MAM
U.S. Polo Assn. launches campaign to bolster Indian leadership
Mumbai: U.S. Polo Assn, the official brand of the United States Polo Association and Arvind Fashions Ltd. (ARVINDFA: IN) are proud to announce two major business milestones in India: the iconic legends marketing campaign and the new U.S. Polo Assn. website launch. Both business strategies have been designed to help take U.S. Polo Assn. in India to the next level.
The brand’s growth strategy is focused on brick-and-mortar, omni-channel and e-commerce as well as overall brand marketing through storytelling.
As one of India’s leading casual wear power brands, the multi-billion-dollar, global, sport-inspired U.S.
Polo Assn. has launched an exclusive brand-specific website uspoloassn.in to further enhance digital offerings for customers and provide easier access to its product offerings. U.S. Polo Assn. is the first brand in the Arvind Fashions Limited brands portfolio to go live with an exclusive brand website. Currently, the brand is listed on all leading online platforms and NNNow.com, the official brand store and digital destination for Arvind Fashions Ltd.
“Arvind Fashions has been a tremendous partner to the U.S. Polo Assn. brand and we are excited about our future as a power brand, targeting a billion-dollar business over the long term in one of the world’s most important markets,” said USPA Global Licensing president and CEO J. Michael Prince, the company that manages and oversees the U.S. Polo Assn. brand. “The execution of our strategic plan in India will further solidify our position as one of the top casual wear brands in the country.”
“With revenues nearing Rs 2000cr, U.S. Polo Assn. is the leader in the men’s casual wear segment in India. We are further investing in energising the brand through multiple efforts including the brand website launch, a new iconic Legends advertising campaign and building new exciting adjacent product categories, “said Arvind Fashions Ltd vice chairman and non-executive director Kulin Lalbhai.
MAM
Paramount set to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in $81 billion deal
Shareholders back merger, combined entity could reshape streaming and studios.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… consolidation, Hollywood’s latest blockbuster might be happening off-screen. Shareholders of Warner Bros. Discovery have voted in favour of selling the company to Paramount in a deal valued at $81 billion rising to nearly $111 billion including debt setting the stage for one of the biggest shake-ups in modern media. The proposed merger, still subject to regulatory approvals, would bring together a vast portfolio spanning HBO Max, CNN, and franchises such as Harry Potter under the same umbrella as Paramount’s own heavyweights, including Top Gun and CBS.
At the heart of the deal is streaming scale. Executives have indicated plans to combine HBO Max and Paramount+ into a single platform, potentially creating a stronger challenger to giants like Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video. Current market data suggests HBO Max holds around 12 per cent of US on-demand subscriptions, compared to Paramount+’s 3 per cent, together still trailing Netflix’s 19 per cent and Disney’s combined 27 per cent via Disney+ and Hulu.
Paramount CEO David Ellison has signalled that while platforms may merge, HBO’s creative identity will remain intact, stating the brand should “stay HBO” even within a broader ecosystem.
Beyond streaming, the deal would redraw the map for film production. Combining two of Hollywood’s oldest studios Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros., the new entity aims to scale output to over 30 films annually, while maintaining a 45-day theatrical window. Warner Bros. currently commands around 21 per cent of the US box office, compared to Paramount’s 6 per cent, underscoring the strategic weight of the acquisition.
But scale comes with scrutiny. Critics warn that fewer players could mean reduced consumer choice, rising subscription costs, and potential job cuts as the combined company looks to streamline overlapping operations while managing billions in debt.
The news business, too, faces a reset. CNN would join forces at least structurally with Paramount-owned CBS, raising questions about editorial independence and positioning. The merger has already drawn political attention in the United States, particularly given perceived ties between the Ellison family and Donald Trump, though the company maintains that newsroom autonomy will be preserved.
If approved, the deal would mark another milestone in Hollywood’s consolidation wave shrinking the industry’s traditional “big six” studios to a “big four”, with Paramount joining Disney, Universal, and Sony at the top table.
In an industry built on storytelling, this merger may well become its most consequential plot twist yet.
