MAM
Leading broadcasters to gain as advertisers rejig spends: Vaz
MUMBAI: Leading broadcasters will continue to post strong ad revenue growth while the long tail will be severely hurt as advertisers tend to consolidate their spends in a cautionary environment, said Star India president ad sales Kevin Vaz in an interview with Indiantelevision.com.
The television sector will see a 13-15 per cent growth in ad revenue this fiscal while print will be pushed back in a slowing economy.
“The ad market is not as buoyant as it was in January. We will not see a 20-25 per cent growth as was forecasted earlier. But the leaders in any genre will benefit as advertising monies get rejigged. The long tail will not find support from advertisers,” said Vaz.
Star India, which has leader channels in most genres, has done more annual and network deals this year. “Our top 10 clients, for instance, have done deals stretching from a minimum of 12 months to 36 months. We will beat the trend and grow much faster than the industry. Being in leadership position has helped stitch long term deals,” averred Vaz.
In an earlier interview, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd executive director revenue and niche channels Joy Chakraborthy had stated that advertisers were looking at shorter term and quarterly deals.
The Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC) genre, pegged at Rs 37-40 billion, will grow at 12-15 per cent this year. “Cricket is hit in a big way. GECs are on an upswing even as ad monies are moving away from cricket,” stated Vaz.
The Hindi movie channel genre is set to grow at 15-20 per cent. “Star Gold will capitalise heavily as the channel is performing very well. We have cut the ad inventory time by 33 per cent to give it a Hindi GEC environment and ramped up our investment on movie acquisitions,” said Vaz.
The news genre will continue to struggle this year. “With the resurgence of GECs, the news genre has stagnated for the last few years,” Vaz said.
MAM
Sunrise Spices hosts four day Bihu cultural showcase in Assam
56 groups perform across five tribal dance forms at April 14 to 17 event.
MUMBAI: Spice met spirit and the rhythm did the talking. Sunrise Spices brought more than flavour to the table this Rongali Bihu, wrapping culture, community and choreography into a four-day celebration that turned Assam’s festive mood into a living stage. Titled ‘Kristir Milan Setu – Bridge of Cultural Unity’, the event ran from April 14 to April 17, transforming the Bihu week into a showcase of the state’s diverse tribal heritage. Rather than a static celebration, the initiative leaned into performance spotlighting traditional dance forms and turning them into a participative, competitive experience.
Across the four days, 56 group performers from different communities took centre stage, representing five distinct dance traditions Assamese, Bodo, Karbi, Rabha and Mising. Each day unfolded like a cultural chapter, highlighting a different facet of Assam’s identity through rhythm, movement and storytelling.
The event culminated in a felicitation ceremony attended by Ravi Sarma, where winners were recognised across categories based on authenticity, coordination, expression and stage presence, an attempt to balance celebration with craft.
The finale dialled up the energy further with a Barabarani performance by the Tezpuriya Thespian Dance Group, closing the event on a high note that blended spectacle with tradition.
For Sunrise Spices, the play goes beyond cultural patronage. The brand, part of ITC Limited, has long positioned itself around regional authenticity whether through recipes or roots. With this initiative, it extends that narrative from the kitchen to the cultural arena, aligning food heritage with living traditions.
In a landscape where brand activations often chase visibility, this one leaned into identity using dance not just as performance, but as a reminder that culture, much like spice, is best experienced when it’s shared.
