Latest news with #000-10
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Pune's theatre groups share venues, double delight for viewers
In an ongoing trend, there has been an uptick in city-based theatre groups collaborating to showcase plays at a common venue. This not only reduces production costs but also offers audiences the joy of exploring diverse performances in a combined package. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Most auditoriums offer four-hour slots for rent. For budding theatre groups, this is often too much to manage alone. The rent for a 200-seater venue varies from Rs7,000-10,000; add to this lighting, spots and staff, and the simplest of productions can rack up a bill of Rs25,000 to stage. Collaborations help. "Groups share a space, so we split costs and get a new audience, who gets to view varied performances. Such sharing is not new, but has picked up recently as smaller groups are trying to go commercial. To ensure it goes smoothly, groups must discuss all factors and focus on time-management, as the delay of one play hampers the next, and increases cost," said Shardul Rajapure, co-founder of Kathaakar Natyamandali . His troupe recently staged Pen Salamat, a Marathi play adapted from a story by Va Pu Kale. They were paired with Ardham, a play on a transgender protagonist staged by Natyarang Rasik Mandal's writer-director Sourabh Ghatkar. Rajapure said directors often match with each other at theatre competitions to share venues. "There isn't much scope for amateur groups to go commercial unless we pair up. Theatre competitions are an ideal place to find another director, whose play fits well with ours," he said. The entire cast of both plays don't have to practice together, but directors do attend each other's rehearsals, with light and sound teams to ensure minimal time wastage during the break between two plays on the day of staging. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Agreeing on ticket cost and who pays for what/when is a crucial part of pairing up, said Amey Wadgaonkar, co-founder of Yuva Theatre in Chinchwad. "We have to ensure that production needs are met and enough tickets sold to make a profit or break even," said Wadgaonkar, a design engineer. Ghatkar, who has run a group for almost two years, said, "Ticket costs are often decided based on a play's duration and how well-known the group is. Collaborating allows us to price tickets high enough to make some profit and double the audience, while the latter gets its money's worth — a win-win for all," he said. Audiences say that at the cost of one play, which can be as low as Rs200, they see two different stories and are introduced to a new group. Manikandan Murugam, an advertising professional, shared, "Recently, I attended a Marathi play for the first time and was pleasantly surprised. I got to see two stories at the cost of one." Established in 2021, Rangrezz Entertainment are producers who bring amateur groups together and foot production costs. They also pay actors to make it worth their time. "Many plays during competitions have great content, but don't know about commercialising. Colleges often don't want to shell out money whether their group wins or not. So, we step in," said Parth Takalkar, a founder at Rangrezz, adding, "Groups are paired based on requirements and themes to get cohesion and variety at once. We take care of everything and when the audience is doubled, profits are guaranteed."
New Indian Express
18-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
'We are seeing quick commerce as a good opportunity'
Cycle Pure Agarbathi, the flagship brand of Mysuru-based 77-year-old NR Group, is the biggest player in the incense stick market, which is estimated to be around Rs 8,000-10,000 crore. Its annual revenue, according to Tracxn, stood at Rs 1,150 crore in FY24. In an interaction with Uma Kannan, Cycle Pure Agarbathi MD and Managing Partner NR Group, Arjun Ranga, who is the third-generation entrepreneur, said digital presence is now extremely important and that prayer as an opportunity is bigger in digital and ecommerce. Edited excerpts: Post-Covid, is there any change in the Agarbatti industry in terms of market and new players? From about 2019 onwards, there has been a huge influx of new manufacturers, and unorganised players coming to the industry. Especially during Covid, when people were talking about the benefits of using Agarbatti and keeping the fragrance at home. There has been a sudden increase in unbranded players entering the market. There is an oversupply because of that right now. However, the increase in population and consumption have helped the growth. The increase in the number of temples, rising number of pujas and rituals and the increase of religious tourism have also contributed to the growth of the industry. We have also created exotic combinations of fragrances targeting some specific geographical regions, festivals and giving the customers their taste of preference under various brands, which has further helped in boosting the growth. As an organised sector player, how do you see the proliferation of many unorganised players in the space? We are the biggest player in the market as an organised brand. In the AC Nielsen's report, the market is estimated to be Rs 8000 crore, which also includes unorganised players. It is estimated that the market is about 60-70% organised and the rest of it is unorganised. In this dynamic, our market share is about 20% of the whole organised share. The Agarabatti industry has made representation to the government about proliferation of unorganised players, and the government has suggested the best way is to go for an Indian standard. We are working with the Bureau of Indian Standards to come up with the Agarbatti standard. We are working closely with BIS to launch it. It should be done in the next three months. Do you have any plans to increase digital sales? With increase in information and accessibility for customers, we saw a shift in the consumption pattern of consumers, where unlike the older times the first access point is not the temples. Today for consumers, point of sale becomes a priority. Today, a lot of customer discovery is happening online and digitally through either social media or the portals. Digital presence today is extremely important for customers to understand your product, understand your brand, and tell your brand story. Our discovery process has increased dramatically. If we were 5% on digital 10 years ago, today we are 50% on digital in terms of communication. Do you think there is a growth opportunity in the e-commerce space? Agarbatti has typically been a purchase item, when stock is finished. Quick commerce is showing promise, because Agarbatti is an impulse purchase. And the unit packs are small -- Rs 100 a month is enough for you to light Agarbatti for the whole month. We are seeing quick commerce as a good opportunity. E-commerce is the new big thing. Agarbatti is not a category, but a discovery. Services have increased the opportunity for us, and we have got into astro services. That is leading into puja. So, prayer as an opportunity is bigger in digital and e-commerce. I see the next 5 years as a huge opportunity for us as well as the company in that space. We have a brand called and we see that as a big opportunity going forward. What is the long-term vision of the group? We are all a purpose-led brand. We believe in delivering hope. The long-term vision of the company is whenever anybody thinks of prayer or God, we need to be present either as a product or a service within an arm's reach.
Express Tribune
27-01-2025
- Automotive
- Express Tribune
Rent-a-car sector teetering on the brink
KARACHI: The bustling metropolitan city faces several challenges, and one major issue is the unregulated rent-a-car industry. Business owners often park their cars on major roads, causing frequent traffic snarls. The lack of a formal government policy to regulate car rentals and fares has further aggravated the situation, leading to inconsistent fares and inconvenience for the public. The fares for rented vehicles have witnessed steep rise in recent years. This increase is attributed to the rising prices of petroleum products, vehicle maintenance, and spare parts. Naveed Ahmed, a resident of Nazimabad, spoke about his experience of hiring a 25-seater AC coaster for a family picnic to Hawk's Bay beach. "Last year, the rent was Rs28,000, but this year it's gone up to Rs34,000," he lamented, citing an Rs8,000-10,000 hike in just one year. Similarly, Shazia Maryam, a housewife from Garden, said that her family paid Rs21,000 to rent a car for a trip to Keenjhar Lake after negotiating down from the initial demand of Rs25,000. She stressed the need for a government policy to standardise rental fares, similar to how public transport fares are determined. Nabeel Shahid, a student from PIB Colony, bemoaned the impact of inflation on family events. "We hired a 16-seater AC vehicle for Rs20,000 for a wedding in Korangi. Due to rising costs, middle-class families now think twice before attending events together, as these extra expenses are becoming unaffordable." Owners in the rent-a-car business are also struggling. Irfan Shaikh, a rental operator, said that many families invest in commercial vehicles and lease them to rental businesses under agreements where the earnings are split - 60% for the vehicle owner, 30% for the operator, and 10% for the driver. However, parking remains a major issue. "Our vehicles are often parked outside shops, leading to complaints of traffic congestion. Traffic Police sometimes impound our vehicles, assuming they are commercial," he added. Mohsin Raza, another rental operator, admitted the lack of regulation in the industry. "The Sindh Transport Department has not introduced any mechanism for determining fares. Over the past two years, vehicle rents have increased by 25% to 30% due to rising expenses, which has resulted in a 30% to 35% decline in our business. Many vehicle owners now lease their vehicles to private companies instead of relying on rentals." Drivers in the industry, like Ashfaq Anjum, face their own challenges. "We earn Rs20,000 to Rs25,000 per month, with an additional commission of Rs1,000 per trip. If a client tips us, that's a bonus. Beyond this, we receive no benefits or incentives," he told The Express Tribune. The Sindh Transport Department has acknowledged the lack of regulation in the rent-a-car business. Officials have promised to formulate a policy to register vehicle rental businesses and standardise fares.
