Latest news with #UdayShankar
Hindustan Times
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Delhiwale: The hang-out at Tansen's
Discreet daylight streaming through green vines, music percolating through painting… and Delhi fellows soaked in artistic pursuits. Triveni Kala Sangam marks its 75th jubilee this year. It was established in 1950 by Sundari K. Shridharani, who had launched her career as a dancer in the troupe of the legendary Uday Shankar. Its name, meaning the confluence of three streams, is said to have been coined by artist and musicologist Vijay Raghav Rao. That said, the Triveni Kala Sangam that we know today dates from the 1960s, when the institution was moved from its two-room premises in Connaught Place to its present four-storey locale in the art district of Mandi House, on a road named after the immortal Tansen. Here, the complex slowly built its reputation as the capital's premier cultural destination. Triveni traditionally hosts classes on music, dance, painting and photography. This June, one of the summer courses on offer is 'portraiture workshop,' which purports to teach clay modelling with 'live model.' The centre also houses some of Delhi's landmark art galleries, including Art Heritage, co-founded in 1977 by theatre director Ebrahim Alkazi. However, if Triveni were a cake, its icing would be its architecture. It was the first major structure in the capital designed by modern Delhi's greatest architect. Like most other garden-buildings by Joseph Stein, Triveni's brick-and-mortar concrete imperceptibly unite with trees and grass. Flowers and climbers effortlessly wound about the walls. The walls, in turn, frequently split into lattice screens, which gently let in light from the exterior. Then, there is the core of the place, the Triveni Terrace Cafe. For more than four decades, this shaded but open seating lounge, overlooking a garden amphitheatre, has played a creative role in the lives of artistic citizens. Painter M.F. Husain was a regular. So was Vasudeo S. Gaitonde, who, the then influential journal Seminar noted, would be sighted with 'his small compact figure and square-jawed face furrowed in concentrated silence.' Delhiwale who dated each other decades ago in this cafe—it was earlier unpretentiously referred as 'canteen'— now have their children coming here with their own dating partners. Over the years, much has changed about this eatery, but favourites of those long-ago 'canteen' regulars continue to connect to the 'cafe' gentry of our times, such as the much-loved spiced carrot cake. Sometimes, people snacking in the cafe see their conversations disrupted by the strum of a sitar, or the chhan-chhan of an anklet. Upstairs, one of Triveni's many music or dance classes is in progress. The interruption is always welcomed. PS: The photo shows the winter scene when visitors tend to sun themselves in the amphitheatre.
Mint
12-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
Hausla Hai Toh Ho Jayega: Kotak's brand reboot bets on audacity
From being a bank that proudly stood for physical reach with its 'Kona Kona Kotak' pitch, Kotak Mahindra Bank is now staking its brand future on a very different idea—the courage to dream big. With its latest campaign, Hausla Hai Toh Ho Jayega, the bank hopes to shift perception from transactional utility to an emotionally resonant, future-facing brand that partners with audacious Indians across banking, insurance and investments. In a wide-ranging interview with Mint, Rohit Bhasin, president–head affluent, NRI, business banking and chief marketing officer, explains the deeper shift behind the messaging, the aggressive media strategy driving visibility and why the brand's belief system now goes far beyond advertising, into accelerators, storytelling platforms and cultural relevance. Edited excerpts: You've moved from 'Kona Kona Kotak' to 'Hausla Hai Toh Ho Jayega'. What's the thinking behind this repositioning? 'Kona Kona Kotak' was right for its time; it helped establish our pan-India presence after the ING Vysya merger. But reach is no longer a differentiator. We realized Kotak was losing brand relevance, not recognition. So, we went back to first principles: what do we truly stand for? Historically, we were the first choice for India's entrepreneurs and SMEs. We were a bank that understood the ambition behind the balance sheet. Today, Indians are more aspirational and audacious than ever. They need a partner who believes in their big, bold dreams. Hausla is our way of saying: if you dare to dream it, we'll help you do it. Also read: Liqvd Asia acquires AdLift for ₹50 crore to strengthen digital marketing play But 'Hausla' also implies risk, especially in a conservative, highly regulated sector. How do you translate that into real-world banking decisions? It's about balanced audacity. We're not underwriting emotion, we're underwriting ambition, backed by data, insight and industry knowledge. Whether it's SME lending, investments or insurance, we've built tools and algorithms that allow us to assess risk holistically. And, importantly, this is a group-wide positioning, not just for banking. It applies across Kotak's insurance, credit card and investment offerings too. This campaign feels cinematic, even edgy, by Kotak's previous standards. Was that deliberate? We didn't set out to be edgy. We wanted to tell a story that feels authentic to the new India. The visual tone reflects the diversity of aspirations—a farmer, a designer, a startup founder. That cinematic bus in our film is full of dreamers, all wearing our 'infinity glasses' to see a better future. That said, we've definitely pushed the storytelling style to break the clutter. It's rooted in insight, not just aesthetics. Also read: Uday Shankar flags need for fresh monetization models, warns against homogenized regulation What about the campaign's scale and media mix? How much are you investing and how has your approach evolved? This is a full-funnel, all-in, high-impact blitz. As I like to say, it's not just a brand film, it's a brand commitment. We're present across TV, digital, print, outdoor and social media. What's changed dramatically is our spend split. Earlier, 65% of our marketing budget went to non-digital channels. Today, 65% is digital-first. We're doing dynamic DOOH (digital out-of-home), hyper-personalized storytelling on social and outcome-based advertising across platforms. We've also returned to marquee events like the IPL after years, not just for impact, but because we've rationalized spends elsewhere to make it count. Banks are now being judged not just on Trust, but on values, tech and experience, too. Where does Kotak see itself in that pyramid? Trust is non-negotiable. When customers deposit their money, it's an emotional decision rooted in safety. When they borrow, it's transactional, they want the best deal. Our job is to be trusted and efficient. Tech enables both. Our app and platforms are designed to be invisible when needed, powerful when used. That's why we're investing so much in simplifying journeys, like 811, our digital bank, which sees account openings peak at 2 am. What are the business KPIs you're tracking for this campaign? Spontaneous awareness is the top-line metric. Since the campaign's launch, we've already seen a significant lift. What took a year earlier, we've achieved in two months. Consideration is next, then sentiment: does the campaign make people feel more positively about the brand? And, of course, business: we're tracking traffic, conversions, leads and uplift across all digital assets. Is this a one-off refresh or a long-term repositioning? This is long-term. We want Hausla to become a part of Kotak's DNA—something we can build on for years, maybe even decades. Of course, we'll refresh the articulation to stay culturally relevant, but the core belief that we are the partner to an ambitious India will remain. Also read: Marketing is a marathon, not a sprint: Federal Bank's MVS Murthy So, is this just a positioning exercise, or is there a product proof point? This is very much backed by action. Our Kotak BizLabs accelerator, for instance, is one such proof. We received 1,594 startup applications and selected a final cohort of 55 companies spanning AI, fintech, agritech, edtech and sustainability. These startups are now part of a six-month programme with support in funding, mentorship and business acceleration. It's run in partnership with IMA Ventures, NSRCEL (IIM Bangalore), and T-Hub. We're putting real muscle behind the 'Hausla' idea. And Hausla Talks? That's our content platform to inspire. Through Hausla Talks, we're curating stories of extraordinary courage—ordinary Indians doing remarkable things. It's our way of fuelling belief, not just selling financial products.
Economic Times
04-05-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
Stream Dreams: India becomes ground zero for the global streaming showdown
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel India is powering the next wave of global streaming growth, emerging as a battleground for giants like Netflix Prime Video and YouTube, even as local heavyweights like JioHotstar raise the stakes, top industry executives said at the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES).Netflix co-chief executive Ted Sarandos and Prime Video's head of international Kelly Day highlighted India's vast potential, citing rising viewership and strong content engagement. Uday Shankar, vice-chairman of JioStar-a joint venture among Reliance Industries , Disney and Bodhi Tree-emphasised the resilience of local platforms in the face of global rivals. YouTube CEO Neal Mohan cited India as a key global challenges like fierce competition, market fragmentation and viewer fatigue, India's rapidly growing digital audience and increasing content consumption continue to attract significant investment. Industry experts noted that both international and homegrown platforms are doubling down on original content and innovation as the competition for viewer attention a fireside chat at the event that wrapped up on Sunday, Sarandos remarked that Netflix has had a profound impact on India's content ecosystem since ramping up investments after Covid. Operating in the country for nearly a decade, Netflix has amassed 15 million paid subscribers and reported a gross turnover of '2,845 crore in FY24."Since 2021, after things started returning to normal post-Covid, we've invested in India in a way that has generated about $2 billion in economic impact. That includes around 20,000 cast and crew jobs from our productions in India," he Amazon Prime Video, India continues to be a major growth engine, both in acquiring new customers and increasing engagement among existing members. It has also emerged as a key hub for content creation, with Prime Video India offering one of the largest slates of original content outside the US. About 25% of the viewership for this content now originates outside India."India is certainly one of our largest countries and one of the largest growth drivers for the business anywhere around the world," said Day during a panel discussion at Uday Shankar noted that streaming in India is still in its early stages, with the first major initiative, Hotstar, launching just a decade ago. "I think the fact that about 700 million people are watching streaming content in some form or the other, and even for our own company JioStar - today we have half a billion people coming to the platform (JioHotstar) and we have a large number of people subscribing and paying for it - it's an enormously large number," he to Shankar, JioHotstar has challenged the perception that the market for premium video content is limited to 15-20 million subscribers. The platform has achieved 280 million paid subscribers, driven by affordability and accessibility, he its rising viewership, a rich multilingual content base and government support, India offers vast long-term potential for streaming companies, NV Capital managing partner Nitin Menon said, adding: "More players like Apple are expected to enter the market with local originals."
Time of India
04-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Stream Dreams: India becomes ground zero for the global streaming showdown
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel India is powering the next wave of global streaming growth, emerging as a battleground for giants like Netflix Prime Video and YouTube, even as local heavyweights like JioHotstar raise the stakes, top industry executives said at the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES).Netflix co-chief executive Ted Sarandos and Prime Video's head of international Kelly Day highlighted India's vast potential, citing rising viewership and strong content engagement. Uday Shankar, vice-chairman of JioStar-a joint venture among Reliance Industries , Disney and Bodhi Tree-emphasised the resilience of local platforms in the face of global rivals. YouTube CEO Neal Mohan cited India as a key global challenges like fierce competition, market fragmentation and viewer fatigue, India's rapidly growing digital audience and increasing content consumption continue to attract significant investment. Industry experts noted that both international and homegrown platforms are doubling down on original content and innovation as the competition for viewer attention a fireside chat at the event that wrapped up on Sunday, Sarandos remarked that Netflix has had a profound impact on India's content ecosystem since ramping up investments after Covid. Operating in the country for nearly a decade, Netflix has amassed 15 million paid subscribers and reported a gross turnover of '2,845 crore in FY24."Since 2021, after things started returning to normal post-Covid, we've invested in India in a way that has generated about $2 billion in economic impact. That includes around 20,000 cast and crew jobs from our productions in India," he Amazon Prime Video, India continues to be a major growth engine, both in acquiring new customers and increasing engagement among existing members. It has also emerged as a key hub for content creation, with Prime Video India offering one of the largest slates of original content outside the US. About 25% of the viewership for this content now originates outside India."India is certainly one of our largest countries and one of the largest growth drivers for the business anywhere around the world," said Day during a panel discussion at Uday Shankar noted that streaming in India is still in its early stages, with the first major initiative, Hotstar, launching just a decade ago. "I think the fact that about 700 million people are watching streaming content in some form or the other, and even for our own company JioStar - today we have half a billion people coming to the platform (JioHotstar) and we have a large number of people subscribing and paying for it - it's an enormously large number," he to Shankar, JioHotstar has challenged the perception that the market for premium video content is limited to 15-20 million subscribers. The platform has achieved 280 million paid subscribers, driven by affordability and accessibility, he its rising viewership, a rich multilingual content base and government support, India offers vast long-term potential for streaming companies, NV Capital managing partner Nitin Menon said, adding: "More players like Apple are expected to enter the market with local originals."
Time of India
03-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
WAVES Summit 2025: Linear TV isn't dead, it's evolving: Uday Shankar
Uday Shankar , Vice Chairman of the newly merged Reliance-Disney media entity— JioStar, took centre stage on Day 3 of the Waves Summit 2025 in a fireside chat with Vivek Couto , managing director, Media Partners Asia (MPA). In a conversation, Shankar reflected on the sweeping changes reshaping the Indian media and entertainment industry. He spoke about the pivotal moment the sector finds itself in, with technology, consumer behaviour and scale-driven disruption all converging. He underlined that while digital platforms have captured attention and investment in recent years, linear television — particularly Pay TV — continues to hold significant relevance in India. "Linear TV isn't dead — it's just evolving," he said, noting that India remains a unique market where television still plays a central role in content consumption , especially in regional and rural pockets. However, he added, the business model and user experience around TV will need to adapt to keep pace with rising consumer expectations shaped by digital platforms. Shankar also discussed the importance of local content and IP creation, saying the next wave of growth will come from building stories that can travel globally but are rooted in Indian culture. He stressed the need for industry players to look beyond short-term metrics and focus on creating sustainable, long-term value — creatively and commercially. On streaming, he highlighted the milestone that around 700 million Indians are now consuming digital content regularly, with JioStar alone attracting over 500 million users. While praising the strides made, particularly in sports content localised across dialects like Bhojpuri and Haryanvi, Shankar noted that content creation is still lagging behind audience demand. Imported formats and global models, he argued, cannot sufficiently address India's scale or diversity. 'The real leap will come from producing more content rooted in Indian culture that resonates domestically and can travel globally,' he said. This, he emphasised, calls for substantial investment in creative infrastructure—not just in capital, but in storytellers, writers, and fresh talent. Shankar also critiqued the Hindi film industry for stagnation, contrasting its performance with the creative resurgence in southern cinema. He said, 'The audience has moved far ahead, but the creative industry in Bollywood is stuck in time.' Challenges in theatrical exhibition, including high ticket prices and limited screen availability, especially in North India, have further contributed to the dip in box office performance. Touching on monetisation, he challenged the industry to innovate beyond traditional advertising and subscription models, which have remained unchanged for decades. 'Despite advancements in content and distribution, monetisation remains primitive,' he said, urging the need for new revenue models that reflect changing consumer behaviors and economic realities. The conversation also addressed the transformative potential of the JioStar merger. In just three months since the merger, the company has reversed declining Pay TV trends and expanded its streaming base significantly. Shankar credited this to a clear focus on India-centric strategies and affordability, saying, 'If you want to reach 300 million people, you must keep affordability at the core of your strategy.' He disclosed that between 2023 and 2025, the combined entity spent more than $10 billion on content alone, reinforcing its commitment to high-quality, locally resonant entertainment. He said, 'In 2024, the two companies (Disney Star & Viacom18) spent INR 25,000 crores on content alone. In 2025, that number went to INR 30,000 crore and the number next year will be over INR 32,000–33,000 crore. So in three years alone, we have spent more than 10 billion dollars.' He further added, 'When an Indian media company invests a dollar, it is entirely targeting the Indian consumer—their tastes, their requirements—and the recovery is also from India. When a global company spends that money, more often than not, they are not looking at the Indian market or the Indian consumer as their primary target." Looking ahead, Shankar envisions India's $30 billion video entertainment industry growing significantly over the next 15 years—potentially rivaling global leaders like China and the U.S.—provided three critical levers are addressed: deeper distribution, hyper-localised content, and expanded creative capacity. He concluded with a call for bold experimentation and sustained investment, affirming that the fundamentals of storytelling, scale, and strategy will remain paramount.
