Brands
Apsara launches new brand identity and packaging design
Mumbai: Apsara, the flagship brand of Hindustan Pencils, has launched its new brand identity and packaging design. This transformation aims to redefine Apsara’s market presence with a fresh look that reflects the brand’s commitment to quality and innovation.
Since its inception in the 1960s, Apsara has become a well-known name in stationery, elevating the simple pencil into a symbol of excellence. Through campaigns like “Extra Marks for Good Handwriting,” Apsara has set standards for students and professionals alike. Today, Apsara continues to innovate, demonstrating the impact of a well-designed product.
Apsara has consistently updated its logo and packaging to maintain relevance. The latest rebranding modernises the typeface while preserving its recognition. This update introduces a unified visual identity across all product lines, including art materials, gifts, and stationery, bringing consistency to the brand’s overall presentation.
In this revamp, a turquoise shade has been selected as the primary brand color, unifying Apsara’s diverse product range under a single identity. For the pencil and related categories, where Apsara has a strong legacy, subtle adjustments were made to preserve familiar visual elements and the existing color palette. The art materials and gifting segments now feature a bold yellow color scheme, improving shelf visibility and making it easier for customers and retailers to recognise the products.
“Our new packaging is a testament to our dedication to delight consumers with designs that are as exceptional as our products,” stated Hindustan Pencils president Pradip Ughade. “This revamp not only enhances the customer experience but also strengthens Apsara’s market presence across a broader spectrum of products.”
The agency behind the revamp – Almond Branding founder Shashwat Das added, “This transformation solidifies Apsara’s leadership in the market. The refreshed identity resonates with both our loyal customers and new audiences, reinforcing Apsara’s influence in the stationery and art materials markets.”
Apsara continues to set industry benchmarks with its innovative approach and unwavering commitment to quality. The refreshed branding embodies the company’s vision of evolving with market trends while upholding the core values that have defined Apsara for generations.
Brands
TV bills on the rise: JioStar, Sony, and Zee crank up prices by 10 per cent
Broadcasters tune into higher tariffs as JioStar, Sony, and Zee reveal new prices
MUMBAI: If you were hoping for a cheaper night in front of the telly next year, you might want to look away from the remote. India’s broadcasting giants are flipping the script on pricing, with JioStar, Sony, and Zee all tuning into a new frequency of higher tariffs. Ahead of the 2026 financial year, the Big Three have released their updated Reference Interconnect Offers (RIOs), signalling a collective push that will see most monthly bills rise by roughly 10 per cent.
The synchronised move suggests that broadcasters are testing the price elasticity of their audience. In simpler terms, they are betting that your love for daily soaps and live sports is stronger than your annoyance at a slightly lighter wallet.
Sony is making a particularly bold play in the High Definition space. If you enjoy the crispness of Sony Entertainment Television HD or Sony SAB HD, your monthly bill for those channels will jump from 25 rupees to 30 rupees. The same 30-rupee price tag now applies to their sports heavyweights, including Sony Sports Ten 1, Sony Sports Ten 2, Sony Sports Ten 3 Hindi, and Sony Sports Ten 5.
However, Sony is also expanding its horizons. Fans of regional content have new arrivals to look forward to, provided they are patient. Sony Sports Ten 4 Kannada is slated for an April 2026 debut, while Sony Vizha and Sony Vizha HD are expected by June. By August, Sony Telugu and Sony Telugu HD should be live. To keep customers sweet until then, Sony is offering “proportionate discounts.” For instance, the Happy India 2026 Smart Tamil bouquet, normally 42 rupees, will cost just 29.91 rupees until the new Vizha channel officially joins the party.
On the standard definition front, Sony is keeping its “strategic mass price” at 19 rupees for big hitters like Sony Max, Sony Marathi, and Sony Aath. Smaller channels see minor tweaks: Sony Max 2 is nudging up from 2 rupees to 3 rupees, while Sony Yay! sits at 6 rupees and Sony Max 1 remains at 5 rupees.
Zee Entertainment is also getting in on the act with a comprehensive 10 percent hike. Their flagship Standard Definition channels, such as Zee TV, Zee Cinema, Zee Marathi, Zee Bangla, Zee Sarthak, Zee Kannada, and Zee Tamil, are all locked in at 19 rupees. Interestingly, they have matched this 19-rupee price point for many of their HD versions too, including &TV and &Pictures.
For those who prefer the all-you-can-eat bouquet approach, Zee’s All-in-One Hindi SD pack has risen to 58 rupees. Their Marathi and Bangla packs are now 64 rupees, while the Southern trio of Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu SD packs will set you back 85 rupees. If you want those same Southern packs in glorious HD, the price climbs to a steeper 131 rupees. Zee is also shuffling its deck by exiting English entertainment but entering the sports arena, with Zee Cafe and &flix seeing price adjustments to 7 and 8 rupees respectively.
JioStar is perhaps the most aggressive of the bunch when it comes to regional favourites. While they have kept core Hindi staples like Star Plus, Colors, and Star Gold at 19 rupees, they have pushed premium regional channels like Asianet, Colors Kannada, Vijay TV, and Maa TV up to 30 rupees. This move is significant because any channel priced over 19 rupees cannot be included in a discounted bouquet, meaning fans of these channels will have to buy them separately, potentially driving up the total cost of a monthly subscription.
Even the youngsters aren’t spared, with kids’ favourites like Nick SD and Nick HD+ now priced at 19 rupees. As we head towards April 2026, the ball is now in the court of the cable and dish operators. They must decide how much of these increases they can swallow and how much they will pass on to the person holding the remote. For the average viewer, the message is clear: premium content is getting a premium price tag.
