MAM
Percept bags SSK’s creative and media biz
MUMBAI: The Percept Group has been roped in to handle the SSK LED Lights creative and media account.
IBD India, a Percept Hakuhodo company, will handle the brand communication for SSK LED Lights. The media duties for the brand will be handled by Allied Media, the media arm of Percept Limited.
The estimated communication budget is between Rs 550 – 600 million.
SSK Group brought SSK-LED Lights to India with intent to exclusively manufacture and sell LED lighting solutions. The promise of LED as lighting solutions for future due to its cost, energy and environment efficiency has prompted SSK to launch this venture.
SSK Group managing director Govind Uttamchandani said, “IBD‘s understanding of our product, it‘s market and eco system backed by their consumer‘s understanding made us comfortable. The creative approach that came aligned with their long term strategy sealed our choice.”
IBD India managing director Rahul Gupta said, “LED Lights is a game changer in the lighting industry and we are excited about partnering with the brand.”” Establishing and anchoring SSK as a pioneer in sustainable lighting solutions that has every bit of benefit in favour of the consumer will be our first step with plenty planned ahead.”
IBD India is an integrated brand development company and specialises in providing holistic solutions across the brand spectrum – from advertising, films, identity management to interactive media and other touch points.
Brands
Airtel, Jio, Vi quietly raise tariffs with tweaks ahead of major hike
Airtel, Jio and Vi test subscriber response with subtle plan changes
NEW DELHI: India’s top telecom operators, including Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea, are quietly reworking their prepaid plans in what appears to be a calculated run-up to a broader tariff hike expected later this year.
Rather than announcing headline-grabbing price increases, the operators are opting for subtle tweaks that are less likely to trigger immediate consumer backlash. Industry observers describe this as a “testing the waters” approach, where small changes help gauge subscriber sensitivity while gradually improving revenues.
Among the most visible moves is plan pruning. Airtel has discontinued its popular Rs 799 pack, widely seen as a high-value offering, while nudging up the price of its Rs 859 plan to Rs 899. The changes may seem marginal, but across millions of users, they translate into meaningful revenue gains.
Reliance Jio, on its part, has taken a sharper route by slashing the validity of its Rs 195 plan from 90 days to just 30 days. The price remains unchanged, but the value per day has dropped steeply, effectively raising costs for consumers without altering headline tariffs.
Meanwhile, Vodafone Idea is restructuring its “NonStopHero” packs, limiting unlimited data benefits to night hours in several circles. The move trims usage flexibility while keeping plan positioning largely intact.
Another common tactic is bundling. Operators are increasingly pairing plans with OTT subscriptions such as streaming services, framing price adjustments as value additions even when the core offering remains largely unchanged.
The broader goal behind these moves is to lift ARPU (Average Revenue Per User), a key profitability metric in the telecom business. Airtel is targeting an ARPU of around Rs 300, up from roughly Rs 250, while Jio is under pressure to demonstrate stronger revenue growth ahead of a potential IPO. For Vodafone Idea, the urgency is more immediate as it seeks higher cash flows to fund 5G expansion and manage outstanding dues.
Industry estimates suggest that these incremental changes are a precursor to a larger, industry-wide tariff hike of 15 to 20 per cent, likely towards the end of 2026. The delay in announcing a full-scale increase is partly due to macroeconomic concerns, including inflation and volatile fuel prices, which could dampen consumer sentiment.
The push to monetise 5G is also gathering pace. After investing more than Rs 3 lakh crore in next-generation networks, operators are expected to gradually phase out free 5G data and reposition it as a premium service.
For consumers, the impact is already visible in small but steady increases in monthly bills. For telcos, however, this is a carefully choreographed build-up, easing users into higher spending before the bigger pricing reset arrives.
