MAM
Hong Kong Tourism Board launches marketing campaign in India
MUMBAI: Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), which is celebrating 2006 as the Discover Hong Kong Year, launched its promotional campaign in India. The 2006 Discover Hong Kong Year campaign is a part of the organisation’s global initiatives to promote the country’s tourism sector.
Officiated by HKTB’s South and Southeast Asia regional director David Leung, the launch held in Mumbai showcased the colourful journey of discovery of Hong Kong’s new image with its array of diverse and multidimensional offerings leveraging on the opening of various tourism projects in Hong Kong in 2005 and 2006.
Addressing the guests at the launch event, Leung said the 2006 Discover Hong Kong Year global marketing campaign would not only generate immediate visitor arrivals, but also provide the impetus for sustained growth from the Indian market during the coming years. The campaign is expected to bring total arrivals to a new record of 27 million and total tourism expenditure to exceed the HK$100 billion mark to reach HK$114.7 billion.
“India is a very important market for Hong Kong. Last year, we welcomed 244,364 Indian residents, the highest number ever, and the 11.2 per cent growth in arrivals in the first ten months of 2005 equally underlines the depth of Hong Kong’s appeal in India, one of our key markets in this region.” he said.
As a prelude to this global promotion, Hong Kong recently hosted a shoot for the popular Star Plus serial Kavyanjali. The shoot was held in various Hong Kong’s attractions including Hong Kong Disneyland, Ocean Park, Avenue of Stars, Murray House, and Symphony of Lights.
This promotion was further supported by a consumer contest with Radio Mirchi in Mumbai; and HKTB has also developed a drama map titled “Discover Kavyanjali in Hong Kong” with Hindustan Times as the media partner to bring visitors on the trail of the Kavyanjali’s Hong Kong experience.
To maximise the campaign’s impact and effectiveness, high yield business travellers from India will be one of priority market segments for HKTB. “More than 60 per cent of our overnight arrivals from India come on business. We’ll therefore take advantage of our new tourism assets and host mega events to encourage business visitors to stay longer and also bring companions with them, so that their loved ones can experience Hong Kong’s myriad attractions.” added Leung.
Brands
Aman Gupta’s OFF/BEAT secures Rs 100 crore seed funding round
Bessemer backs new venture betting on AI and India’s digital shift
MUMBAI: Aman Gupta has raised Rs 100 crore in seed funding for his new venture OFF/BEAT, with Bessemer Venture Partners leading the round as it bets on a new wave of AI-led, consumer-first businesses in India.
The funding marks an early but significant push for OFF/BEAT, which is positioned to tap into a rapidly evolving market shaped by a digitally native generation and advances in artificial intelligence. The venture aims to build at the intersection of culture and technology, where brand identity and innovation increasingly go hand in hand.
Gupta, best known for co-founding boAt and scaling it into a Rs 3,000 crore-plus business, is now looking to apply those learnings to a new playbook. His focus this time is not just on building a consumer brand, but on leveraging AI and global networks to accelerate growth.
OFF/BEAT founder Aman Gupta said, “Having built from scratch before, I know what capital can do and what it cannot. This time, I was looking for partners with a global perspective who can help me leverage technology and AI, because that is where the future lies. Bessemer’s track record with companies like Anthropic, Shopify, Canva and LinkedIn says it all.”
The choice of investor reflects that ambition. Bessemer Venture Partners has backed global technology players such as Anthropic, Shopify, Canva and LinkedIn, bringing not just capital but strategic support and global reach.
Bessemer Venture Partners partner Anant Vidur Puri said, “We back founders who see around corners. Aman saw how a new India would come to think about aspiration, identity and quality, and built boAt as proof. He is now applying that same instinct to a market being reshaped by AI and by a generation with entirely new expectations.”
The investment comes at a time when India’s startup ecosystem is being reshaped by both consumer behaviour and technological disruption. Founders are increasingly expected to understand not just products, but the cultural shifts that drive adoption.
For OFF/BEAT, the journey is just beginning, but the signal is clear. In a market where attention is fleeting and expectations are rising, building something truly distinctive may be the only way to stay on beat.
