iWorld
Jio Bharat: Bridging the gap between ‘Bharat’ and ‘India’
Mumbai: Earlier this week, Reliance Jio launched India’s most affordable 4G phone ‘Jio Bharat’, at an unprecedented Rs 999 price point. The development comes on the back of Jio’s ambition to make India 2G free. Why is that important, you ask?
At a time when the 5G network roll out is picking pace in the country, we still have an estimated 250 million mobile subscribers trapped in the 2G era with feature phones. These users currently have no internet access, digital payment or entertainment options. And this results into a big digital divide in the country, predominantly existing between urban and rural India. It has increased over the years because of the inability of the rural, low income population to afford basic digital services.
According to a new report by Emkay Global Financial Services, with the recent increase in 2G tariff by telecom operators and limited availability of affordable feature phones, JioBharat is coming at the right time to accelerate the 2G to 4G transition and enable digital experiences for masses. The Jio Bharat phone is expected to democratise internet access, enhancing these users’ economic prospects. With Jio’s network and distribution strength along with the device, Jio would be able to capture over 40 per cent market share.
With the government’s consistent push for digital payments, we have seen a significant behavioural shift in our cash-driven economy. The UPI system has grown rapidly and is now used by close to 300 million individuals and 50 million merchants. It is already announced that all panchayats across the country will mandatorily use digital payments for development work and revenue collection from 15th August. Therefore, Jio Bharat’s entry with JioPay, a UPI-based digital payments app is poised to propel the growth of digital payments in rural India.
Jio Bharat is not only the cheapest 4G phone, but also 30 per cent cheaper than competition in terms of service cost. A recharge of Rs 123 per month will provide users with unlimited voice calls and 14 GB data, compared to other operators’ Rs 179 plan for voice calls and only 2 GB data.
According to the India Telecom report by JP Morgan, ‘Jio Bharat’ has the potential to disrupt the entry-level market. “We believe with this phone Jio can take market share at the lower end of the market. This also puts Bharti at risk as it can see increased churn from its recent 2G price action of increasing the Rs 99 plan to Rs 155 plan,” said the JP Morgan report.
The launch of the Jio Bharat phone is a significant step towards digital inclusion in India. It promises to make quality, affordable internet accessible to everyone. This could transform the lives of people who have previously been restricted to 2G due to financial limitations and help bridge the gap between ‘India’ and ‘Bharat’.
iWorld
Anirudh Ravichander and Universal Music India join forces to take South India’s sound to the world
The composer behind 13 billion streams launches Albuquerque Records with UMI as its exclusive global partner
MUMBAI: Universal Music India has struck an exclusive partnership with Albuquerque Records, the freshly minted independent label of singer-composer Anirudh Ravichander, in a deal that bets big on South India’s booming pop and hip-hop scene going global.
The arrangement, announced on 17 March, will see Universal Music India handle future pop and hip-hop releases by Anirudh himself, as well as artists signed to the new label. A first release is already in the pipeline for April, featuring Anirudh.
The numbers behind the man are hard to ignore. Debuting in 2012 with the viral sensation “Why This Kolaveri Di”, Anirudh has since clocked over 13 billion audio streams across more than 770 tracks, cementing his position as the No.1 South Indian artist on Spotify by total streams. His fingerprints are all over some of the Tamil film industry’s biggest musical moments, from Hukum and Vaathi Coming to Arabic Kuthu and the A23 Theme.
But Albuquerque Records is a different beast. Built for the non-film space, it is designed to nurture independent talent and champion the next wave of Indian pop voices. “Universal Music India’s leadership in pop and hip-hop made them the natural partner,” said Anirudh. “I’m excited to take independent voices to audiences around the world.”
Universal Music India’s chairman and CEO Devraj Sanyal was equally effusive. “Anirudh represents the future of Indian music, bold, original, and with enormous potential,” he said. “Identifying transformative talent is our superpower, and this partnership reflects that belief.”
Sanujeet Bhujabal, managing director of Universal Music India, framed the deal as more than a distribution play. “Albuquerque Records represents Anirudh’s bold artistic vision in the world of pop and hip-hop,” he said. “True to his legacy of innovation, this partnership is set to establish yet another landmark creative space, this time for the emerging world of iPop and beyond.”
For Universal Music India, the deal deepens a long-running push into South India’s four key language markets: Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu. The label already has regional imprints, film partnerships with Maddock Films and Excel Entertainment, and a growing non-film roster. Landing Anirudh, arguably the south’s most bankable music brand, is a statement of intent. South Indian music has the streams. Now it is coming for the world.
