MAM
Rock ‘n’ roll with Cartoon Network’s ‘Toon Yatra’
MUMBAI: Cartoon Network is all set to inject fun ‘n’ frolic into the lives of kids who go wild at Dexter’s crazy antics in the laboratory and adore the loveable dog Scooby Doo. In order to celebrate the festive season, the channel has announced Toon Yatra. The second leg of the event takes place at the MMRDA Grounds Bandra East on 24 November from 4 pm.
Toon Yatra will be a four hour nonstop enter-toonment extravaganza complete with a masala mix of mega-toon stars, foot-tapping music, rip-raving dances, wacky games and mind-blowing prizes.
The Powerpuff Girls, Scooby-Doo, Dexter, Dee Dee, Johnny Bravo and Tom and Jerry will feature in the event. In addition to dances by Cartoon Network toon stars, Toon Yatra will include a variety of games and prizes for kids and parents. Cartoon Network’s disco divas and dudes will also be dancing their way through Kolkata (1 December) and New Delhi (8 December).
To promote Toon Yatra, the Network is launching an aggressive marketing blitz. This includes online mechanisms like viral emails, which will be sent to all members of Toon Headquarters, off-air campaign including press ads and mobile vans. Toon Yatra flyers and entry passes will also be distributed in schools in Mumbai city.
Kids in other cities need not feel left out as Toon Yatra also has an on-air contest running until 30 November 2002. All they need to do is write in to Cartoon Network or log onto www.cartoonnetworkindia.com and cast their votes for the grooviest toon dancer on Cartoon Network. Five grand prize-winners will win exclusive Powerpuff Girls guitars while 200 kids will win specially designed Toon Yatra T-shirts. Cartoon Network 2003 calendars are also up for grabs for 5000 kids.
As far as the Mumbai event is concerned, Toon Yatra passes will be available from 20 November onwards at Asiatic Super Store, Landmark Citi, Toys Kingdom, B. Desai Road; Bulls Eye, Recreation Club, Santa Cruz East; Citi Center, S V Road, Goregaon West and Akbarallys, Santa Cruz West. Kids can collect the passes between 9 am and 7 pm until 24 November.
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.
