News Broadcasting
HTMT acquires Source One Communications USA
MUMBAI: Hinduja TMT (HTMT) has signed an agreement with Georgeson Shareholder Communications, Inc. to acquire 100 per cent of Source One Communications Inc.USA (SOC) in an all-cash deal of approximately US$ 8.5 million, funded entirely through internal accruals.
SOC has operations in New Jersey (USA), Toronto (Canada) and Manila (Philippines) through a subsidiary called Source One Communications Asia (SOCA).
SOCA is a joint venture company set up in 2001 between SOC (57.5 per cent ownership) and Customer Contact Center Inc. (c3), Manila (42.5 per cent ownership). It may be recalled that HTMT recently acquired controlling interest in c3, which has independent revenue of USD 6.8 Million and for which HTMT paid USD 3.9 million. With the acquisition of SOC and its current shareholding in SOCA, HTMT has consolidated its ownership of SOCA, informs an official release.
SOC had consolidated revenue of USD 15.87 million in its fiscal year ended 30 June 2004. It currently operates a total of 500 call center seats in USA, Canada and the Philippines, which is growing today. Source One has on-shore, near-shore and off-shore call center facilities at USA, Canada and Philippines. It has multi lingual capabilities of French & Spanish besides English. The company has marketing and client management teams located in New Jersey, adds the release.
Together with c3, the total number of seats in Manila amount to over 1000. The total number of clients served by SOC, SOCA and c3 are 22. These clients include multinationals and Fortune 500 companies in different verticals like pharmaceutical products, consumer electronics and household products, financial services, energy and utilities.
Commenting on the SOC acquisition, HTMT COO K observed: “Source One is an excellent strategic fit to our past acquisition of c3. The current acquisition is a definitive step in the evolution of HTMT into a global ITES company. Cross selling BPO, call center services with multi lingual capabilities, and IT in diversified verticals across different geographical locations now provides HTMT a competitive edge against its peers leading to potential scaling and higher profitability. We believe that the scaling up of both SOCA and c3 operations based on excellent customer response to the quality and competitiveness delivered, is likely to considerably improve the topline and bottomline of the entities.”
News Broadcasting
News18 hosts Tamil Nadu town hall ahead of 2026 polls
MK Stalin headlines ‘Next Big Leap’ event from 10am on 23 February in Chennai with leaders and icons.
MUMBAI: Tamil Nadu’s political pot is simmering and News18’s town hall is stirring it up just in time for the 2026 assembly elections boilover. Set for 23 February from 10am onwards in Chennai, the News18 Network Town Hall gathers heavyweights under the banner ‘The Next Big Leap for Tamil Nadu’ to dissect the state’s political pulse, economic edge, and cultural clout. With the 234-seat assembly contest looming as a fiercely competitive showdown, the event spotlights how Tamil Nadu’s identity-driven politics and engaged voters continue to ripple across national debates.
Chief minister MK Stalin leads the charge with a keynote on the theme, sketching his government’s blueprint for governance, development, and staying power pre-polls. Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin chimes in on ‘Voices, Vision & Way Forward’, unpacking generational shifts and fresh narratives. From the opposition corner, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami tackles ‘Baton Change at the Ballot?’, floating alternatives to the status quo.
Economic vibes get a nudge from industries minister TRB Rajaa on ‘Investment Story Intact?’, probing the state’s draw for big bucks. BJP’s K Annamalai dives into ‘People, Trust & Political Ideology’, positioning his party in the Dravidian-dominated turf. IT Minister Palanivel ThiagaRajan explores ‘Code, Capacity & Citizenship’, on tech’s role in citizen-focused services. TVK’s KG Arunraj questions if ‘Winds of Change are Possible’ in this pattern-prone state.
A panel on innovation features IIT Madras director Prof V Kamakoti, M&M’s Velusamy R, and Electronic Industries Association’s Dr Sasikumar Gendham, musing how AI and knowledge hubs are remaking opportunities. AICC’s Praveen Chakravarty weighs ‘Power Sharing vs Principles’, while former Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan joins the fray. Culture gets its due with composer Anirudh Ravichander on ‘Tamil Music for the World’.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar noted, “The News18 Network Tamil Nadu Town Hall… reflects our core editorial focus, to capture the political mood of the state and spotlight the ideas that will shape the next phase of governance and growth.”
Network18, CEO of English & business news Smriti Mehra added, “As Tamil Nadu moves closer to a defining electoral moment… we see it as our responsibility to drive informed and meaningful conversations.”
Network18 managing editor for South, Vivek Narayan said, “The News18 Network Townhall in Tamil Nadu is designed as a platform where policy, politics and public interest intersect.”
Backed by associate partners Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles and Reliance Industries, the live event streams on CNN-News18, News18 Tamil, CTV, and Youtube from 10am on 23 February perfect for catching the sparks, even if you’re not knee-deep in Dravidian drama.
