MAM
UK TV ad market reached record high in 2013
MUMBAI: According to last year’s complete revenue figures released by Thinkbox – compiled on the basis of figures provided by UK’s commercial broadcasters – the total TV advertising revenue in UK rose 3.5 per cent in 2013 to ?4.63 billion ($7.75 billion).
Last year marked the fourth consecutive year that TV ad revenue had growth in the UK. TV ad investment is forecast to increase again this year, boosted by the World Cup in Brazil. The Advertising Association/Warc predicts growth in revenue for the TV ad market of six per cent in 2014.
There were 737 new or returning advertisers to TV for the year, accounting for two per cent of total TV ad revenues. TV advertising prices for the year were also the cheapest on record, some 38.5 per cent less expensive than 20 years ago.
Commercial impressions (the number of TV ads watched at normal speed) during 2013 were up 1.6 per cent on 2012, and have grown by 10.4 per cent over the last five years. The average viewer watched 47 ads a day. This is four ads more a day than five years ago. Collectively UK watched an average of 2.8 billion ads a day in the first half of the year.
Brands
Flipkart completes reverse flip to India ahead of IPO
Walmart-owned e-commerce giant shifts domicile from Singapore to Bengaluru
MUMBAI: Flipkart has completed its restructuring to move its parent company from Singapore back to India, marking a key milestone as the Walmart-owned marketplace prepares for a potential initial public offering on Indian stock exchanges, ET reported, citing people aware of the matter.
The move, often referred to as a “reverse flip”, relocates the company’s legal home to India and aligns its corporate structure more closely with its largest market. It also clears an important regulatory step for Flipkart as it explores listing plans.
As part of the restructuring, several Singapore-based entities have been merged into Flipkart Internet Private Limited, which will now serve as the main holding company for the entire group.
The consolidation brings a number of major businesses directly under the Indian parent company. These include fashion platform Myntra, logistics arm Ekart, travel booking platform Cleartrip, healthcare marketplace Flipkart Health, and fintech venture Super.money.
Under the new structure, global investors including Walmart, Microsoft, SoftBank, and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board will hold their stakes directly in the Indian entity rather than through an overseas holding company.
The redomiciliation required approval from the Indian government because Chinese technology company Tencent owns around a 5 to 6 per cent stake in Flipkart. Under Press Note 3, investments from countries sharing a land border with India require prior government clearance.
Flipkart had already secured approval from the National Company Law Tribunal in December. With the latest clearance from the central government, the company has now obtained all the regulatory approvals needed to complete the relocation, ET reported earlier.
Flipkart had originally shifted its holding structure to Singapore in 2011 to tap global capital more easily. However, as India’s capital markets have matured, several start-ups have begun returning their domiciles to the country ahead of public listings. Companies such as Razorpay, Groww, and Meesho have taken similar steps.
The company is now expected to move ahead with its IPO preparations and has begun early discussions with merchant bankers. According to people familiar with the matter, Flipkart could file its draft prospectus later this year, setting the stage for what may become one of the most closely watched listings in India’s e-commerce sector.
Flipkart has been majority-owned by Walmart since 2018, when the US retail giant acquired a 77 per cent stake in the company for $16 billion in one of the largest e-commerce deals globally.
