolet and Nissan.

Currently, there were more than 20,000 CNG cabs registered on the Ola platform in the region. By next week, the company intends to ramp it up by at least 25 percent, the statement added.

Source: IndianMediaBook - Digital

Decoding Tata Sky’s DTH game

The DTH player TATA Sky has established itself well with its holistic offerings. Since its launch in 2008, the brand’s core focus has been on providing one of the best services with a niche variety in services and packages.

From partnering with additional channels to venturing into partnerships with international news channels such as NewsAsia International the brand has made it a point to not only expand but also pay heed to offering variety.

Tata Sky has also been focusing on expanding its rural reach with tailored recharge packages to suit low-income viewers. The company claims to have over 10 million subscribers in India, with only 45 per cent of subscriber base from outside from tier II and III cities and villages.

Tata Sky therefore launched its daily recharge pack of Rs 8 targeting customers who could not watch TV due to power cuts

Tata Sky Exclusives

The brand offers unique facility of MultiTV Service that allows access to ones favourite Tata Sky Channels and services on multiple televisions at home for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th connections. Additionally, the brand offers Tata Sky Karaoke facility which is available at an annual subscription is the first in the world to feature original Bollywood videos, along with lyrics.

With exclusivity in set top boxes, Tata Sky offers an exclusive variety of set top boxes to suit one’s needs. The Tata Sky+ Transfer HD set top box allows consumers to watch their favourite recorded shows – anytime, anywhere on their mobiles, laptops etc. With this facility users can either transfer or stream the recorded content directly onto your Android or iOs devices.

With a mix of packages, Tata Sky’s TruChoice offer includes a genre-based DTH package made especially for ones convenience. It offers Base Packs, Regional Packs, Add-On Packs, Active Packs and Specials to create a viewing experience suited to one’s tastes. Alternatively consumers can choose our ‘Make My Pack’ option to select individual channels and pay only for what you watch.

Some of the additional services offered include on Demand TV Shows where consumers can catch up on the last 5 days’ episodes of your favourite TV shows, through Everywhere TV.

The Video on Demand facility which are the Purchased services gives access to hundreds of movies, shows, concerts, learning videos and more, on demand. The service lets consumers enjoy the purchased titles on all connected set top boxes as well as Everywhere TV activated devices.

Tata Sky recently added with Active Fitness includes interactive sessions and health tools Programs such as Yoga, Workout, Women’s Special sessions, Tips, Nutrition, Celeb secrets and much more. It is available in Hindi and English languages featuring the world’s top celebrity fitness trainers.

The DTH player also offers 24-hour Bollywood movie service known as Tata Sky Miniplex which runs movies 3 hours. Miniplex showcases premiere movies that have never been shown on TV before as well as critically acclaimed premium movies. Miniplex is available in HD as well as SD.

The brand also launched another set of base pack known as the Ultra Plus Packs, available in four variants Ultra Plus SD, Ultra Plus HD, Ultra Plus South SD & Ultra Plus South HD. All variants of Ultra Plus Packs are available to all subscribers in monthly, semi-annual, annual and biennial versions.

With 50 HD channels, TATA Sky offers a variety of HD packages such as s My 99, Dhoom, South Special, South Sports Special, Dhamaal, Mix Dhamaal, Kids Sports, Dhamaka, Bumper Ultra.

Source: IndianMediaBook - Digital

BizLab selects three Indian start-ups for mentoring

Aerospace the Airbus’ arm announced selecting three Indian start-ups here for mentoring in projects they submitted for its six-month acceleration programme. The Indian start-ups are Blue Morfo, Shoonya Games and Open Turf, while a fourth start-up, also selected from 80 applicants in seven countries, is US-based Qualitas.

“The start-ups will interact with our experts in technology, legal, finance and marketing domains for mentoring,” the company said in a statement here.

Blue Morfo is developing a mobile app to detect and prevent specific corporate health related issues, like exposure of airline crew to jetlag and cabin pressurisation, Shoonya has proposed interactive gaming solutions for training and marketing using virtual reality and 3D technologies embedded in a mobile device while Open Turf’s project is to provide wireless in-flight entertainment, using the passenger’s personal devices.

Qualitas offers automated quality inspection systems for manufacturing, specialising in 2D and 3D machine vision.

The Paris-based consortium also selected six European start-ups at Germany’s Hamburg from 100 applicants in 29 countries for the accelerator programme.

The European start-ups are Jetlite, Synergeticon and Teraki from Germany, ZinkCloud and Nebaqua from Spain and Velmenni from Estonia.

“The start-ups will be offered office space and access to prototyping and test facilities, besides a dedicated demo day with Airbus decision-makers, partners, subsidiaries, customers and venture capital,” said the statement.

BizLab is a global aerospace business accelerator where start-ups and Airbus intrapreneurs(internal entrepreneurs) work jointly to transform their innovative ideas into valuable businesses, it said.

Source: IndianMediaBook - Digital

New mobile TV app Moviestaan to be launched in April

Moviestaan TV a new mobile TV app for movie buffs is all set to be launched on 14^th March. To start with, the mobile channel will have news and content on Malayalam movies, which will later be spread in phases to Bollywood, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada movies.

Speaking about new app, Ram Mohan, Founder & CEO, Om Ventures & promoters of Moviestaan TV, said, “The unique app, which is free, will cover latest news from shooting locations, reports, trailers, songs and new launches. It will serve as a platform for launching short films too. Moviestaan TV will analyse, review and bring forth unknown facts, both ‘live’ and ‘video on demand’ formats.”

Film director Sibi Malayil released the logo of Moviestaan TV at a function. Moviestaan TV’s beta version is presently available on android phones and will be available on iOS and Windows platform very soon.

Source: IndianMediaBook - Digital

Government to facilitate growth of Community Radio Sector in the country: Arun Jaitley

At the inaugural session of the 6th National Community Radio Sammelan Arun Jaitley, Minister for Finance, Corporate Affairs and Information & Broadcasting expressed that Radio as a medium of communication had made a comeback in view of the growing popularity of FM transmission and its reach.

“Community Radio as a variant of the medium had provided a value addition to the narrative by addressing the information needs regionally, addressing diverse status and issues and capturing the language, culture and social practices, commented Jaitley.

Elaborating further, the Minister informed that the scope for expansion in the sector was vast in view of the communication needs at the regional level. It had the power to connect with people by exchanging experiences and content of programs. As a consequence, this provided the bandwidth for effective programming to grow on a sustainable basis.

Jaitley said that the government would facilitate the medium through policies which would spur the growth in the total number of operational community radio stations in the future. The Minister lauded the efforts of the stations which focussed on sustained campaigns on critical issues related to health and education. This had led to people imbibing the spirit of the messages.

According to Rajyavardhan Rathore, Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting, Community Radio was an important communication medium that empowered local people and had a connect with them. It could play an important role in dissemination of information about government schemes and policies to the common man in their local language, which in many cases has not reached them through conventional mediums of communication such as Television and FM Radio.

Elaborating further, Rathore said that Community Radio could help in disseminating benefits of various government initiatives such as Mudra Yojna, Fasal Bima Yojna, and Soil Health Card to the local people. He said Community Radio should inspire people by informing them about the local achievements and endeavours of people who were one amongst them. He also encouraged participation of all the concerned stakeholders to take the Community Radio Movement in the country further ahead.

Speaking on the occasion Sunil Arora, Secretary Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said “Community Radio empowered people who generally found no voice in traditional media. He said that Community Radio provided empowering experiences to farmers, local fishermen, folk artists who shared their stories in programmes conducted by the community radio stations. He said that Ministry of I&B had opened a Community Radio facilitation Centre at Shastri Bhawan to streamline approval process for the CR stations. Elaborating further he mentioned that Ministry had given permissions to 439 CR stations out of which 191 are already in operation. He also said that the setting of agenda for this year National Sammelan was a participative process wherein feedback from CR stations across the country was solicited.”

Jaitley Minister for Finance, Corporate Affairs and Information & Broadcasting and Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting, Rajyavardhan Rathore also felicitated the winners of the 5th National Community Radio Awards.

The award for the most creative/Innovative Programme content was presented to Radio Benziger from Kerala for their program Sukrutham. The other categories included Awards for Program with Best Theme, Community Engagement, and Promoting local culture. They also released the Community Radio Compendium and Community Radio Map which illustrated Community Radio Stations across the nation.

Source: IndianMediaBook - Digital