MAM
PVR Cinemas expands its footprints in the Southern market with the launch of its 10th multiplex in Telangana
MUMBAI: PVR Ltd., the largest and the most premium film exhibition company in the country, announced the launch of its 8th multiplex in the city of Hyderabad, today. The 6-screen property is located in a convenient location at Hyderabad Next Galleria Mall in Musarambagh, Hyderabad. Designed on the boutique cinema concept and equipped with advanced in-cinema technologies, the new multiplex offers enhanced cinematic experience to the movie patrons. With this launch, the total screen count of PVR Cinemas stands at 58 screens at 10 properties in the state of Telangana, augmenting its growth in southern region with 260 screens across 43 PVR properties.
The new PVR Cinemas is easily accessible owing to the metro connectivity from across the city. The property spreads across an area of 26,630 sq. ft. with a seating capacity of 985 seats. It is integrated with world-class technological solutions like BARCO 2K projection system that regulates brightness and vibrant colours to ensure razor-sharp picture quality. In addition to this, the auditoriums are equipped with Dolby 7.1 surround sound and next-generation 3-D, bringing an exceptional digital movie experience with excellent visuals and audio quality. Further, the UHB 3D system is brighter in comparison to the conventional 3D system as the Harkness Silver and White Screens aids in delivering an exceptional video quality. With an array of digital first features and a host of hospitality services, PVR reinforces its focus in enabling a seamless movie viewing experience at the theatres.
Commenting on the launch, Mr. Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, Joint Managing Director, PVR Ltd. said, “We are pleased to announce the launch of our new boutique property in Hyderabad. This is the first launch of this year and we look forward to continue with our expansion plans in FY 2019- 2020, across the country. Innovation and the endeavor to introduce new concepts and offerings have been at the core of our business strategy and we are certainly positive that the new multiplex in Hyderabad will be well received by the movie patrons.”
He added, “I, on behalf of the whole PVR team would like to thank the L&T Realty Ltd. to let us be a part of their sound property, Hyderabad Next Galleria Mall in Musarambagh, and we look forward to a resounding association.”
Mr. Gautam Dutta, CEO, PVR Ltd., said, “With this launch we reiterate our focus in introducing new concepts, specially developed to offer enhanced experience to our patrons at the theatres. With advancements in technological solutions, it is equally imperative to identify customer preferences to be able to establish a connect with them. The new multiplex integrated with state-of-the-art technological solutions and plush interiors stands as a unique property with a comfortable yet classy ambience, perfectly, designed for movie goers.”
The interior décor of PVR Musarambagh is designed on the theme of theatrical Art, carrying the characteristics of art deco style. The theatre celebrates distinctiveness with the elements of art decor. Additionally, PVR cements its ardent consumer-centric approach by offering a wide range of gourmet delicacies and with the Quick Tix facility at the box office, a seamless experience is guaranteed to the customers at PVR theatres.
With this opening, PVR stands at a total screen count of 754 screens at 162 properties in 64 cities.
MAM
ASCI study uncovers how Gen Alpha navigates ads in endless digital feeds
‘What the Sigma?’ ethnographic report maps blurred boundaries between content and commerce for 7–15-year-olds.
MUMBAI: Gen Alpha isn’t scrolling through the internet, they’re living rent-free inside its never-ending dopamine drip, and the ads have already moved in next door. The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) Academy, partnering with Futurebrands Consulting, has published ‘What the Sigma?’, an immersive ethnographic study that maps how Indian children aged 7–15 (Generation Alpha) consume, interpret and live alongside media and commercial messaging in a hyper-digital environment.
The research draws on in-home interviews, sibling and peer conversations, and discussions with parents, teachers, counsellors, psychologists, marketers and kidfluencers across six cities. It examines not only what children watch but how algorithms, content creators, peers and parents shape their relationship with the constant stream of shorts, vlogs, gameplay, memes, sponsored posts and ‘kid-ified’ adult material.
Five core themes emerged:
- Discontinuous Generation, Gen Alpha is not growing up alongside the internet, they are growing up inside it. Cultural references, humour, aesthetics and language sync globally in real time, often leaving adults functionally illiterate in their children’s world. A reference that lands instantly for a 10-year-old in Mumbai or Visakhapatnam feels opaque or disjointed to most parents.
- Authority Vacuum, Parents and teachers frequently lose cultural fluency in digital spaces. The algorithm responsive, inexhaustible and perfectly attuned to preferences becomes the most attentive presence in many children’s daily lives. Rules around screen time feel increasingly difficult to enforce when adults cannot fully see or understand the content landscape.
- Digital as Society, Online and offline no longer exist as separate realms, they form one continuous reality. The phone is not a tool children pick up; it is the primary social environment they inhabit.
- Great Media Mukbang, Content flows as an ambient, boundary-less, multi-sensorial stream. Entertainment, advertising, commerce, gameplay, memes and vlogs merge into one undifferentiated feed. The line between active choice and passive absorption has largely collapsed.
- Blurred Ad Recognition, Children aged 7–12 typically recognise only the most overt advertising formats. Influencer promotions, gaming integrations and vlog sponsorships often register as organic entertainment. Children aged 13–15 show greater ad literacy but remain highly susceptible to narrative-integrated, passion-driven and emotionally resonant brand messaging. Discernment remains low across the board in a non-stop stream.
ASCI CEO and secretary general Manisha Kapoor said, “ASCI Academy’s study is an investigation into the content life of Generation Alpha not to judge them but to understand them. Their cultural reference points seem disjointed from those of earlier generations. Insights on how they perceive advertising is the first step towards building more responsible engagement frameworks, given that they are the youngest media consumers in our country right now.”
Futurebrands Consulting founder and director Santosh Desai added, “While earlier generations have been exposed to digital media, for this generation it is the world they inhabit. This report explores not only what they watch but how they are being shaped by algorithms, content and advertising.”
The study proposes four adaptive, principles-led pathways:
- Universal signposting of commercial intent using design principles that make advertising recognisable even to young audiences.
- Ecosystem-wide responsibility shared among advertisers, platforms, creators, schools and parents.
- Future-ready safeguards built directly into children’s content experiences rather than as optional background settings.
- Formal media and advertising literacy embedded in school curricula to teach age-appropriate understanding of persuasion and commercial intent.
In a feed that never pauses, Gen Alpha isn’t merely watching content, they’re swimming in an ocean where entertainment, commerce and identity swirl together. The real question isn’t whether they can spot an ad; it’s whether the adults building the ocean can agree on where the lifeguards should stand.
