Brands
Long-term negative impact of Brexit on India negligible; short-term challenges remain
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: Britain’s politically controversial referendum last week to exit from the European Union, a unique economic and political union between 28 European nations, has created ripples globally, but in India the general feeling is long term impact may be negligible.
While the British media and entertainment industry, having major exposure to European market(s), are wringing their head in dismay at possible long-term financial fallout and increased bureaucracy and paperwork, Indian media industry has been subdued in its reaction.
Sources in both BBC World and Star India said that they were still studying the fine prints of Brexit — as Britain’s EU exit has been popularly dubbed — but added they don’t see any short to medium-term impact (except, of course, the currency exchange valuations).
Some Indian media companies like Zee, Star, and Times TV Network do have fairly big exposure to the European markets in terms of their TV channels’ distribution and sale of Indian content and formats.
Similarly, Hindi and increasingly Indian language film industry are shooting more in various European countries in sharp contrast to yesteryears few fav foreign locales like Holland, London and Paris.
While organisations like The Film & Television Producers Guild of India had no statement put out on Brexit, European media & entertainment players have been very active.
Forbes magazine quoted a statement on Brexit from Britain Stronger in Europe campaign, signed by the likes of Patrick Stewart, Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley amongst hundreds of celebrity-signatories, as saying: “Our global creative success would be severely weakened by walking away.”
Such sentiments and falling markets and currencies, coupled with media conjectures on future of multi-billion dollar budget TV programmes like the popular Game of Thrones, made its producer HBO to issue clarifications.
“We do not anticipate that the result of the EU Referendum will have any material effect on producing Game of Thrones,” HBO said in an official statement late last week
Variety magazine reported that HBO had confirmed GoT received financial support from the EU’s European Regional Development Fund when it first began, but there has been no contribution to its massive $10 million per episode budget in recent years.
That everybody is scrambling to assess the political and economical fallout of Brexit, while remaining cautiously optimistic at present, is reflected in the opinions of some industry chambers too.
Pointing out that the “way forward, and timelines to achieve negotiated agreements with the EU and other trade partners is not yet known”, UK India Business Council said, “What is clear, though, is that the UK’s trade and economic engagement with the world’s leading countries, including India, will become more important to the nation’s future, not less.”
Motion Picture Association of America in a statement said, “While it will take time to understand the full implications of the referendum result, we urge the UK Government to prioritize a stable environment for the film and television sector.”
Closer home in India, some reactions did come forth on Brexit.
Ashish Bhasin, chairman and CEO, Dentsu Aegis Network, South Asia discounted any mid or long term impact of Brexit on India.
Pointing out short term uncertainty may lead to a “depressed business sentiment,” Bhasin said advertising gets directly influenced and often suffers when business sentiment weakens.
According to Frost & Sullivan’s senior partner and managing director for Europe Sarwant Singh, “It is important to note that during this interim period, Britain will still be subject to existing EU treaties and laws, but will be barred from decision-making processes. Therefore, existing regulations are likely to continue until negotiations are completed.”
The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), whose member-companies have billions of dollars of exposure in the European and UK market, termed the Brexit announcement as a phase of uncertainty in the near term but a mix of challenges and opportunities in the longer term.
Meanwhile, the Indian government has assured that the Indian economy is fundamentally strong enough to withstand any immediate impact of Brexit.
Brands
Aptronix unveils ‘Big & Beyond’ campaign, opens largest store in Hyderabad
Naga Chaitanya, Sobhita front push as retailer expands premium Apple experience
HYDERABAD: Aptronix has rolled out its most ambitious brand push yet with the launch of the ‘Big & Beyond Aptronix’ campaign, alongside the opening of its largest retail store in India.
The campaign features actors Akkineni Naga Chaitanya and Sobhita Dhulipala as brand faces, signalling a sharper focus on aspirational, experience-led retail as the company scales its presence in the premium Apple ecosystem.
At the centre of the rollout is a new 8,000 sq. ft. flagship outlet at Sarath City Capital Mall, now the largest Aptronix store in the country and among the biggest Apple Premium Reseller formats in India. The space is designed to offer immersive product discovery, personalised guidance and integrated service support, positioning the store as more than just a point of sale.
The campaign itself leans into themes of scale, ambition and accessibility, aiming to connect with a younger, increasingly design-conscious generation of Apple users. By pairing celebrity appeal with in-store experience, Aptronix is looking to deepen emotional engagement while reinforcing its premium positioning.
A key pillar remains its ‘Limitless Aptronix Exchange’ programme, which offers customers simplified upgrade paths, transparent pricing and wider access to Apple devices. The initiative has been central to driving adoption by making high-end technology more approachable for a broader audience.
Premium Lifestyle and Fashion founder & owner Sutinder Singh said the new store reflects a long-held belief that Indian consumers should have access to the best Apple retail experience without compromise. He added that the campaign’s celebrity faces mirror the brand’s core values of elegance, ambition and confidence.
Aptronix CEO Meghna Singh said the ‘Big & Beyond’ theme reflects how the company operates, with a focus on building a best-in-class retail experience. She noted that the Hyderabad launch and the campaign together signal Aptronix’s intent to set new benchmarks in the category.
With this dual push of scale and storytelling, Aptronix is not just expanding its footprint but also redefining how premium tech retail is experienced in India.
