MAM
Euro 2012: Sony Mobile is global handset partner
MUMBAI: Orange has signed a deal with Sony Mobile Communications‘ new player to help fans enjoy the top European football tournament.
Orange, the official global partner of Uefa Euro 2012, is working with Sony Mobile Communications to bring the tournament to life for fans across Europe through online competitions, in-store promotions, and live events – giving fans hundreds of new opportunities to win tickets from Orange, Xperia smartphones and other great gifts.
The key elements of the partnership, which may vary from country to country, includes competitions that are open to anyone, i.e. not limited to Orange customers, in the 11 Orange European markets:
– Orange Supporters’ Cup – Fans can compete individually and in teams for prizes including VIP bus trips to Warsaw and Kiev, and Xperia S smartphones. Open to anyone in the 11 Orange European markets.
Orange Golden Goal with Sony Mobile Communications– Starting in May, fans can compete in an Orange Facebook game testing their football knowledge for opportunities to win VIP packages to the final of the tournament, Sony Playstation products and Sony Xperia smartphones.
New promotions are also being created for the event specifically for Orange customers in-store, online and via call centres. Orange will bring the tournament to life online and in Orange shops across Europe with Sony Mobile Communications, giving customers the chance to win vouchers for smartphones and receive special tariffs, merchandise and gifts with every Xperia smartphone purchased.
Orange is a sponsor of Uefa Euro 2012, with Orange Poland acting as the exclusive telecommunications partner in Poland, and Orange and Uefa developing the official mobile application for the tournament. Orange customers with Xperia smartphones will be able to receive the mobile app automatically via an over the air update.
Sony Mobile Communications recently introduced Xperia U and Xperia P that join the flagship Xperia S in the NXT series of smartphones. These new Xperia smartphones combine stand-out design and superior entertainment technology with the powerful performance consumers would expect from a Sony smartphone.
This is Orange’s first pan-European sponsorship, with the following countries participating: Spain, Poland, France, the UK, Slovakia, Romania, Austria, Luxembourg, Moldova, Switzerland and Armenia.
Brands
Flipkart completes reverse flip to India ahead of IPO
Walmart-owned e-commerce giant shifts domicile from Singapore to Bengaluru
MUMBAI: Flipkart has completed its restructuring to move its parent company from Singapore back to India, marking a key milestone as the Walmart-owned marketplace prepares for a potential initial public offering on Indian stock exchanges, ET reported, citing people aware of the matter.
The move, often referred to as a “reverse flip”, relocates the company’s legal home to India and aligns its corporate structure more closely with its largest market. It also clears an important regulatory step for Flipkart as it explores listing plans.
As part of the restructuring, several Singapore-based entities have been merged into Flipkart Internet Private Limited, which will now serve as the main holding company for the entire group.
The consolidation brings a number of major businesses directly under the Indian parent company. These include fashion platform Myntra, logistics arm Ekart, travel booking platform Cleartrip, healthcare marketplace Flipkart Health, and fintech venture Super.money.
Under the new structure, global investors including Walmart, Microsoft, SoftBank, and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board will hold their stakes directly in the Indian entity rather than through an overseas holding company.
The redomiciliation required approval from the Indian government because Chinese technology company Tencent owns around a 5 to 6 per cent stake in Flipkart. Under Press Note 3, investments from countries sharing a land border with India require prior government clearance.
Flipkart had already secured approval from the National Company Law Tribunal in December. With the latest clearance from the central government, the company has now obtained all the regulatory approvals needed to complete the relocation, ET reported earlier.
Flipkart had originally shifted its holding structure to Singapore in 2011 to tap global capital more easily. However, as India’s capital markets have matured, several start-ups have begun returning their domiciles to the country ahead of public listings. Companies such as Razorpay, Groww, and Meesho have taken similar steps.
The company is now expected to move ahead with its IPO preparations and has begun early discussions with merchant bankers. According to people familiar with the matter, Flipkart could file its draft prospectus later this year, setting the stage for what may become one of the most closely watched listings in India’s e-commerce sector.
Flipkart has been majority-owned by Walmart since 2018, when the US retail giant acquired a 77 per cent stake in the company for $16 billion in one of the largest e-commerce deals globally.
