Arré and SonyLIV enter into a co-production partnership for a new Web Series

Mumbai, November 07th, 2016:

After announcing a distribution alliance, SonyLIV and Arré, have now come together to co-produce a digital series. The lead of the series, Rithvik Dhanjani, is one of the most popular faces on Indian television who is currently anchoring Super Dancer, the No.1 reality show on Sony and was also last seen in I Don’t Watch TV and Arré Ho Ja Re-Gender on Arré.

Set against the backdrop of a big fat Indian wedding, the show is a comedy of errors that promises to be a visual treat and centres around a wild bachelor trip gone horribly wrong.

A wolf pack of three best friends, a groom-to-be and his two quirky friends take off on a bachelor trip just before the wedding. With a bullying bride-to-be back home, some comical misadventures on a foreign sojourn and an unexpected encounter with a beautiful stranger, the protagonist comes to understand the meaning of love and friendship.

The show, produced for Arré and SonyLIV by Rithvik and Srman Jain, also a well known TV actor, will go into production soon and is planned for launch in early 2017.

The show is scheduled to go into production soon, with a digital launch planned on SonyLIV’s and Arré’s web and mobile platforms for early 2017.

Comments:

Uday Sodhi, EVP and Head – Digital Business, SonyLIV said,

“The new-age Indian viewers want engaging and original entertainment solutions which they can relate to and enjoy. We, at SonyLIV, have been developing fresh and youthful content which caters to the evolved entertainment sensibilities of the millennial viewership. Given its theme, we are confident that the show will be hugely popular with our target audiences, as they will be able to relate to the characters and the situations on the show.”

Ajay Chacko, Co-Founder & CEO of Arré, said,

“At Arré, we believe in bringing a new lens to traditional formats and genres of content, be it commentary on the news or a comedy fiction show. After our distribution alliance,  we’re are delighted to partner with SonyLIV – which has already established itself as a leading digital entertainment platform – for original content and look forward to many more such shows together.”

Rithvik Dhanjani, said

“I am super excited about the show and look forward to working with SonyLIV and Arré again on yet another interesting project. With digital entertainment destinations like these, there is scope to tell stories that have a new-age sensibility and which resonate with the young audiences. The story and the characters in the show are reflective of this mindset and I feel the audiences will be able to relate to it l.”

SonyLIV:

SonyLIV is the first premium Video on demand (VOD) service by Sony Pictures Networks’ (SPN) providing multi-screen engagement to users on all devices. Launched in January 2013, it enables users to discover 20 years of rich content from the network channels of Sony Pictures Networks’ Pvt. Ltd. It also provides a rich array of movies, strong line-up of events across all sports, shows, music, product reviews.

With 25 million app downloads so far, SonyLIV is the first amongst its competition to provide original exclusive premium content.

As a true pioneer in its space, SonyLIV launched India’s first-ever original show exclusively for the online platform earlier this year. With #LoveBytes, it became the country’s first digital video-on-demand (VOD) platform to introduce an innovation of this nature

 About Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN):

Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN), (formerly Multi Screen Media Private Ltd.), is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation which owns and operates theSony Entertainment network of television channels.

As a leading television network in India, SPN comprises of Sony Entertainment Television (SET), one of India's leading Hindi general entertainment television channels; MAX, India's premium Hindi movies and special events channel; MAX 2, a second Hindi movie channel showcasing great Indian Cinema; SAB, a family comedy entertainment channel; PIX, the English movie channel; AXN, the leader amongst English Entertainment Channels; AATH, the Bangla movie channel, MIX a refreshing Hindi music channel; SIX and SONY ESPN – the cluster of sports entertainment channels and LIV - the Digital Entertainment Channel, and, SPN’s Motion Pictures division, formerly MSM Motion Pictures.

Sony Pictures Networks India is in its 22nd year in India.

Arré is India’s first multi-format, multi-genre digital media brand. Arré brings to India’s new-gen digital audiences a range of contextual storytelling and entertainment using video, audio, graphic-art and text. Founded by B. Saikumar, Ajay Chacko and Sanjay Ray Chaudhuri, Arré launched its website and social media offerings in early April 2016 with original content ranging from articles that explore sub-culture and popular culture to audio-dramas in partnership with Saavn, the first of which is Trial By Error | The Aarushi Files based on one of India’s most intriguing murder cases, doodles and illustrations that take a satirical look at the world and the socio-political environment, fiction shows like A.I.SHA | My Virtual Girlfriend that explores the dynamics of interplay between technology and relationships, I Don’t Watch TV which is a satirical sitcom series that explores the many unsaid dimensions of India’s over-the-top entertainment television industry and its protagonists. Arré has also launched the country’s first digital reality show based on a social experiment Arré Ho-Ja-Re-gender (an Israeli format), which explores what it takes for the sexes to literally be the other gender and a fiction web series Official Chukyagiri which is a slice-of-life dramedy about life in the corporate world viewed through the eyes of an intern. Arré has also collaborated with the Indian Express Group to launch a series of documentaries, the first one being a documentary on Pollution titled Death by Breath. It also put out a documentary on the violence towards children in Kashmir titled Kashmir’s Lost Children.

Arré has been working with a range of advertisers to integrate their brands seamlessly into contextual storytelling and entertainment as well as with a range of Video platforms such as Youtube, Facebook, Yupp TV, SonyLIV, TF1 Xtra (a French based television and digital network), Vodafone Play etc. to market and distribute its content.

Arré is accessible at http://www.arre.co.in/,  

On Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ArreIndia,

YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/c/ArreIndia,

Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/arrepics/,

Twitter@arretweets and

On its Android App at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=in.co.udigital.Arre&hl=en

For further information on Arré: contact@arre.co.in

Annesha Ghosh named winner of the second edition of Hyundai Cricjockey Powered by ESPNcricinfo

• Annesha Ghosh was featured on ESPNcricinfo’s Match Day post the final India vs New Zealand ODI on 29th October, 2016
• The hunt to discover India’s most passionate cricket fan began on September 29th

National, November 3, 2016: In a close clash, Annesha Ghosh from Kolkata seized the champion’s title of “The Hyundai Cricjockey 2 Powered by ESPNcricinfo, a talent hunt to discover India’s most passionate cricket fan”.

Hyundai Motor India Ltd, the country’s leading car manufacturer and the largest passenger car exporter, in partnership with ESPNcricinfo kicked off the second edition of The Hyundai Cricjockey on the 7th of October. The multi-phased contest that concluded yesterday provided avid cricket fans a lifetime opportunity to present their expertise in cricket commentary, during the ongoing India vs New Zealand ODI series

This season witnessed participation of over 2.5 Lakh fans from across the length and breadth of the country to showcase their ability to comprehend the nuances of the sport in front of a jury comprising the ESPNcricinfo editorial team. Fans sent in their entries on the CricJockey website - www.hyundaicricjockey.com by submitting an analysis/commentary on the match. Apart from the online edition, the contest included a four-city on-ground event at Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai & Pune that saw cricket fanatics submit their entries along with the extensive digital promotion.

On the success of the season 2 of Hyundai CricJockey, Mr. Puneet Anand, General Manager & Group Head – Marketing, Hyundai Motor India Ltd. said: “Hyundai follows a ‘Smart Marketing’ strategy with a strong focus on digital mediums and Hyundai Cricjockey 2 is yet another step in this direction. We have received consistent encouraging response from this campaign. On behalf of the entire Hyundai family, heartiest congratulations to the Winners of Hyundai Cricjockey 2. As we are focused towards making world-class cars, we are also committed towards meeting our customers’ passion through such innovative engagement activities.”

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Akshaya Kolhe Head of Sales, ESPN Digital Media India said, “We are delighted by the overwhelming response from our fans across the nation this season. We believe that CricJockey is a great platform to extend our engagement with fans and we look forward to further strengthen our association with Hyundai through this contest in seasons to come.”

The eminent jury for the contest included Ajit Agarkar, former Indian cricketer, Sambit Bal (ESPNcricinfo Editor in chief), Jayaditya Gupta (Executive Editor), Gaurav Kalra (Senior Editor) and Sharda Ugra (Senior Editor) from ESPNcricinfo editorial team.

Annesha Ghosh (Kolkata), Korak Roy (Mumbai) and Mayank Jain (Mumbai) were the top three contenders who battled it out to reach the finale to win the coveted title at the ESPNcricinfo studios. Annesha Ghosh was declared the grand winner on October 27, 2016 and went on to write an entire cricketing blog on ESPNcricinfo website along with being featured on Match Day, post the final India vs New Zealand ODI on October 29th.

The top 8 contestants took home prizes worth more than 2 Lakhs over the course of the contest.

Thousands of ardent cricket fans participated in the previous edition of Hyundai CricJockey and made this contest a huge success in 2013. Mr. Kartik Kannan was the winner of the first season and received an opportunity to associate with the ESPNcricinfo Video show in the following years. He was featured with his contributory writing on "The Inbox" - a very popular fan blog on the site that features some of the best sports writers.

ESPN IN INDIA

India is a key part of ESPN’s growth – in the Asia-Pacific region and globally – and its presence in the country is powered by the potent combination of ESPN’s leadership in digital sports and its long-term collaboration with Sony Pictures Networks India.

Serving the massive and vibrant sports fan community with entertaining, insightful and high-quality products and content, across digital devices and television, is at the core of ESPN’s strategic in India and the subcontinent. With offices in Bangalore and Mumbai, it boasts a world-class team that includes technologists, developers, editors, journalists and more that make up ESPN’s largest technology and digital editorial teams outside the United States.

ESPNcricinfo, already the ultimate destination for authentic, unbiased cricket news, analysis, statistics and scores, continues serving Indian cricket fans as it has for over 23 years.

-- See below the profile of Annesha Ghosh, winner of Hyundai Cricjockey 2 --

Winner Profile

Annesha is a sports buff, in general and a cricket tragic, in particular. She secured her Master’s in English Literature from University of Calcutta only two weeks ago and is due to complete her Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, next month. Presently, she freelances as a writer and an emcee and has formerly interned with The Statesman, along with several online news websites. She aspires to work as a full-time sports journalist/commentator/content producer with a sports news organization, with a special focus on women's cricket, and dreams of calling international matches in the women’s game someday.

A sports lover to the last nucleotide of her DNA, Annesha resumed playing cricket at the club-level in Kolkata, earlier in April this year. She is a left-handed bat, bowls right arm medium fast (most of which lands as befuddling (!) leg-breaks to right-handed batsmen,) and lives just a stone’s throw away from a certain Sourav Ganguly’s residence. Besides cricket, she loves running, swimming, and cycling. Among several other aspirations, her bucket list includes: Covering matches live at the Eden Gardens, MCG and the HPCA Stadium, along with completing a triathlon before turning 28.

Annesha Ghosh, winner of Hyundai Cricjockey 2

Profile here: http://www.hyundaicricjockey.com/winner.html

myDaily Meal launched to save you from skipping meals and eating junk food

Mumbai, 20th October, 2016: The ‘Future Of Food’ myDaily Meal – A Perfectly Engineered Meal Replacement Shake was launched today at The Classique Club, Andheri in Mumbai by internationally renowned Celebrity Chef Ranveer Brar along with Director and Business Head of MyDaily Meal Mr. Saurabh Garg. The event also witnessed the launch of myDaily Meal series ‘Meal In A Minute’ to hosted by Chef Ranveer Brar which will hit online soon.

myDaily Meal (www.myDailymeal.com) has been launched to stop you from skipping meals and eating junk food in your busy schedules. myDaily Meal is a Perfectly Engineered Meal Replacement Shake that provides exact nutrients including Proteins, Carbohydrates, Fats, Minerals, Vitamins and Fiber as required by your body in 1 meal. This gives perfect nutrition to your body within 1 min.

Talking about the launch, Celebrity Chef Ranveer Brar said, “myDaily Meal is working on the real scientific aspect of food to make sure that you get perfect nutrition anytime, anywhere in a minute. In our busy lives we end up either skipping a meal or eating junk food due to lack of time at least 10-15 times in a month. This positions “myDaily as a perfect solution to this urban problem”. In my hectic schedule, shoots and travelling, myDaily acts as my PET Meal; Perfect, Easy & Tasty.

How did it start?

“myDaily started as a project to solve the problem of quick, convenient and healthy meal in our busy urban schedules. As entrepreneurs, we as well as people around us, were struggling to get the right nutrition in our tight schedules. And very quickly we realized that it is a problem faced by people well beyond the start-up world. Almost any working professional in today’s fast paced life has to face this problem multiple times in a week”, said Saurabh.

Science behind it

myDaily Meal got together with a team of formulators and under the guidance of Dr. Ezhil Arasan, an ex-Dr. Reddy’s Research Scientist and a consultant with various nutraceutical and nutrition companies, myDaily was formulated. “The single guiding principle was that it should be ‘The Healthiest Meal Possible’ and should replace any meal completely giving entire nutrition as required by the body. It makes you full for the next 4-5 hours till your next meal”, says Saurabh Garg, “It took more than a year to get the product right.  We started with looking at the entire 334 pages of Recommended Dietary Allowance by Indian Council of Medical Research and doing various analyses to get the nutrition requirements. Then came the lab samples and post tens of iterations and hundreds of tasting sessions we have a product that we are really proud of. Saurabh was very particular that the product should taste great while having perfect nutrition profile”, says Dr. Ezhil Arasan, the scientific mind behind myDaily.

What does it contain?

Each pack of myDaily – The Perfectly Engineered Meal Replacement Shake has ¼th of your daily nutrition requirements including energy, proteins, carbs, fats, fiber, 12 essential vitamins and 13 important minerals. It has no added preservatives, artificial colours and is completely transfat free. myDaily is prepared using ingredients of natural origin. All the ingredients contained in the formula are essential nutrients needed by the body on daily basis. These ingredients are deemed safe by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and are not known to cause any side effects.

“myDaily Meal comes in a pack of 115g that just needs to be mixed with 350 ml water and the perfect meal is ready in less than 1 min. It is a unique product with perfect nutrition and convenience coming together. It is manufactured at a 3P location in Himachal Pradesh. It meets all stringent quality standards as required for a food product”, says Anurag Kedia, Co-founder, who is also an IIT Bombay and IIM Ahmedabad graduate.

The Future

The firm has an ambition to grow aggressively in the near future. It is a real problem that affects millions of people everyday across the globe.  

“myDaily has immense growth potential. The market size for skipped meals itself is more than $10 bn in urban India. Apart from it being a business opportunity, we feel that skipping meals is a genuine problem as it leads to various health issues. In the short term we would focus on selling myDaily through all Four Fountains outlets, select modern trade outlets and online through our website and marketplace partners. We would also look at some strategic alliances. We have already started getting enquiries from markets like Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia etc. This is a problem that is a global problem and we feel that we can definitely look at a global brand with myDaily”, says Saurabh.

TIMES NETWORK LAUNCHES THE ‘MAKE IN INDIA SUMMIT AND AWARDS’

·         To support the Prime Minister’s macro vision ‘Make In India’

·         Seven organizations bagged the prestigious ‘TIMES NETWORK - Make In India Awards’

·         A premium gathering of India’s top policy makers, bureaucrats and leaders from diverse sectors

Delhi, October 19, 2016: TIMES NETWORK, a part of India’s largest media conglomerate, The Times Group, launched their IP property, the ‘Make In India Summit and Awards’. The day-long initiative took place onOctober 18^th, 2016, at Taj Palace, New Delhi and was attended by some of the most valued dignitaries in India. The special guests of honour at the event included high profile names such as Nirmala Sitharaman, MoS (Independent Charge), Ministry of Commerce & Industry; Smriti Zubin Irani, Union Minister Textiles; andChaudhary Birender Singh, Union Minister Steel and other key speakers such as Ramesh Abhishek, Secretary, DIPP; Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog; Banmali Agrawala, President & CEO, GE, South Asia; Baba Kalyani, CMD, Bharat Forge; Arun Tiwari, CMD, Union Bank Of India to name a few. The summit aimed to lay out key imperatives and framework for turning the vision of ‘Make In India’ into a reality.

The summit kicked off with the welcome address by Sandeep Gurumurthi, Executive Editor, ET NOW, followed by a keynote address by Nirmala Sitharaman, MoS (Independent Charge), Ministry of Commerce & Industry. The panel discussions covered topics such as – India – The Global Manufacturing Hub; Brand – Make In India; Feeding A Billion People – The Role of Food Processing Industry; Make In India – More Than Just A Slogan and so on.

The panel discussion was followed by the ‘Make In India’ award ceremony where seven organisations were awarded for their remarkable work in taking this initiative further in their respective industries. The event concluded with the closing remarks by Executive Director, HUL, Mr. Pradeep Banerjee.

Commenting about the awards, Ashit Kukian President Revenue – Times Network, said, “Times Network is home to India’s most influential television audiences and caters to the diaspora across continents. Hence, it was only fitting that we host the summit to provide a platform for some of the most celebrated thought leaders to ideate on one of the key sectors responsible for India’s development. ‘Make In India Awards’ render impetus to the socio-economic growth of the nation, enabling India to become a global leader. It seeks to honor the contribution of companies, organizations, institutes, which are an epitome of excellence in their chosen area of interest. The Make in India campaign, that just turned two, created a major impact through various policies and initiatives and we are honored that such valued dignitaries graced the Make in India Summit with their presence and addressed the gathering, helping us to take this initiative further.”

Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani - Union Minister Textile, said, "We need to celebrate the success of Indian brands and the notable work done by our own people. The textile industry is an exciting sector from the manufacturing perspective and we are trying to pool in our strengths across ministries. Also the traditional skills need to be engaged to the modern technology and the industry academia must be strengthened not only domestically but internationally. In the coming days, Textile going technical and digital would surely be beneficial. We are exploring possibilities to establish direct connect between artisans & global buyers."

Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, MoS (Independent Charge), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, said, "Make in India, Make for India, all aim to make India a global manufacturing power and with momentum on our side we look to contribute at least 25% of India’s GDP through manufacturing sector which currently lies between 13-14%. India has crossed 3.5% of the market globally in the textile sector. Digitisation is an active component where the government is spending a lot of money on technology and technical expertise who are also working together towards this. The government is also in talks with the rail ministry on how freight cost can be reduced. Another area the government is moving forward is the trade facilitation in the service sector."

The ‘TIMES NETWORK Make In India Summit’ was presented by Hindustan Unilever Limited, powered by Union Bank of India, Supported by DIPP and Industry Partner CII. The ‘Times Network Make In India Awards’ were presented by Union Bank Of India, powered by Hindustan Unilever Limited, Supported by DIPP and Industry Partner CII. The entire event will be converted into 5 episodes, each to be telecast on TIMES NOW– India’s No. 1 English News channel and ET NOW - India’s No.1 Business News channel. The episodes will be aired right through the month of November.

The ‘Make In India’ Awardees are:

Sr.No	Award Category	Winners
1	Largest Investment for Make in India	GE India
2	Largest exporter through Make in India	Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd
3	Indigenization through Make in India	Bharat Forge Ltd
4	New Hi-technology for Make in India	Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)
5	Smart Manufacturing for Make in India	Bosch India
6	Game Changer of Make in India	PATANJALI AYURVED Ltd
7	Hindustan Unilever Ltd. Present Sustainable manufacturing for Make in India	Tata Steel

Ugam Analysis of Exclusive Smartphones by Amazon India and Flipkart for the 2016 Festive Season

The analysis provides insight on exclusive smartphones by Amazon India and Flipkart based on online shopper intent signals.

MUMBAI – October 18, 2016 – Smartphones is one of the most important product categories for online retailers in India. This festive season, major online retailers chose to compete on exclusive smartphones, as exclusive models account for almost 75 percent of total online smartphones sales in India [1]. But which exclusive smartphones do shoppers actually prefer and which retailers carry them? To find out,Ugam, a global leader in managed analytics, today released a study that analyses the online shopper intent signals of exclusive smartphones offered by Amazon India and Flipkart during the festive season. The study further analyses which retailers offer competitive prices for the smartphones that shoppers prefer.

The highlights of the study include the following:

1.       Amazon offered majority of the top 20 most-preferred exclusive smartphones.

Based on online shopper intent data, Amazon offered 70 percent (14 out of 20) of the most-preferred exclusive smartphones. This includes smartphones such as the Moto G Plus, Lenovo Zuk Z1 and the OnePlus2.

2.       Not so exclusive – Half of the top exclusive smartphones by Flipkart were also available on Amazon.

50 percent (three out of six) of the most-preferred exclusive smartphones by Flipkart were also available for purchase on Amazon. These included the Lenovo K3 Note, LeEco Le 2, and the Lenovo Vibe K5. Flipkart was priced lower than Amazon for two out of those three smartphones.

3.       Amazon was priced the lowest for more than half of the exclusive smartphones available on both websites.

Of the 60 exclusive smartphones we analysed, 17 exact models were available for purchase on both Amazon India and Flipkart. Amazon was priced lowest for 53 percent (9 out of 17) of these exact smartphones.

4.       Amazon’s exclusives were priced lower than the models with similar specifications available on Flipkart.

Out of 31 Amazon exclusives, Flipkart had 29 smartphones that were similar in specifications. Of these, 28 were available for purchase. We found that Amazon’s exclusives were priced lower for 57 percent (16 out of 28) of the models with similar specs available on Flipkart.

5. Flipkart’s exclusives were priced lower than the models with similar specifications available on Amazon.

Out of 29 Flipkart exclusives, Amazon had 9 smartphones that were similar in specifications. We found that Flipkart’s exclusives were priced lower for 67 percent (6 out 9) of the models with similar specs available on Amazon.

“The Indian ecommerce war is more intense than ever.  Today, stellar growth is no longer enough; winning market share is key”, said Mihir Kittur co-founder and chief innovation officer at Ugam.  “Retailers should leverage online shopper intent signals, such as search, reviews, ratings and social media data to inform better selection and pricing decisions and, thereby, drive a competitive edge in this ultra-competitive landscape.”

Analysis methodology
This analysis demonstrates how retailers can assess their online assortment and pricing to improve their competitiveness during peak shopping seasons.

To identify the trending products, Ugam first selected all the exclusive smartphone models available on Amazon and Flipkart as of September 28, 2016. We then used Ugam’s proprietary big data platform to collect and aggregate consumer demand data such as the search volume, social media signals, and online reviews and ratings, which calculates a popularity score for each product called Shopper Intent Score (SIS).

The availability of similar products was identified by checking which smartphones on a competitor’s site has specifications similar to an exclusive smartphone. These specifications include the screen size, operating system, processor type, storage capacity, RAM and battery capacity. Ugam then tracked prices for matched products across Amazon and Flipkart to find out which retailers are priced the lowest as on October 6, 2016.

For more information on Ugam’s Pricing and Assortment solutions, please visit http://www.ugamsolutions.com/retailers.

[1] Economic Times, Amazon and Flipkart bank on online exclusives for festive bounty
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/54398273.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst