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It’s an Idea: commodity price updates on mobiles
MUMBAI: Mobile phone operator, Idea Cellular, has for the first time in India, introduced SMS-based information updates in the commodity markets using a subscription-based model. This service will be available across all Idea Cellular circles in India.
Idea’s customers will now be able to receive updates about the current prices in the major exchanges as well as spot markets all over the country, 10-15 times a day, over SMS. International markets of China, London and Tokyo, vessel positions and port information will also be covered.
Idea Bazaar Bhav on mobiles will initially cover the commodity markets for oil, pulses, cotton and bullion (Gold, Silver etc).
In the next phase, the grains and sugar markets will also be added to the service. An Idea subscriber can register by sending an SMS to 1920 and start getting updates. Idea Bazaar Bhav subscription will be offered to postpaid subscribers for Rs 150 per month and prepaid customers will be able to use the dynamic and effective SMS Pull feature to get the updates as and when required.
With the Idea Bazaar Bhav service, customers will be able to participate more actively in commodity trading, including forward trading, and benefit from the real time information updates. It will also keep the traders, brokers and farmers updated about the current trends in the market. ADCC Research and Computing is powering this service.
Idea Cellular CEO Vikram Mehmi said, “We are extremely happy to be the first ones to offer such a service to our customers and enable greater value addition in their day to day business transactions. With the mobile subscriber base penetrating deeper sections of India and spreading into rural areas, such a service is a boon to farmers, traders and the masses having their livelihood depend upon agro-based activities.”
ADCC Research and Computing Arun Lakhani CEO said, “Bazaar Bhav will act as a force multiplier to the rural economy empowering farmers to get fair prices and avoid exploitation. This is a first step in taking the technology to villages and contributing to the village economy.”
MAM
Network18 reshuffles editorial leadership across platforms
Expanded roles and new reporting lines aim to sharpen focus on growth across digital, social, CTV and linear TV.
MUMBAI: Network18 is giving its leadership structure a fresh edit because in the fast-changing world of media, even the newsroom needs a compelling new headline. The company has announced expanded roles for its editorial leadership across social, digital, connected TV (CTV) and linear platforms. In an internal communication, Rahul Joshi, MD & Group Editor-in-Chief, outlined new reporting structures designed to drive stronger coordination and growth.
Smriti Mehra, S Shivakumar and Mitul Sangani will now report directly to Joshi. Ganesh Iyer and Abhinay Chauhan will continue reporting to him as well.
Prabhat Chatterjee, Business Head of Forbes, and Arun Thapar, President of Content & Communication for AETN-18, will report to Smriti Mehra and lead revenue growth, marketing and product initiatives. Mallika Nath Handa will spearhead the development and scaling of special projects, including new shows and non-linear properties, and will also report to Mehra.
Jayesh Gokalgandhi, CFO for AETN18, will report to Ramesh Damani. Sidharth Newatia, CRO-ILC, will report to Mitul Sangani and focus on expanding reach and revenue across Hindi and regional language markets, with special emphasis on Tier-II and Tier-III regions. Pankaj Soni, Head of Marketing-ILC, will report to Mitul and work functionally with Ganesh Iyer.
The branded content business of Moneycontrol has been consolidated with News18 Studio. Don Zarrar will now collaborate with Shiv in the News18 Studio business while continuing to head his existing Studio/Focus teams at Moneycontrol.
Pranav Bakshi has taken on additional responsibility for the international business, alongside continuing to lead growth in Connected TV and social platforms. Naveen Mathur, who oversees Revenue Management for Network18’s international business, will report to Pranav, who continues to report to Puneet Singhvi.
Rajesh Sharma (Head of Broadcast Technology & IT), Rahul Singh (Head of Events & Technical Operations) and Bhupender Bhardwaj (Head of IT Security) will now report to Puneet Singhvi. Darshil Parekh, Head of Sales Strategy, Planning & Ops, will work directly with Ramesh Damani and Rahul Joshi, while Stanley Cyril, who manages Digital Sales Operations, will report to Darshil.
Jitamitra Mohanty, who leads the viewer and audience-focused Research & Analytics function, will now work with Santosh Menon to convert data on reach and engagement into actionable insights for content strategy, product innovation and sustained viewership growth.
In a media landscape where platforms multiply faster than breaking news, Network18’s latest reshuffle is clearly aimed at keeping its editorial and business engines firing in sync. Expect sharper storytelling, stronger revenue plays, and a more agile approach across every screen that matters.
