Latest news with #PramodArora
Associated Press
20-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
WMS Shares Important Tip for Summer Cruisers: Pack Your Connectivity
MIRAMAR, FLORIDA, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WMS, the leading global provider of cruise wireless connectivity, has launched its 'Pack Your Connectivity' summer vacation campaign to reinforce the importance of planning two weeks ahead to ensure a seamless onboard experience. Waiting until you reach international waters might mean you're too late. As cruising continues to grow as a preferred travel option – with the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) projecting nearly 41.9 million oceangoing passengers by 2028 – WMS has five connectivity tips for cruisers to keep in mind when planning their next adventure at sea. To ensure a successful, connected summer voyage: 'Connectivity has evolved since last summer – from the addition of 5G coverage on some ships to the launch of cruise day passes with AT&T and Verizon – so cruisers have more predictability and can relax knowing they have pre-planned their best connectivity option,' said Pramod Arora, President and CEO of WMS. 'We continually partner with 25+ cruise lines, on 200+ ships, with 400+ cellular roaming partners globally to ensure the most seamless, accessible, and affordable connectivity.' Cruisers looking to determine their best pathway to connectivity can take this 'What's Your Cruise Connectivity Personality?' Quiz. WMS is an expert in the installation, management, and maintenance of onboard wireless networks and services, and partners with each cruise line to educate on connectivity options for passengers and crew. As the pioneer in cruise wireless connectivity, the company launched the first cellular service on a cruise ship in 2004. WMS has continued to innovate from 2G to now 5G, while complementing the latest in ship Wi-Fi offerings and leveraging all satellite services, including the latest low Earth orbit (LEO) technology, Starlink. MEDIA NOTE: Infographic and logo files can be found HERE. About WMS: WMS is the premier global provider of cruise wireless connectivity services. WMS pioneered the first wireless network on a cruise ship 20 years ago and, as an award-winning technology leader, remains the trusted strategic partner for connectivity in the most challenging and hard-to-reach places. The company is headquartered in Miramar, FL. with additional operations in Atlanta, GA. For more information on WMS, visit ### Media Contacts: Cathy Angel / Anna Pool, +1-863-698-2145, [email protected] Attachment Liz DeCastro WMS 9542354782 [email protected]
Forbes
07-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How PVR INOX Hopes To Boost Indian Cinemas With FOCO Models
PVR INOX opens 4-screen FOCO-model cinema in Indian city of Jabalpur with 611 seats (including 25 ... More recliners) with Udine slider seating, Christie RGB Laser Projection, Dolby 7.1 surround sound, and next-gen 3D. PVR INOX India's largest movie chain, PVR INOX has big plans for the country's movie buffs - in a country as large as this one, the company hopes to get multiplex movie theatres closer to every corner. In its process of expansion, PVR INOX also hopes to earn profits with Franchise Owned Company Operated (FOCO) model in cinemas. In this exclusive interview, PVR INOX Ltd. CEO (Growth & Investment) Pramod Arora explains the basics of how the new model will work for partners and what benefit it brings for Indian cinema lovers. The company has been working on the model for three years. It has been more than a year since the first cinema under the model was inaugurated in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh in Gwalior. Arora insists that they wanted to play down the first few cinemas to ensure success of the model before announcing it. He confirms that another one may soon come up somewhere in Northeastern part of India as well as one in Mumbai. CEO- Growth and Investment, PVR INOX Ltd Pramod Arora explains details of the company's new ... More initiative - FOCO model for cinemas in India. PVR INOX Arora suggests that the idea of spreading wings across a country like India hit roadblocks because 'It's impossible (for a single company to do so). Just financial support cannot make it happen. India is a country that has a huge box office turn-out. Hollywood films contribute only eight percent of the total, the rest 92% of the box office collections come from regional, local and hyper-local and Bollywood content.' Getting to tier two and tier three cities will help PVR INOX further the popularity of regional content, he adds. Arora says the new 'social hubs' that will come up under FOCO model will offer people spaces to enjoy food or games, as well as movies. "It may not necessarily be just movies. This is a completely evolved model, not a cinema from yesteryears. It is a complete social hub wherein people can come in, have their food, do some gaming and just go back. They may not even watch a film. People may come in, do all the three things or just make a selection.' Arora adds that the company aims at creating affordable luxury for the people, especially the youth. 'They should get aspirational product when they choose to spend money on something like entertainment. We are going to make the best of cinema in India, for Indians. That qualifier remains constant irrespective of whether it is a FOCO model we are talking, or one of our regular ones. It is a discretionary spend and customer must get the best.' He then goes on to explain that prospective partners must be ready to pay for the technical, manpower, safety and security measures that PVR INOX follows. He adds that partners will finance and the FOCO model cinemas while PVR INOX will design, develop and operate them. A glimpse of PVR INOX at Raipur, Madhya Pradesh in India. PVR INOX Arora insists that PVR INOX will strictly adhere to all safety, security, and operating measures around the brand for the new cinemas to be able to cater to the consumer perfectly. Right from the origin of the finances involved to basics like legal validity of the ownership of the space and standard of devices for the cinema, everything matters. " The selection rate (for partners of FOCO model cinemas) stands at 20 percent right now. All the consumer and financial matrices have to align while deciding this model, therefore the selection rate is low. We have leveraged enough intellect to be harnessed into a black box for us to come up with this model which can help the cinema industry. We have certain compliances that the digital cinema initiative across the world has specified - such as the projection and audio systems. Similarly, other things in terms of technology, manpower and safety and security… the complete infrastructure (needs to be in compliance). We also hope to use insights from our partners to work around the consumer journeys that we want to create in these cinemas.' Challenges of FOCO in cinemas Asked about challenges that came on the way to creating cinemas on FOCO model, Arora says, 'Creating a team was a challenge in itself when we began working on it three years ago. It needed a completely different mindset. It was a challenge to create the belief system - would people believe in this model? People do not talk about cinemas being franchised. We had to find logical answers and create rational behaviors. I believe most of the challenges have been taken care of. I'm sure there are many, many more which are going to come up. We do not claim it is an error free, problem free, challenge free model. It cannot be.' Cinema Ticket fares in India For the past few months, Indian cinemas are introducing various kinds of discounts and offers on ticket prices. Every few weeks, one ticket is offered free on the purchase of one; and there are times when tickets are sold for $1. Sometimes, it is a movie theatre chain offering these, and even the producers offer these at times. Prodded about the strategy for ticket fares, Arora says it is like a trial mode for the industry and will eventually decide a bar for industry-wide ticket fares in the country. PVR INOX releases this month A glimpse of films set to release in May 2025 across PVR INOX theatres in India. PVR INOX Karan Sharma's Bhool Chuk Maaf is set for a theatrical release on May 9. Sooraj Pancholi's Kesari Veer and Suswagatham Khushaamadeed featuring Katrina Kaif's sister Isabelle Kaif will will hit theatres on May 16. The horror film Kapkapii is slated for a May 23 release. Apart from the fresh releases, PVR INOX has scheduled a few re-releases for the month of May. These include fan-favorite Shoojit Sircar's Piku featuring Bollywood stars Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan and late Irrfan. Piku is set for a May 9 release. Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood will also release this Friday. Saif Ali Khan-starrer Hum Tum will re-release in PVR INOX cinemas on May 16 and Suniel Shetty-Akshay Kumar-Shilpa Shetty-starrer Dhadkan will hit theatres on May 23. ( This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. )
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Business Standard
27-04-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
PVR Inox bets on FOCO model to widen presence beyond metro cities
The company is hoping that by developing cinema exhibition infrastructure in different parts of the country it would be able to provide economic benefits to local filmmakers Press Trust of India New Delhi Cinema exhibitor PVR Inox is betting big on franchise owned company operated model to expand its presence beyond metros in India while also seeking to spread its affordable luxury offering, according to its CEO Pramod Arora. The company is hoping that by developing cinema exhibition infrastructure in different parts of the country it would be able to provide economic benefits to local filmmakers and artists through box office receipts and sustain content creation, Arora told PTI. Through the franchise owned company operated (FOCO) model, PVR Inox provides its expertise to oversee design, development, execution, and day-to-day operations of properties developed by investors who own the assets. PVR Inox, which opened a 5-screen multiplex in Raipur last week, is banking on the FOCO model to accelerate expansion across the country, particularly scaling up premium cinema formats in high-potential Tier II and Tier III cities. "The beginning of FOCO actually happened with Gwalior which opened last year and this one (in Raipur) which is opening in the beginning of this (fiscal) year. Now we are going to go ballistic on this...," Arora said. He said the company needed to completely understand and set up the right SOPs and has been working for the last three-and-half years to perfect the model, which has enabled to reduce the time for execution by 50 per cent. "It has now been completed and the rollout will be swifter and smoother...," he said, adding "whether it is tier I, tier II or tier III the franchise owned company operated and asset light models are relevant for all these cities". In its third quarter earnings, PVR Inox had stated that it had signed 100 screens across 22 cinemas with 31 screens, 8 cinemas in FOCO, and 69 screens, 14 cinemas in asset light mode. Arora said the upcoming planned screens will be on the affordable luxury concept to cater to the rising demand from customers for experiential cinema. "Whenever guests are spending their discretionary money they are looking forward to a component of luxury. Affordable luxury as a concept does not mean that it is going to be expensive. Prices are defined by market dynamics," he said. What is important is giving 'experiential cinema' which gets qualified as affordable luxury today in the Indian context. It is like a bridge to experience not a bridge to luxury, Arora noted. Stating that more parts of India will be covered, he cited the example of North East India which "while being a part of larger Bharat, they have missed out on the entertainment opportunity". PVR Inox will be coming up with screens in Shillong, Gangtok and Siliguri on a similar model. On the need to develop cinema exhibition infrastructure across India, Arora said 92 per cent of the industry is dependent on national, regional, local and hyperlocal content while only 8 per cent of content in terms of box office value is imported. "This content needs to have a better showcasing. There will be economic benefit to local filmmakers and artists only when there is cinema infrastructure around is the only format wherein you are able to get the box office which gets shared with the production houses by virtue of which more films can be made," Arora asserted. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Associated Press
16-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
WMS and AT&T Team Up to Enhance International Day Pass™ Connectivity for Cruise Ships and Land
MIRAMAR, FLORIDA, April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WMS, the leading global provider of cruise wireless connectivity, announces its latest step in delivering the world's most innovative services at sea in collaboration with AT&T. AT&T is enhancing its International Day PassTM for cruise passengers, ensuring seamless cellular connectivity between land and sea. With availability on more than 200 ocean-going cruise ships across over 25 cruise lines that WMS supports, travelers can enjoy reduced costs while experiencing uninterrupted service during their voyage. At just $20 per day, the AT&T International Day Pass™ activates automatically, keeping travelers connected both at sea and on land when visiting international destinations. When in international waters, the pass enables 500MB of high-speed data per day with no overage charges, along with unlimited talk and text1. Customers can continue to use the Day Pass when visiting ports of call without incurring additional charges. This offer simplifies the travel experience by providing passengers with reliable, consistent connectivity throughout their journey. 'I truly believe this is going to become the gold standard in cruise connectivity, and will usher in a new era of predictable and high-quality mobile communications for American cruisers while creating value and higher guest satisfaction for our cruise line partners,' said Pramod Arora, President and CEO of WMS. As the cruise industry continues its rapid growth – with the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) projecting nearly 40 million passengers by 2027 – WMS and AT&T are committed to elevating the connectivity experience. For travelers planning their next cruise vacation, WMS suggests strategies to ensure a successful, connected voyage, including: To explore connectivity options available for cruise passengers through WMS, visit or For more information about the AT&T International Day Pass™ on cruise ships, please visit 1 Eligible plans: AT&T Unlimited Premium® PL, Unlimited Extra® El, or Unlimited Elite® (elig. under UYW group plans only). Req's compatible plan & device. Coverage not available everywhere. At sea, after 500MB of data use within a 24-hour period, data speeds may be reduced to a maximum of 512Kbps on certain ships. The highest available data speed will be restored at the beginning of the next 24-hour period. About WMS: WMS is the premier global provider of cruise wireless connectivity services. WMS pioneered the first wireless network on a cruise ship 20 years ago and, as an award-winning technology leader, remains the trusted strategic partner for connectivity in the most challenging and hard-to-reach places. The company is headquartered in Miramar, FL. with additional operations in Atlanta, GA. For more information on WMS, visit About AT&T: AT&T helps more than 100 million U.S. families, friends, and neighbors, plus nearly 2.5 million businesses, connect to greater possibility. From the first phone call 140+ years ago to its 5G wireless and muti-gig internet offerings today, AT&T innovates to improve lives. For more information about AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T), please visit Investors can learn more at Media Contacts: Cathy Angel / Anna Pool, +1-863-698-2145, [email protected] Michael Delgado, +1-214-794-7948, [email protected] Liz DeCastro WMS 9546751404 [email protected]
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
WMS Partners with Verizon to Launch $20 Cruise Daily Pass
Voice, Text, and Data at Sea Available on 200+ Ships and 25+ Cruise Lines MIRAMAR, FLORIDA, April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WMS, the leading global provider of cruise wireless connectivity, in collaboration with Verizon, announces the enhancement of Verizon Cruise Daily Pass. Now available on more than 200 cruise ships across more than 25 cruise lines, Cruise Daily Pass offers passengers even more value. With Cruise Daily Pass, Verizon customers now get unlimited data (0.5GB of high-speed data then unlimited data at 3G speeds), unlimited calls to the US, and unlimited texts, for $20/line per day when using their mobile device at sea. Cruise Daily Pass provides seamless connectivity and complements Verizon's suite of international travel plans in more than 210 countries and destinations. 'Verizon's Cruise Daily Pass was the first product of its kind in the cruise industry and has been a big step towards providing a predictable experience for cellular users, ushering in a new standard in connectivity and value at sea,' said Pramod Arora, President and CEO, WMS. 'We look forward to growing this partnership and continuing to enrich cruise passengers' mobile experience in the coming years.' As the cruise industry continues to grow – projected to reach nearly 40 million passengers by 2027 according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) – WMS and Verizon remain committed to enhancing the traveler onboard experience. For travelers planning their next cruise vacation, WMS suggests strategies to ensure a successful, connected voyage, including: -Begin planning your cruise connectivity two weeks before your voyage. -Keep Airplane Mode off so cellular connectivity can be enabled. -Turn on International Roaming before setting sail. -Close out apps, and turn off app auto-updates, location services, and auto fetch on email. Verizon customers can add Cruise Daily Pass to their line by texting CRUISE to 4004 or via the Verizon Trip Planner. For more information visit For more information on WMS, visit About WMS: WMS is the premier global provider of cruise wireless connectivity services. WMS pioneered the first wireless network on a cruise ship 20 years ago and, as an award-winning technology leader, remains the trusted strategic partner for connectivity in the most challenging and hard-to-reach places. The company is headquartered in Miramar, FL. with additional operations in Atlanta, GA. For more information on WMS, visit Media Contacts: Cathy Angel and Anna Pool, +1-863-698-2145, WMSPR@ CONTACT: Liz DeCastro WMS 9546751404 in to access your portfolio
