iWorld
ONEOTT Intertainment Limited wins TelecomLead.com Innovation Leaders award 2019
Mumbai: OneOTTIntertainment Limited (OIL), was awarded the 2019 Innovation leaders award by Telecomlead.com. OIL won this prestigious award for adopting innovative steps for expanding broadband connectivity to under connected population in urban locations, like –connectivity of 50 Hotspots in Dharavi which enabled Internet consumers access 2GB data per day free for 30 days via OIL’s Wi-Fi hotspots.
Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Yugal Sharma,CEO of ONEOTT iNTERTAINMENT LIMITED said,“We are extremely proud and delighted to receive an awardthatis a testament to our endeavors of providing affordable internet services to our customers.OIL’s purpose is to lead digital inclusion in India by connecting homes & offices online thereby, enriching lives of all our subscribers. This initiative in Dharavi directly aligns to why we exist.’’
In the first phase of the project,50 Wi-Fi hotspots have been enabled in Dharavi, the largest underserved urban locality in India,powered by OIL’s high-speed internet service, and supported by the Express Wi-Fi by Facebook’s software platform. Anyone, who is present in the Wi-Fi zone can connect to a participating hotspot by registering on the ONE Express Wi-Fi by Facebook sign-up page or by downloading the Express Wi-Fi by Facebook Android App available in the Google Play store.
OIL also has plans to scale up Wi-Fi deployment to 10,000 Access Points and aims to extend its reach to the other Tier 2 & Tier 3 cities.
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.
