MAM
Bombay high court to hear OOH players’ plea on 12 June
MUMBAI: On 5 June, the Bombay High Court, while hearing the plea of Mumbai OOH owners, extended its stay order till 12 June, for waiver of license fee on hoardings for the month of May 2020. According to the verdict, the exemption will only be given to the eight OOH players that have already appealed for the waiver in May.
Creation Publicity Pvt Ltd, Bright Advertising Pvt Ltd, Orion Advertisers, Anurag Sites, Em Vee Advertising Company, Pingle Outdoor, Yoag Advertisers and Pioneer Publicity Corporation Ltd are the players who will get the exemption.
The court has issued a notice to the petitioners to submit the amendments in their petitions to the municipal corporation within a period of two weeks, if there are any. In the meantime, earlier order passed by the court will continue i.e., no coercive steps should be taken by the authority for not paying taxes.
Bright Media Outdoors CMD Yogesh Lakhani shares that due to the crises, all businesses are downhill. “We have requested the civic body to waive off the fee because of the unprecedented crises. For the next four to five months, the situation only looks grim. If people are not stepping out, who will see the hoardings?” he says.
The court also mentioned that the senior counsel appearing for the municipal corporation has asked for a week’s time to take instructions in the matter, due to which no further proceedings could be done.
Sharing the same sentiment as Lakhani, another OOH owner, who opted to be anonymous, says, “Paying such a heavy amount for the period when businesses all over the globe are going through a lull doesn’t make any sense. We are glad that the court has given an extension. While the country is slowly opening up businesses, it seems we will be in a better position in a few months from now.”
Lemma Technologies founder and CEO Gulab Patil says that there has been a heavy impact on the media side, “Most of the advertisers usually plan campaigns in advance, but no one saw this coming. Not just the civic bodies, the publishers are also asking for payments and it puts people in a tough spot. We are just settling down the minimum requirement from the publisher side. We are asking our clients to balance on that.”
As per the high court’s order issued on 5 June, the municipal corporation sought a week's time to take instructions in the matter. If any of the petitioners are desirous of amending the petition, they shall forward the draft amendment to the municipal corporation within a period of two weeks.
Brands
Axis Bank named Official Banking Partner of DP World PGTI
Partnership supports all tournaments this season to grow professional golf in India.
MUMBAI: Axis Bank just teed up a hole-in-one partnership because when a bank sponsors golf’s biggest swing in India, even the fairways feel more financially secure. Axis Bank has been appointed Official Banking Partner of the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India (DP World PGTI), strengthening its commitment to sporting excellence and community engagement while backing the growth of professional golf across the country.
Under the partnership, Axis Bank will support all DP World PGTI tournaments this season, contributing to talent development, enhanced tournament experiences and wider fan engagement. The collaboration aligns the bank’s values of precision, discipline and trust with the Tour’s focus on performance and opportunity.
Axis Bank executive director Munish Sharda said, “We are pleased to partner with DP World PGTI as its Official Banking Partner. Golf embodies precision, discipline, and a pursuit of excellence qualities that strongly reflect who we are at Axis Bank. This association also strengthens our engagement with India’s growing premium customer segments, where the sport has a deep and enduring connect.”
Professional Golf Tour of India president Kapil Dev said, “We are extremely pleased to welcome Axis Bank as a Tour Partner of the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India. Partnerships of this stature play a vital role in strengthening the foundation of the Tour, enhancing opportunities for our players, and expanding the sport’s reach across the country.”
Professional Golf Tour of India CEO Amandeep Johl added, “Axis Bank’s strong legacy of excellence, innovation, and nationwide reach aligns perfectly with DP World PGTI’s goal to elevate professional golf in India and provide greater opportunities for our players.”
In a sport where every stroke counts and every partnership drives distance, Axis Bank isn’t just backing golfers, it’s investing in the fairway to future, turning India’s greens into a stage where precision meets passion and every drive has the power to inspire.
