MAM
Ultra ties-up with Harvey Entertainment
MUMBAI: VCD and DVD distributor Ultra Movie Channel has announced a tie-up with Harvey Entertainment to bring in international toon characters to the Indian market. Harvey Entertainment has given the copyright for Casper-the Friendly Ghost, Richie Rich, Hotstuff, Wendy-the witch, Harman and Katnip to Ultra.
Ultra Movie Channel MD Sushilkumar Agrawal says, “We are seeking pole position in the nascent but rapidly growing merchandising industry in India. The tie-up is part of our strategic initiative to build a rich portfolio of very popular toon characters from the world over. Harvey Entertainment has a portfolio of some of the most loveable characters in the world. We plan to further build on their popularity in India and offer marketers powerful platforms to engage their consumers”.
Ultra is the licensing partner of internationally acclaimed entertainment groups like Kiddinx, Carlton International, Granada, Agogo and HIT entertainment.
The Harvey tie-up gives Ultra merchandising rights for five toon characters and the company plans to market products like stationery, toys, games, consumer durables, ceramics, apparels, furniture, interiors, fixtures, furnishings, gifting items, greeting cards, party products, etc.
Through this tie-up, Ultra has also acquired the video rights for all the cartoon series for all home viewing formats including VCDs and DVDs. Ultra also owns the cable TV, terrestrial TV, satellite TV, as well as rights for dubbing the series in various Indian languages.
Brands
upGrad acquires Internshala in 90 per cent stock deal to own career funnel
Deal aims to scale Internshala’s revenue from Rs 45 crore to Rs 100 crore
MUMBAI: upGrad has acquired Internshala, the world’s largest internship and early-talent marketplace, in a bid to stitch education, skilling and employment into a single career pipeline.
The transaction, announced on 26 February, is structured as a 90 per cent stock-swap, with the financial terms undisclosed. The deal deepens upGrad’s push to control the full career lifecycle, from learning to hiring, at a time when India’s skilling economy is under pressure to deliver outcomes, not just credentials.
Founded in 2010, Internshala claims more than 34 million registered users and 450,000 employers, with roughly 3 million active applicants each year. Over 40 per cent of its users come from tier 2 and tier 3 cities, and most of the platform’s traffic is organic. The company currently reports an annual revenue base of Rs 45 crore.
Under upGrad’s ownership, Internshala is expected to scale aggressively. The company aims to grow the platform’s revenue to Rs 100 crore and beyond, backed by increased investment in product development, AI-led talent matching and enterprise hiring solutions.
Internshala will continue to operate as an independent brand, led by its founder and CEO Sarvesh Agrawal, while tapping into upGrad’s technology stack, distribution and learning ecosystem.
“Education and employment in India have operated in silos for too long,” said upGrad head of corporate strategy and growth Chirag Samdaria. He said the acquisition strengthens the earliest and most consequential stage of the career journey, where intent is high and outcomes can be shaped.
Agrawal described the deal as a natural convergence of learning and opportunity, adding that the partnership would allow Internshala to skill millions of candidates and supply pre-trained talent to employers at scale.
Investec acted as exclusive financial adviser to Internshala.
The acquisition marks a strategic milestone for upGrad as it seeks to position itself not merely as an education provider, but as an end-to-end workforce development platform aligned with India’s evolving labour market.
