Mani Rangarajan

Reliance Foundation Chairperson Nita Ambani and Reliance Jio Infocomm Chairman Akash Ambani have joined the board of Viacom18 ahead of its merger with the India business of global media giant Walt Disney, industry sources said.... Read More At:- https://lnkd.in/gqtJVWAt Viacom18 Media Private Limited #nitaambani #akashambani #indiabusiness #GlobalMedia #industry #reliancefoundation #news #NewsUpdate #newsfeed #dailynews #IBWNews

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Some thoughts on Airtel’s recent announcement regarding wynk shutdown: When we at Gaana had shut down free music streaming [Sep 2022], leaving 50M free users, a lot of questions were asked. Is this the right move? No one else in the industry had chosen this route. We had done our maths. To survive, we had to shut down free music, otherwise we would run out of cash and perish soon. At that time there were 5 players offering free music: Us [Gaana], Spotify, Wynk, JioSaavn and Resso. We shifted to a paid only app, the FIRST to do so in India.  We survived and Gaana is thriving under Mirchi now. Resso shut down its operations a few months ago [Jan 2024] and Wynk just announced to shut down. If we had not shifted to paid only at the right time,  we would not have survived. Providing free music to users never made any business sense because of label commercials. For every free song heard, music streaming companies would lose a lot of money, as they had to pay a hefty amount to labels. From 5 players offering free music we are down to 2. Who is next? JioSaavn? Spotify? Yatish Mehrishi Udit Tyagi Sahil Kapoor Rakesh R Sony vineet jain adarsh nair Hari Nair https://lnkd.in/dm3JwyR2 https://lnkd.in/dbdkBhHG

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SEBI sure knows how to keep capital market players on toes. Their Board meeting outcomes are so keenly followed these days, the buildup of anticipation is palpable. There is something in it for all players, let's see this Sep Meeting key outcomes: MF - MF lite for light touch regs on index funds Primary Markets - Trade in secondary markets with UPI mechanism (from 1st Feb 2025), fast track rights issue Alternates - New Asset Class (10+ lac bracket) Business teams will have to devise new business models, Legal / compliance teams to evaluate structures, finance to look at tax implications. SEBI ensures everyone has their tasks cut out :) #SEBI #CapitalMarkets #BoardMeeting #FinancialRegulations #MarketOutcomes

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The merger between Reliance and Disney's HotStar has sparked curiosity about the future of the platform. With RIL poised to take control, the fate of HotStar hangs in the balance - will it integrate with Jio Cinema or both emerge as a new brand altogether? Of particular concern is the potential monopoly on cricket rights in India, raising alarms among advertisers and agencies about possible spikes in ad rates. Both Reliance and Disney have made substantial investments in cricket rights, with commitments to keep ad rates reasonable. There are indications that both companies have made concessions, assuring not to unjustly increase advertising rates for streamed cricket matches. The timing of the regulatory approval, coinciding with Reliance's Annual General Meeting, adds an element of intrigue to the merger. Will consumers benefit from free IPL streaming on Jio Cinema, or will subscription rates remain regulated? With both companies wielding over $2 billion +++ in sports investments in India, the landscape of streaming and sports entertainment is set for a transformation. #Viacom18 #Reliance #Disney #Merger #HotStar #JioCinema #CricketRights #Streaming #Advertising #Monopoly #Investments #CCIApproval

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Zomato is reportedly nearing a deal to acquire Paytm's movie ticketing and events division for INR 1500 crores (approximately USD 200 million). The negotiations between Zomato and One97 Communications Limited, Paytm's parent company, are said to be in advanced stages. This strategic acquisition could diversify Zomato's offerings beyond food delivery, enhancing its presence in the entertainment sector. For Paytm, the sale would allow it to focus more on its core digital payments business, streamlining its operations. This move highlights a broader industry trend of tech companies expanding their service portfolios to capture a larger consumer market share.

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"Twitter Communications India, now part of X Corp (formerly Twitter), recorded a sharp drop in net profit and revenue in the last financial year, largely due to a collapse in ad revenues after the dismissal of the company's global ad sales team under the new management led by Elon Musk. As per the company's regulatory filings, net profit plunged 90% to Rs 3 crore from Rs 30 crore the previous year. Revenue also fell 90% to Rs 21 crore from Rs 208 crore. Advertising contributes bulk of Twitter's revenue in India where it has an estimated 25 million users. The company trimmed employee benefit expenses by 95% to Rs 6 crore from Rs 130 crore as it fired nearly the entire Indian workforce, which previously comprised over 200 employees. Subsequently, total expenses fell by 89% to Rs 19 crore from Rs 168 crore. Twitter India didn't respond to ET's queries. Musk completed his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter in October 2022, eventually rebranding it as X. Following the takeover, Musk implemented sweeping changes globally, including mass layoffs that heavily impacted the ad sales teams, especially in India. The dual blow of laying off the ad sales teams and global brands pulling back from the platform-due in part to disputes with Musk-fuelled a sharp decline in revenue. Sajal Gupta, a digital advertising expert, noted that without an active sales team to maintain relationships with advertisers and attract new business, Twitter's ad revenue in India nosedived, leading to steep declines in profitability and earnings. "This reflects the broader challenges X Corp has faced globally as it tries to implement new strategies under Musk's leadership while managing the fallout from internal restructuring," Gupta said. Under Musk, X has even filed lawsuits against global advertisers like Unilever and Mars for boycotting the platform. According to Kantar research, a net 26% of marketers reported plans to reduce ad spends on X in 2025, the biggest recorded pullback from any major global ad platform. Gupta explained that many global brands stopped advertising in India due to the ongoing tensions with Musk, and even within India, many brands are avoiding advertising on X due to the controversial nature of the platform and concerns over brand safety. "In terms of advertising on social media platforms, X is typically a last priority for advertisers, with YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram taking precedence," he said." https://lnkd.in/e6DT9UCv

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The CCI has cleared the merger of Viacom18 and Disney Hotstar, creating India's largest media house. This completes the consolidation of TV channels under Jio as part of the classical diversification of Porter's model. My two questions to all on my network: 1. Will there be usurious monopoly pricing of advertising? Such pricing could make it impossible for smaller brands to get into network channels. This is especially in the context of sports properties around cricket being only with this conglomerate. What is your view? 2. Will this consolidation lead to reduction of divergence of news and views ? Do we run the danger of unidomensional views and news? Is this right for a democracy of 1.3 billion where we have a million views and news daily? What do you think ?

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JioCinema, India’s leading digital entertainment platform, has announced the appointment of Ishan Chatterjee as its Chief Business Officer (CBO)... Read More At:- https://lnkd.in/gEAaj_XW JioCinema Ishan Chatterjee #digital #entertainment #CBO #jiocinema #news #newsupdate #newsfeed #dailynews #ibwnews

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Mirchi Mumbai has joined hands with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for an innovative initiative called the 'Mirchi Voting Signal', aiming to inspire citizens to exercise their fundamental right to vote... Read More At:- https://lnkd.in/ein_vxPj Mirchi #BrihanmumbaiMunicipalCorporation #mirchivotingsignal #citizens #fundamentalrighttovote #news #NewsUpdate #newsfeed #dailynews #IBWNews

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Business Today is all set to host its highly anticipated annual event, the Adani Business Today India@100 Summit, on August 20, 2024, at Bharat Mandapam’s Leader’s Lounge in New Delhi... Read More At  https://lnkd.in/gFQx7R6v Business Today #Events #btindia #summit #BharatMandapam #LeaderLounge #news #NewsUpdate #newsfeed #dailynews #IBWNews

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At Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd, we used to do a Wealth Creation Study every year under the guidance of Raamdeo Agrawal. In 2021, we did one on "Atoms to Bits" (https://lnkd.in/gdyic6Ny). Key insight when we were researching was Digital Business Design is about business first, design second and digital third. A simple framework that comes from this (Think of it like a 2x2) 1. Quality of Business Design and 2. Degree of Digitization When we started interacting with Namma Yatri, it struck us that this is one of the rare teams which not only has the most simple and innovative use of a protocol but also innovated on business design. The enduring moat of the business actually comes from their frugal DNA which supports this innovation. It is invisible like the best moats are :) Their data is transparent on https://lnkd.in/gARxQEsA which is also a window into one of their other key facets of culture - Collaboration and Transparency I have no doubt in my mind that this is one of the most exciting population scale companies being built and it is a privilege to be a yatri with Magizhan Selvan Shan M S. More details from Nitin Sharma https://lnkd.in/gbgzTPdp

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The Great Consolidation: A Turning Point for the Indian Media and Entertainment Industry In recent years, the Indian media and entertainment landscape has seen unprecedented consolidation, reshaping the industry's dynamics. High-profile acquisitions, such as PVR's purchase of INOX and Reliance's acquisition of Viacom18, Disney Star, Network18, and TV18, signal a pivotal shift. Rumors of Reliance acquiring Dharma Productions or Saregama further underscore these changes. The Impact of Consolidation 📉 Reduction in Market Players: The number of independent production houses is shrinking, leading to a monopolistic environment. For example, Reliance's consolidation of Viacom18 has created a powerful content library, significantly influencing audience access. 🎬 Content Production Lull: The frequency of new films has declined sharply. In 2023, only 80 major films were released, a 25% drop from 2022. Projects like Dharma Productions' "Takht" have been indefinitely postponed, highlighting the cautious approach studios are taking. 🤝 Bargaining Power Shift: Consolidation has diminished the negotiating power of independent production houses. Traditionally strong players are finding it harder to secure favorable terms with broadcasters and OTT platforms, as fewer buyers now dominate the market. 💰 Reevaluation of Big-Budget Productions: Major stars are reassessing projects due to ballooning budgets and uncertain returns. High-profile films, including "Ramayana" and "Mahabharat," have faced delays or shelving, illustrating the industry's cautious stance. 📺 Impact on OTT: As traditional media consolidates, OTT platforms are also feeling the effects. With giants like Netflix and Amazon Prime increasingly reliant on major content providers, the diversity of offerings may be at risk, leading to homogenized storytelling. The Future Landscape The future of the Indian media and entertainment industry hangs in the balance. Will consolidation lead to higher quality content, or will it stifle creativity? Adapting to this evolving landscape will be essential for industry professionals. In conclusion, while current consolidation presents challenges, it also offers opportunities to rethink content creation and distribution. The industry’s revival hinges on collaboration, innovation, and a focus on quality. As we move forward, the question remains: will this mark the beginning of a new chapter or the closing of a once-vibrant book in Indian cinema?

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