MAM
Xiaomi adds VAS to aid monetisation
MUMBAI: Xiaomi is leaving no stone unturned to capture the Indian imagination. After wowing the country with its spectacular moderately priced phones, the company is looking at giving value addition to its customers here.
Considering India as its core market after its home-ground China, Xiaomi became India’s number one smartphone brand in India in Q4 2017 beating Vivo, Samsung and Apple, according to International Data Corporation. Hardly four years since launch, the company today has a whopping 31 per cent market share in the country and has over nine million units shipped in Q1 of 2018.
Xiaomi India vice president and managing director Manu Jain believes that the company’s core philosophy is to deliver innovation for everyone by making high-quality, well-designed products accessible to everyone at “honest pricing” and the company is able to do this because of its unique business model, which Xiaomi will monetise from internet services in the long run.
The mobile handset maker has now announced the launch of Mi Music and Mi Video, marking Xiaomi’s move into offering value-added internet services for local users. Mi Music is Xiaomi’s pre-installed music app which offers an integrated music streaming service along with the ability to store offline music while Mi Video is Xiaomi’s pre-installed video app which provides integrated video streaming across platforms.
The music app by Xiaomi is quite similar to other music apps available in the Indian market such as Saavn, Gaana, iTunes, Jio Music. Xiaomi has partnered with digital entertainment organisation Hungama Music wherein Xiaomi mobile consumers will have access to Hungama’s music library. The app will offer over 10 million freemium tracks across 13 Indic language choices. Users can also download music offline from Mi Music app at Rs 899 per annum.
Hungama Digital Media Entertainment managing director and CEO Neeraj Roy says, “We are delighted to launch Hungama Music on Mi Music. We are committed to delivering the best of content with unlimited playlists to the highly engaged Mi Fan community and with this launch we take our partnership with Xiaomi to the next level.”
Mi Video functions similar to YouTube. The apps are the first internet services that Xiaomi has brought to India. Mi Music in India has nearly seven million daily active users. Mi Video is designed to be a platform for video content aggregation and a powerful local video player. Mi Video content is powered by Hungama Play, SonyLiv and Voot currently, with more partners coming onboard soon.
Currently, Mi Video offers more than 500,000 hours of content with nearly 80 per cent free content. The service currently offers more than 12 video formats such as AVI, MP4, MOV, MKV, and MKA, MPEG, M2TS amongst others. It also supports multilingual subtitles, private folders, and multiple audio tracks. Mi Video also offers one tap cast to any Smart TV with DLNA and Miracast support.
Roy also announced that in the coming months, Hungama will bring more exciting features including gamification and continue to build on the rich user experience.
The apps were announced at the Mi Pop Play event, which is created by Xiaomi to bring Mi Fans from across the country for a day to celebrate with Xiaomi executives.
The company believes in giving back to its consumers. “We at Xiaomi never make over five per cent of profit on all our hardware devices whether it is a smartphone, a television or any other accessory and if we ever make more than that, we make sure we return it back to our consumers. The philosophy has worked well for our brand in China, India and other parts of the world,” says Jain.
Xiaomi currently has three manufacturing facilities in India in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The move came after the Indian government imposed a 10 per cent duty on key smartphone components.
With a presence in over 70 countries and regions, Xiaomi is expanding its footprint across the world and wants to become a global brand.
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MAM
Worldwide Travel Insurance for Indian Travellers: How to Find a Plan Without Geographic Gaps in Your Protection
Travelling to more than one country can make insurance selection more complex, because a policy that looks broad at first may still leave certain destinations, transit points, or regions outside its scope. For Indian travellers, this can lead to gaps in cover during a medical emergency or travel disruption abroad.
Here’s a guide to understanding how worldwide coverage works, which plan types to review, and how to check for geographic exclusions before choosing a policy.
Why Geographic Coverage Matters in Travel Insurance
When travellers look for the best travel insurance, medical cover and premium often get early attention, but geographic scope matters just as much. A policy may appear broad while still limiting cover in certain countries, regions, or travel routes.
This can affect hospital access, emergency support, evacuation terms, and non-medical benefits. For Indian travellers visiting more than one destination, checking where the policy applies is an important way to avoid gaps in protection.
Types of Worldwide Travel Insurance Plans Available to Indians
Worldwide travel insurance may be available in different formats, and each one should be reviewed based on the route, trip pattern, and list of destinations.
Single-Trip Travel Insurance
This type of policy is generally chosen for one overseas journey with fixed departure and return dates. It may suit travellers visiting one country or more than one destination during the same trip. The policy still needs to be checked carefully to confirm whether every destination on the itinerary is covered during the full travel period.
Multi-Trip Annual Insurance
This type of plan may be suitable for travellers who visit different countries several times a year. It can be useful only when the policy’s covered regions match the countries included across those trips. Before choosing it, travellers should check trip duration limits, region-wise exclusions, and whether all intended destinations are covered under the annual plan.
Region-Specific Plans
Some policies are built for selected regions rather than for the whole world. These plans may be arranged by destination groups such as Asia, Europe, or broader international zones. They may be suitable in some cases, but they should be reviewed carefully if the journey includes stopovers, connecting countries, or travel beyond the listed region.
Comprehensive Worldwide Plans
These plans are usually reviewed by travellers who want broader international cover across multiple destinations. However, a plan described as worldwide may still have country-wise limits, separate terms for certain regions, or limits on healthcare access and emergency services. The wording should therefore be checked in detail before relying on the description alone.
Key Coverage Areas That Ensure Global Protection
A worldwide policy should be reviewed for the coverage points that matter when travel includes more than one country or a wider international route. These areas help show whether the plan is suitable for broader overseas travel and not limited to only a few listed destinations.
● Cover that applies to all countries listed in the itinerary, not only the main destination.
● Cover for transit stops and connecting countries that are part of the planned journey.
● Clear mention of excluded countries, restricted regions, or destinations not covered under the policy.
● Emergency medical and assistance support that remains available while travelling across different countries.
● Evacuation and repatriation terms that continue to apply during multi-country travel.
How to Check for Geographic Exclusions Before Buying
Geographic exclusions are often found in the detailed wording rather than in the headline promise of the plan. A careful review before purchase can help travellers understand whether the policy matches their travel route.
● Check the destination list in the policy schedule.
● Read whether excluded countries, sanctioned regions, or restricted zones are mentioned in the wording.
● Review whether transit stops and connecting destinations are mentioned as covered travel locations.
● Check if medical network access differs across countries even when the policy appears globally valid.
● Read whether adventure activities, cruises, or remote locations have separate geographic conditions.
● Review assistance and claim support terms to see if they apply equally across all covered destinations.
Conclusion
A travel insurance plan cannot be judged only by premium, destination label, or the word worldwide term alone. For Indian travellers, geographic scope needs close attention because exclusions and regional limits may affect how the policy works during the journey. A careful review of plan type, covered locations, medical support, and destination-specific terms may help reduce avoidable gaps.
