MAM
Mudra to start Tantr, a new production set up
MUMBAI: Mudra Communications will soon start a separate production set up called Tantr, which will produce ad films and corporate films. Later this year, the agency also plans to get into production of serials for the ad sales wing.
In June 2003, indiantelevision.com had reported that Mudra Videotec planned to expand its presence in the domain space of TV software and ad-film production.
One of the earliest entrants, Mudra Videotec is into the business of buying/selling slots on the national broadcaster Doordarshan (DD) and its regional channels; co-producing “commissioned” software on cable and satellite (C&S) channels; producing ad films and audio-visual productions to fulfill the needs of in-house clients.
Mudra Videotec has a team of 15 people spread across the country with offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Hyderabad. The division has two business unit heads: Mudra Videotec national marketing head (ad sales) Sunil Shetty and manager (audio-visual and films) Umang Pahwa.
According to Pahwa, “We have done quality work for clients such as McDonald’s, Reliance Infocomm, Godrej Group, HP Lubricants among others. In fact, the McDonald’s campaign has won seven awards last year – including three Abby awards and four AAAI awards. We are hoping to convert other large clients within the Mudra fold, such as Yamaha and Dainik Bhaskar.”
Incidentally, Mudra Videotec had worked to create the Reliance Infocomm audio-visuals, which were aired at the Reliance Technology Centre in Navi Mumbai earlier this year. “We managed to deliver despite constraints of hectic schedules and almost impossible deadlines. We were creating three to four films every week,” says Pahwa.
Pahwa adds, “We have recently done a series of three ad films for Hindustan Petroleum for one of their products called ‘Cruise’. These are three simple films of 15-second duration. They are scheduled to be aired on TV channels starting 24 and 25 September.”
As far as ad-films and audio-visual production is concerned, the agency executives are aggressively pitching for in-house business from within the Mudra network. They are hoping to leverage their expertise in software/content production and offer value-added services to existing and new clients.
Digital
Airtel, Google collaborate to block spam messages with web links
Google says safer RCS will boost trust in business messaging
GURUGRAM: Bharti Airtel will roll out its AI-powered spam protection tool on text messages sent via Google’s messaging platform, extending its anti-fraud shield beyond the traditional telecom network.
The partnership integrates Airtel’s network intelligence with Google’s Rich Communications Services (RCS) platform and built-in spam filters. Users will retain RCS features such as high-resolution photos, video and interactive message reactions, while gaining stronger protection against mobile spam and digital fraud.
Airtel says its AI systems have blocked 7,100 crore spam calls and 290 crore spam SMSes over the past 18 months. The company claims this drove a 68.7 per cent drop in the value of financial losses on its network during that period.
The move reflects a growing concern over internet-based bulk messaging services, which often embed transaction links and are increasingly exploited by fraudsters.
Bharti Airtel executive vice chairman Gopal Vittal, said the partnership pushes customer protection beyond the telco domain. He urged over-the-top communication platforms to collaborate in curbing spam and financial fraud, arguing that many non-telco apps lack the stringent safeguards embedded in carrier-grade systems.
Airtel noted that traditional mobile networks operate under defined safety standards. By contrast, several standalone messaging apps have become fertile ground for “sophisticated bad actors”, turning into common conduits for invasive spam and financial scams.
The integration with Google aims to close that gap. By embedding Airtel’s intelligence layer into RCS, alongside Google’s own spam protections, the companies say they are creating a carrier-backed messaging environment with higher accountability.
Google Android ecosystem president Sameer Samat, said businesses using RCS for enterprise communication would benefit from clearer authentication, enabling customers to distinguish legitimate brand messages from spam. Greater trust, he argued, would translate into deeper engagement and more durable customer relationships.
