Brands
PVR becomes first exhibitor in India to achieve the 500-screen mark
NEW DELHI: PVR has become the largest cinema exhibition company in the country, reaching the mark of 500 screens across the country and become the first exhibitor to do so.
This achieves comes at a time when the number of single screen theatres is said to be dropping below 10,000 and multiplexes are just around 1000 in a country which has several lakh viewers every day.
PVR, which now reaches 45 cities pan-India, began its journey in 1997 with the opening of India’s first multiplex cinema PVR Anupam in Saket.
This led, in turn, to superlative movie experiences. From the first screening of Shahrukh Khan’s “Yes Boss” to Priyanka Chopra’s “Jai Gangaajal” this week, PVR Anupam laid the bedrock for a major business in entertainment.
PVR’s advent into the multiplex industry came at a time when the entire fate of the movie business was uncertain. Triggered by video piracy and the dilapidated condition of cinemas with poor projection & sound quality, unhygienic atmosphere, dark & dingy environment, people were becoming averse to watching movies at cinema halls.
PVR provided choice to consumers to watch any movie under a single roof by way of a clean & hygienic place, staff serving in clean uniforms and a colourful ambience, it transformed the way millions of Indians consume movies. In a way PVR is being credited of ‘Taking India to movies’, reviving the movie industry when all seemed lost.
Unaware of the multiplex format, PVR had to convince the government authorities, rewrite building bylaws that it was possible to have four cinemas under one roof without compromising on safety parameters.
Considering India as a heterogeneous market, PVR has given the Indian audience a grand spectra of cinema formats like PVR Heritage, PVR Premier, PVR IMAX, PVR Director’s Cut, PVR Gold Class, PVR Premiere, PVR Talkies and the latest addition being PVR Icon & PVR Superplex.
A company of many firsts in the Indian multiplex industry, PVR is India’s first fully digital cinema chain and the first in India to sign a 50 screen deal pan India with Dolby Atmos. PVR is the first to offer online ticketing, queue- less box office through Quick-TIx Counters, QR code ticketless entry, and ‘on the seat’ food offerings. PVR is also the first multiplex chain to install 3D enabled screens at all its multiplexes.
Primarily starting as a north centric cinema brand, PVR assumed status of a national cinema chain within 4 years of its starting operations. The acquisition of Cinemax India in 2012 propelled India into the big league. Being the largest cinema chain in India & entertaining over 70 million patrons, PVR’s dominance in the multiplex industry in India now extends to 501 screens, 111 cinemas in 45 cities across India. PVR has achieved a steady year on year growth with over 18 years of its existence redefining the way people watch movies with the launch of various formats under the gamut of cinema viewing experiences.
Speaking on the occasion of achieving this milestone, PVR chairman & managing director Ajay Bijjli said “We are very excited to achieve the historic milestone of 500 screens. PVR always pushed the envelope to provide unique cinematic experiences for its audience. We are privileged to have been supported by millions of movie goers across India who have appreciated the brand and made it bigger. We cannot thank enough our shareholders and investors who have shown immense faith in us over the years. With this achievement we continue to inspire excellence in the industry and achieve another milestone of 1000 screens by 2018.”
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
