iWorld
International roaming incoming calls on Airtel to be free
MUMBAI: Bharti Airtel, one of India’s largest telecommunications services provider, today announced the launch of its new international roaming (IR) packs that redefine the value proposition for customers traveling abroad, a communique to the BSE stated.
With the new IR packs, customers will have the convenience of carrying their India mobile number wherever they go and stay connected 24×7 without having to worry about high call and data charges. The packs will be available to both postpaid and prepaid customers.
Airtel’s new IR packs offer free incoming calls, free texts to India and ample data benefits along with free India calling minutes across all popular destinations. Charges for calls to India and local in-country calls have been reduced to as low as Rs. 3/min across popular destinations. Airtel also announced that post the exhaustion of pack data benefits, international roaming data will now be charged at just Rs. 3/MB, a reduction of 99% from Rs. 650/MB.
The IR packs, available for all popular global destinations, come with validity of one day and 30 days, giving customers greater flexibility to plan their communication budgets when traveling overseas.
The one day pack is designed for short/quick international trips and for appx. $10. This pack is particularly useful for business travelers who may be traveling to multiple destinations for very short duration. The 30 days pack offers connectivity through long duration trips for appx. $75. With the holiday season around the corner, Airtel plans to launch a $45 medium duration pack with 10 days validity by middle of October 2016.
Bharti Airtel director – operations (India & south Asia) said, “The new IR packs ensure that customers get no bill shocks and have the convenience of always keeping their phones switched on, wherever they are.”
iWorld
Anirudh Ravichander and Universal Music India join forces to take South India’s sound to the world
The composer behind 13 billion streams launches Albuquerque Records with UMI as its exclusive global partner
MUMBAI: Universal Music India has struck an exclusive partnership with Albuquerque Records, the freshly minted independent label of singer-composer Anirudh Ravichander, in a deal that bets big on South India’s booming pop and hip-hop scene going global.
The arrangement, announced on 17 March, will see Universal Music India handle future pop and hip-hop releases by Anirudh himself, as well as artists signed to the new label. A first release is already in the pipeline for April, featuring Anirudh.
The numbers behind the man are hard to ignore. Debuting in 2012 with the viral sensation “Why This Kolaveri Di”, Anirudh has since clocked over 13 billion audio streams across more than 770 tracks, cementing his position as the No.1 South Indian artist on Spotify by total streams. His fingerprints are all over some of the Tamil film industry’s biggest musical moments, from Hukum and Vaathi Coming to Arabic Kuthu and the A23 Theme.
But Albuquerque Records is a different beast. Built for the non-film space, it is designed to nurture independent talent and champion the next wave of Indian pop voices. “Universal Music India’s leadership in pop and hip-hop made them the natural partner,” said Anirudh. “I’m excited to take independent voices to audiences around the world.”
Universal Music India’s chairman and CEO Devraj Sanyal was equally effusive. “Anirudh represents the future of Indian music, bold, original, and with enormous potential,” he said. “Identifying transformative talent is our superpower, and this partnership reflects that belief.”
Sanujeet Bhujabal, managing director of Universal Music India, framed the deal as more than a distribution play. “Albuquerque Records represents Anirudh’s bold artistic vision in the world of pop and hip-hop,” he said. “True to his legacy of innovation, this partnership is set to establish yet another landmark creative space, this time for the emerging world of iPop and beyond.”
For Universal Music India, the deal deepens a long-running push into South India’s four key language markets: Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu. The label already has regional imprints, film partnerships with Maddock Films and Excel Entertainment, and a growing non-film roster. Landing Anirudh, arguably the south’s most bankable music brand, is a statement of intent. South Indian music has the streams. Now it is coming for the world.
