iWorld
Mukesh Ambani offers JioPhone from 15 Aug
MUMBAI: At the 40th AGM on Friday, Reliance Industries CMD Mukesh Ambani introduced ‘India Ka Smartphone’ – the JioPhone. It is said to be a 4G-enabled cost-efficient feature phone, which works on voice commands. Announcing the launch, Ambani’s daughter Esha said, “It is made in India by the young Indian.”
She said that Jio would provide that at an effective price of Rs 153 per month, that is, three per cent of the existing price. If these users were to consume a similar quantity of data on other operator’s network, they would spend Rs 4,000 – 5,000 per month.
The launch is likely to further change the landscape of how people consume video content in India. The OTT space is likely to get a major push and RIL has already announced buying a stake in Balaji Telefilms.
Mukesh Ambani also announced the following:
JioPhone will be available for free.
Dhan Dhana Dhan plan is available at Rs 153 per month
Rs 309 per month Jio phone TV cable: It comes preloaded with the Namo app and can play ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio programme too.
Smart TV as well as CRT can be connected with the Jio phone TV cable
Jio will reinvent the conventional feature phone with a revolutionary device
RIL aims to sell five million JioPhones a week
It will be available for user testing in beta from 15 August and for pre-booking from 24 August
RIL plans to collect a fully refundable, one-time, security deposit of Rs 1,500 with every phone
Also Read:
Jio to raise Rs 200 bn for next phase of expansion
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.
