MAM
DirecTV expands intl prog to include India’s Aastha channel
MUMBAI: DirecTV, Inc. today announced that it had expanded its South Asian programming lineup with the launch of Aastha Broadcasting Network, which is India’s most prominent spiritual network. Aastha will now be available on DirecTV channel 2005 on an a la carte basis for $14.99 per month.
“We respect the fact that spirituality is integral to the very essence of the South Asian culture around the world and Aastha will now be able to fill those social and spiritual needs for the US audience,” said DirecTV Inc vice president, International Aaron McNally. “We are delighted to have concluded an affiliation agreement with Aastha, which is already a household name in India and throughout the South Asian diaspora. Aastha will provide a link to India’s cultural roots, customs and society to the more than two million South Asians living in the United States.”
Aastha CEO Kirit Mehta said, “We have joined the DirecTV platform to be offered alongside other leading South Asian programming that DirecTV is bringing to United States. With our programming and DirecTV’s South Asian offering that spans all genres and languages of interest to the South Asian viewers, DirecTV will now offer the most comprehensive South Asian multi-cultural programming platform available in America. We look forward to the relationship we will have with DirecTV as a partner, affiliate and friend. With this expansion we will strive to satisfy the deeply felt need of spirituality from the vast community of Indian residents in the United States.”
The multi-year agreement with Aastha brings to viewers in the United States the top-rated programs that have made Aastha India’s number one spiritual network and preferred network to Asian Indians in Asia, Africa, Australia and Europe. The Aastha lineup features spiritual discourses, socio-spiritual-cultural ceremonies and events, meditation techniques and devotional music. It charts the holy places of pilgrimage, elucidates on traditional festivals and focuses on Indian vedic sciences like ayurveda, yoga, astrology, crystal therapy and aroma therapy.
Aastha broadcasts programming in Hindi, Gujarati and English. In 2005, the channel will air locally originated programming as well. DirecTV has developed two new base programming packages exclusively for customers who subscribe to the new international services — Basic – $9.99 per month and Preferred Choice – $29.99 per month. The Basic package offers up to 50 channels including local channels (where available), music and shopping channels. In addition to those channels offered in the Basic package, the Preferred Choice package includes a variety of relevant English-language channels such as ESPN, CNN, The History Channel, Food Network, TNT, MTV and the Fox Movie Channel.
Brands
Manindra Mohan joins CoinDCX as SVP & head – data & analytics
Former Amazon and Unacademy analytics leader to scale crypto insights
MUMBAI: India’s crypto exchange CoinDCX has appointed Manindra Mohan as SVP and head of data and analytics, bringing on board a seasoned data strategist at a time when the country’s digital asset market is entering a decisive phase.
In his new role, he will steer enterprise-wide data science, analytics and business intelligence initiatives. His mandate spans product, growth, risk and customer experience, with a clear brief to embed data-led decision-making into the company’s core as it scales across India and beyond.
Announcing the move, Mohan said he was “thrilled” to join CoinDCX, calling the Indian crypto market pivotal and ripe with opportunity. He thanked co-founders Sumit Gupta and Neeraj Khandelwal, along with Mridul Gupta, for the opportunity to help shape what he described as the future of finance.
He noted that architecting data solutions for a 24 hour global asset class presents a formidable challenge. Yet, he added, the chance to redefine financial access and drive crypto adoption “across every pin code in India” makes the task compelling.
Mohan arrives with nearly two decades of experience across technology, media and digital platforms. Before CoinDCX, he served as head of data science, analytics and BI at Carousell Group. Prior to that, he was SVP and head of analytics at Unacademy, where he built and scaled the analytics and insights function supporting product, sales, marketing and finance teams.
His earlier stints include heading analytics for Amazon prime video in India, where he oversaw data across product, acquisition, engagement and content, as well as serving as senior manager data sciences and advanced analytics at VMware and senior manager marketing and digital analytics at Dell Technologies. He began his career as senior business analyst at Cognizant, working on large scale crm and analytics implementations for global clients.
Colleagues describe Mohan as a builder of teams as much as models. From managing global analytics rollouts to leading large cross functional units, he has consistently combined statistical rigour with commercial instinct.
At CoinDCX, that blend could prove timely. As crypto exchanges navigate regulation, volatility and rising user expectations, data is no longer a back office function. It is the compass. With Mohan at the helm of analytics, CoinDCX is betting that sharper insights will translate into deeper trust and broader adoption in a market that never sleeps.
