Brands
Paytm moves aggressively into movie ticketing
MUMBAI: Paytm reported more than a lakh movie tickets, reflecting the huge potential of the online movie ticketing industry in India. This significant milestone has been crossed by Paytm within four months of launch of the movie ticketing business. In a massive effort to encourage digital payments in India, the company’s foray into the entertainment space has been warmly welcomed by the movie industry across the value chain comprising exhibitors, distributors and production houses. Leveraging Paytm’s existing ecosystem of over 130 million users, Paytm has set itself aggressive numbers in the months ahead.
One of the key reasons for the significant initial success of Paytm in the movie-ticketing domain has been the Pan India availability of movie screens on its platform. Currently, Paytm has over 2250 screens for which tickets can be booked online. This number will increase to 3000 screens in the coming months. Paytm’s list of tie-ups in the movie industry includes PVR, Cinepolis, Inox, Wave, Miraj, MovieTime, Gold Cinemas and multiple other chains & single screen theatres.
Speaking on this, Paytm VP Renu Setti said, “In just about four months since the launch of movie ticketing, Paytm is well on its way to become the country’s favorite mode of booking movie tickets. We are very pleased at the encouraging response to our efforts to serve the millions of movie lovers in India. Paytm will also bring offline single screens on its platform over a period of time. This will take the reach of Paytm deeper and further in this space, and also aid the theater owners in filling up seats.”
Brands
Samsung India mobile chief quits after 18 years
Raju Antony Pullan’s exit leaves a gaping hole at the top as Chinese rivals tighten their grip
GURGAON: Raju Antony Pullan has had enough. The senior vice-president and head of Samsung India’s mobile phone business has put in his papers after 18 years at the Korean giant, a tenure long enough to have watched the company stride to the top of India’s smartphone market and then stumble, badly, as Chinese upstarts muscled in.
Pullan, who ran sales, marketing and every last function of the smartphone business, tendered his resignation on Thursday and is currently serving out his notice period. Samsung has not named a successor. It has a second line of leadership waiting in the wings, Aditya Babbar and Hiren Rathod among them, but no decision has been made on who steps up.
The timing is awkward. Samsung has been haemorrhaging market share to Chinese brands and now clings to a top-two position only in the premium segment, where it scraps it out with Apple. Losing the man who stewarded the mobile business through its best and worst years hardly helps steady the ship.
A company that once owned India’s smartphone market is now fighting to stay relevant in it. Pullan’s departure is less a footnote than a flashing red light.
