MAM
Industry reacts to move to net billing
MUMBAI: After nearly three weeks of speculation, debate and discussions, the advertising agencies, represented by the Advertisng Agencies‘ Association of India (AAAI), and the broadcasters, represented by the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), the bodies have come to a consensus about shifting to net billing.
The decision came as a relief to both agencies and broadcasters as the latter had stopped airing ads on their respective networks. Clients were yelling blue murder at the agencies for not being able to promote their products to TV viewers. Indiantelevision.com spoke to some of the network officials to get their views on what they thought about the settlement between the two:
Says MCCS CEO Ashok Venkatramani, “I welcome it completely. It‘s the right thing and I am very glad that the issue is resolved and I think we have done the right thing moving to net billing. It should have happened earlier, but it‘s better late than never.”
AXN Networks India business head Sunil Punjabi feels that the new net billing system is not going to affect broadcasters. “It doesn‘t make a difference from a channel‘s perspective. It is just that things will be more transparent. From a tax perspective things will be clearer.” He however adds that from an agency’s perspective there could be an impact pertaining to commission. “Earlier on a bill of Rs 100 we were paid Rs 85. The rest was the agency‘s commission. Now we will charge Rs 85 and get paid that.”
Venkatramani adds that the industry was “just hanging to the system which is completely outdated and nobody was gaining. It was just a paper number, paper figure or you can say paper transaction and it doesn‘t make much difference to their (agencies‘) life. They just need to sit with their clients and renegotiate their actual fees.”
Taking a slightly milder tone, Colors CEO Raj Nayak said, “I am glad that both the IBF & the AAAI have been able to come to a mutually agreeable solution on the net v/s gross billing issue. This is an industry issue and we have to address it together keeping the interests of all stakeholders in mind.”
NDTV group CEO Narayan Rao is in complete agreement and adds, “We were part of that decision and we fully supported it. I am glad that the IBF leadership and also some of the CEOs of our broadcasting channels have been able to achieve this conclusion.”
Helios Media CEO Divya Radhakrishnan feels that the standoff between the two stakeholders of the industry served little more than proving a point one way or another. She said, “Broadcasters and agencies are working in the same space of providing communication solutions for brands. Hence there can be no reason for working at cross purposes. An amicable solution works for all concerned. Such stand offs serve no purpose other than wanting to prove a point. Lastly, if a stance has to be taken then it cannot be selective.”
Brands
TCS and ServiceNow join forces to fast-track AI in enterprises
New partnership aims to turn clunky workflows into smart, self-learning engines
MUMBAI: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and ServiceNow have teamed up to help businesses move from AI experiments to full-scale adoption. The multi-year partnership will see TCS building industry-specific AI solutions on the ServiceNow platform, transforming slow, manual processes into intelligent, autonomous workflows that learn and improve over time.
Enterprises are eager for smarter ways to handle back-office functions like HR, finance, supply chain, procurement, and employee services. With this collaboration, TCS will offer AI-led solutions that bring together trusted AI, modern workflows, and deep industry knowledge, helping businesses work faster, smarter, and more efficiently.
ServiceNow president and chief product officer Amit Zavery said, “Enterprises need partners who can combine innovation, execution, and governance. Together with TCS, we are embedding AI directly into workflows, modernising legacy systems, and driving measurable results.”
TCS executive director and COO Aarthi Subramanian added, “Companies are ready to move beyond pilots to enterprise-wide transformation. Our partnership will embed intelligence across IT, operations, and customer functions, unlocking speed, efficiency, and lasting advantage.”
The solutions are designed to break down silos, giving organisations a holistic, insight-driven view. HR operations, for instance, could shift from fragmented services to a smooth hire-to-retire lifecycle, boosting productivity and engagement. Similarly, order processing could evolve from a slow, multi-step cycle into a fast-moving engine that drives revenue and cash flow.
TCS is already ServiceNow’s largest user for IT Asset Management, rolling out the system across thousands of devices in just three months. Both companies will also invest in co-innovation labs, solution showcases, and joint go-to-market initiatives to bring these AI capabilities to clients.
With this partnership, enterprises can look forward to workflows that think for themselves, helping businesses stay ahead in the AI era.
