MAM
Bollywood awards show widens genre leader Star Plus’ lead
MUMBAI: Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC) genre leader Star Plus got a big lift from its Bollywood awards show it aired on the new year‘s eve, helping it widen its lead in the opening week of 2013.
Star Plus with 287 GRPs (gross rating points) was ahead of Colors by 34 GRPs as it gained 42 points. The gap in Star Plus‘ GRPs and that of Colors in the 52nd week of 2012 was just 7 points.
The Big Star Entertainment Awards fetched Star Plus 41 GRPs as it ran for three-and-a-half hours on the New Year‘s eve and notched a TVR of 5.9 TVR, according to TAM data (HSM, 4+, C&S) provided by a television channel. The other shows of the channel have seen marginal difference in the viewership, keeping the overall ratings neutral.
Says Star Plus GM Nachiket Pantvaidya, “Star Plus‘ aim with Big Star Entertainment awards was to make New Year‘s Eve a special and memorable one for the entire family and keep them entertained through the night. It is indeed heartening to see a brilliant response from our viewers. This is just the beginning for 2013 and we have great entertainment lined up for the year.”
Colors got a boost from its in-house television awards show to maintain its second position. Colors Golden Petal Awards, also airing on the New Year‘s eve, earned a TVR of 4.5 as the channel added 15 GRPs in the week ended 5 January. The annual award function contributed 31.5 GRPs as Colors totaled 253 GRPs during the week. A few of the shows of the channel like Balika Vadhu (4.9 TVR) and Madhubala (3.7 TVR) saw a slight dip in viewership, while others like Bigg Boss-6 (2.8 TVR), Uttaran (2.5 TVR) and Shaitaan (1.4 TVR) went up marginally.
Occupying the third slot is Zee TV with 211 GRPs (last week 198). The channel had launched a new fiction property, Housewife, that debuted with 2.5 TVR, better than its replaced show Afsar Bitiya which last recorded a rating of 2 TVR. Like Colors, few of Zee TV‘s fiction shows have seen improvement in performance while others have seen loss in eyeballs. Its fiction shows like Punarvivaha (1.9 TVR) and Fear Files (2.4 TVR) have seen increase in numbers.
Sony Entertainment Television (Set) lost 18 GRPs to end the week with 180 GRPs. The channel has launched the new season of its comedy reality show, Comedy Circus, which opened with 2.4 TVR.
Sab lost 6 GRPs to register 150 GRPs while Life OK added four GRPs to close the week with 114 GRPs. Sahara One maintained status quo with 23 GRPs.
Brands
Hyundai and TVS Motor partner to develop electric three wheelers
Joint development pact targets last mile mobility with localisation push
MUMBAI: Three wheels, one big ambition and a charge towards the future. Hyundai Motor Company and TVS Motor Company have signed a joint development agreement to co-create electric three-wheelers (E3Ws), aiming to crack India’s complex last-mile mobility puzzle. The collaboration moves beyond concept talk into execution mode, building on the E3W prototype first showcased at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025. The goal now is clear, design, develop and commercialise a purpose-built vehicle tailored to Indian roads, riders and realities.
Under the agreement, Hyundai will lead design and co-development, bringing its global R&D muscle and human-centric engineering approach to the table. TVS Motor, meanwhile, will anchor the product on its electric platform, leveraging deep three-wheeler expertise and local market insight. It will also handle manufacturing and sales in India, with an eye on exports down the line.
The timing is strategic. India remains the world’s largest three-wheeler market, where affordability, durability and adaptability often outweigh sheer innovation. The upcoming E3W aims to strike that balance combining advanced technology with practical features such as adaptive ground clearance for monsoon-hit roads, improved thermal management for tropical climates, and flexible interiors suited for passengers, cargo or emergency use.
A key pillar of the partnership is localisation. Major components will be sourced and manufactured within India, a move expected to strengthen the domestic supply chain, create jobs, lower costs and improve after-sales support.
The shift from prototype to production will involve rigorous testing, certification and refinement to meet regulatory standards and consumer expectations. Dedicated cross-functional teams from both companies are already in place to accelerate timelines.
At a broader level, the tie-up reflects a growing trend in mobility, global players partnering with local specialists to navigate emerging markets. For Hyundai and TVS, the bet is that combining scale with street-level insight could unlock a new chapter in sustainable urban transport, one that runs not just on electricity, but on relevance.
