Latest news with #Avasthi
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
One in four Indians uses only a mobile phone for everything from Netflix to social media
Nearly one in four Indians said in a survey they use only mobile phones to consume entertainment and media content, ditching television, in a telling sign for firms from Netflix Inc. to Starlink Inc. seeking growth in the world's largest consumer number of users who only use digital channels ballooned to 23% in the March quarter of 2025, according to market research firm Kantar's Media Compass report this week, which surveyed 87,000 Indians across the country. That compares with 15% in the same period in smartphone-only audience is skewed toward the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum, along with more rural users and men, said Puneet Avasthi, director of specialist businesses at Kantar's Insights Division for South Asia. Booming internet access, spurred by affordable smartphones and monthly mobile phone tariffs as low as $4, has made India among the largest digital consumer bases. This trend will help finetune marketing strategies of global media giants, including Inc.'s Prime Video and Meta Platforms Inc.'s Instagram, which are seeking more subscribers in the nation with more than 1.4 billion consumers. Satellite internet in India is also set to get a boost, with Starlink receiving approval from India's telecom ministry to roll out its services capping a years-long effort by Elon Musk's firm. Surging ecommerce Digital platforms provide potential for a 'very wide basket of categories' to grow among India's masses, Avasthi said. Surging e-commerce presence is allowing consumers to buy products that are not otherwise available in rural markets with 'the click of a button,' he added. From electrical appliance firms like Voltas Ltd. who benefit from deepening electrification to soft drink and snack sellers, multiple industries are targeting rural audiences, Avasthi said. Online marketplaces like Softbank Group Corp.-backed Meesho and Walmart Inc.-backed Flipkart are also deepening their penetration in smaller towns in India by selling more affordable products, riding on the growing digital presence of Indian buyers. Netflix offers a mobile-only plan for as little as 149 rupees ($1.72) in the country, with other providers also offering similar mobile-only experiences. Apart from mobile phones, the more premium option of connected TV, which allows users to watch television as well as access the internet, has emerged as a 'strong segment' with 35 million users being added in the quarter, according to the Kantar report.
Economic Times
13 hours ago
- Business
- Economic Times
One in four Indians uses only a mobile phone for everything from Netflix to social media
A Kantar survey reveals a significant shift in Indian media consumption, with 23% relying solely on mobile phones for entertainment in early 2025, up from 15% in 2023. This trend, driven by affordable smartphones and data plans, benefits companies like Netflix and Starlink seeking growth in India. Surging e-commerce further expands digital access, particularly in rural areas, impacting various industries. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Nearly one in four Indians said in a survey they use only mobile phones to consume entertainment and media content, ditching television, in a telling sign for firms from Netflix Inc. to Starlink Inc. seeking growth in the world's largest consumer number of users who only use digital channels ballooned to 23% in the March quarter of 2025, according to market research firm Kantar's Media Compass report this week, which surveyed 87,000 Indians across the country. That compares with 15% in the same period in smartphone-only audience is skewed toward the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum, along with more rural users and men, said Puneet Avasthi, director of specialist businesses at Kantar's Insights Division for South internet access, spurred by affordable smartphones and monthly mobile phone tariffs as low as $4, has made India among the largest digital consumer bases. This trend will help finetune marketing strategies of global media giants, including Inc.'s Prime Video and Meta Platforms Inc.'s Instagram, which are seeking more subscribers in the nation with more than 1.4 billion internet in India is also set to get a boost, with Starlink receiving approval from India's telecom ministry to roll out its services capping a years-long effort by Elon Musk's platforms provide potential for a 'very wide basket of categories' to grow among India's masses, Avasthi said. Surging e-commerce presence is allowing consumers to buy products that are not otherwise available in rural markets with 'the click of a button,' he electrical appliance firms like Voltas Ltd. who benefit from deepening electrification to soft drink and snack sellers, multiple industries are targeting rural audiences, Avasthi marketplaces like Softbank Group Corp.-backed Meesho and Walmart Inc.-backed Flipkart are also deepening their penetration in smaller towns in India by selling more affordable products, riding on the growing digital presence of Indian offers a mobile-only plan for as little as 149 rupees ($1.72) in the country, with other providers also offering similar mobile-only from mobile phones, the more premium option of connected TV, which allows users to watch television as well as access the internet, has emerged as a 'strong segment' with 35 million users being added in the quarter, according to the Kantar report.
Mint
21-04-2025
- Business
- Mint
Jio Platforms to absorb edtech firm Embibe, lays off around 300 employees
Jio Platforms Ltd (JPL), an arm of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) that houses its telecom and digital businesses, is set to absorb edtech firm Indiavidual Learning Private Limited, or Embibe, in a move that has caused the retrenchment of nearly 300 employees over the past few months, people aware of the development told Mint. "Embibe will become a part of Jio and will continue as an edtech firm. Jio is currently amid a due diligence exercise relating to the merger," said a senior industry executive, asking not to be identified. RIL, which acquired a nearly 73% stake in Embibe in 2018, will completely merge the edtech firm into JPL, a second official with direct knowledge of the development said. Multiple queries sent to Embibe and RIL did not elicit a response till press time. Mint's emails to Embibe founder Aditi Avasthi bounced back. Mint also tried to reach out to Avasthi via calls and messages, which went unanswered. 'After 13 years since founding Embibe—and six years of building the right foundation to execute a bold, Jio-scale vision—I'm proud to share that we've officially graduated,' wrote Avasthi, in a public post on professional networking platform Linkedin, on Saturday. 'Embibe is merging into its parent - India's largest distribution platform, with a phenomenal team from Embibe transitioning into this next chapter.' Founded in 2012, by Avasthi as a K-12-focused edtech platform, the company raised funding from angel investors, followed by investments from early-stage venture capital investors like Kalaari Capital and Lightbox. Later in 2018, Reliance Jio made a commitment to invest close to $180 million into the Bengaluru-based AI-driven education platform, over the following three years for a stake of 72.69% from Embibe's existing investors. Lightbox achieved a threefold return with a 35% internal rate of return (IRR) when Reliance Industries Ltd acquired its stake in Embibe in 2017, Mint reported back in January. According to the second executive cited above, the Embibe team, which had close to 80 employees during the acquisition by Jio, grew to almost 2,000 employees at its peak, following a pivot towards creating scalable classroom solutions. Over time, the numbers started to dwindle, and in the last few rounds, about 300 to 350 employees were let go, a third source told Mint. India's edtech sector has faced two challenging years marked by dwindling investor confidence as post-pandemic demand for online learning faded, mounting losses from aggressive growth strategies, and the downfall of the industry giant Byju's. 'Embibe had around 380 people remaining between Bangalore and Ahmedabad towards the end. The company management had known it would merge (with Jio) since last year. Not all 380 people are laid off, some people are going to be picked up by Jio,' said the second executive quoted above. Employees who have been let go are given proper severance pay as well, while the remaining may get absorbed into JPL, they added. First Published: 21 Apr 2025, 06:18 PM IST
