iWorld
Broadcast India Symposium: Digitising content is the future
MUMBAI: Telcom companies have gone in for broadband on the wi-fi line as revenues from voice calls have fallen, said Shah Technologies’ Sujata Dev.
Explaining this trend, Dev said this was because the market was maturing. She was speaking about the merits of digitising content at today’s Broadcast India Technical Symposium.
The broadband roadmap, she noted, starts with infrastructure which VSNL, Tatas, Reliance provide and use. Then there are triple play ports which use ADSL 2+ technology. Then a content delivery network is needed. This consists of servers, routers, set top boxes. Service come in two forms – multi cast and unicast.
In this convergence environment, the PC gets television functionality like films and interactive games. The television can get PC functions like email, internet and video on demand (VOD). The code to be used in VOD is still being debated upon. Right now MPEG 2 is used. Rich media is a must for IP service providers and it is important that compression technology matches it. For the content owner, protection of his offerings is important. There is a revenue sharing arrangement that exists between the content owner and the service provider.
The challenges here are to increase the transmission rate while decreasing bandwidth requirement. There has always been a question: last minute bandwidth availability. ADSL 2+ transmits at the rate of 24mbps. It requires 2.2 mhz bandwidth One the mobile front, revenues in India are expected to reach $3 billion by 2009. One way in which mobile providers can differentiate themselves is through the kind of content that they have. So a creative repurposing of content is needed. The value chain is content aggregation, content repurposing and the customer.
Speaking also about digital cinema, Dev said In India we are yet to see satellite-delivered movies. “This will help curb piracy and shorten the gap between a film’s release and its distribution,” she said.
In digital cinema a film gets uplinked through a teleport. It is received at different locations. Each location has a Digital Light Processor which is a computer based system. Frame by frame processing happens and then binary bit streams go onto the screen. A system like this can also be used for an ATM operation and cyber gaming, Dev noted.
iWorld
Uber spotlights Rs 25 bike rides with music led IPL campaign
Uber uses 15 second music films with Divine and Roll Rida to push Rs 25 rides
MUMBAI: In a season where ads usually swing for sixes with celebrity spectacle, Uber has chosen to play a clever single sharp, fast, and straight to the point. Uber has rolled out a distinctly stripped-down IPL campaign, putting its product Uber Bike rides starting at Rs 25 for up to 3 km front and centre, rather than leaning on big-budget storytelling. The campaign features hip-hop artist Divine in Mumbai and Roll Rida in southern markets, using music as the primary vehicle for recall.
IPL advertising has long been dominated by high-production narratives packed with cricketers and film stars. Uber’s approach flips that playbook. Instead of elaborate storytelling, the brand opts for 15-second music-led films quick, rhythmic bursts designed to mirror the pace of urban mobility itself.
The message is deliberately simple, affordable, fast rides that cut through city traffic. No layered plots, no extended build-up just a functional promise delivered with cultural flair.
In the Mumbai-led film, Divine zips through traffic on an Uber Bike, turning the Rs 25 price point into a hook with his signature wordplay around “pachisi”. The campaign cleverly reframes affordability as a moment of delight, the kind that leaves commuters with a “32-teeth smile” after beating traffic at minimal cost.
Meanwhile, Roll Rida’s version leans into southern sensibilities, blending Telugu and Tamil influences with high-energy visuals. Set to the beat of tape drums, the film celebrates how low-cost rides can unlock a more connected and vibrant city experience. Together, the films reflect a conscious push towards regional authenticity, rather than a one-size-fits-all national narrative.
The campaign also signals Uber’s sharper focus on India’s growing bike taxi segment. While the company offers multi-modal services spanning cars, autos, metro integrations and intercity travel, this push zeroes in on two-wheelers as a key growth lever in dense urban markets.
By anchoring the campaign around a Rs 25 entry price for short distances, Uber is targeting everyday commuters, particularly younger users navigating congested cities where speed and cost matter more than comfort.
With IPL advertising clutter at its peak, even the most straightforward message risks getting lost. Uber’s answer is to embed the proposition within culture using music, regional nuance and repeat-friendly short formats to drive recall. The creative team has also layered subtle visual cues including multiple references to “25” within frames encouraging repeat viewing and reinforcing the core message without over-explaining it.
The campaign reflects a broader shift in advertising priorities. As attention spans shrink and media environments get noisier, brands are increasingly favouring clarity over complexity and speed over scale.
Uber’s IPL play may not shout the loudest, but it lands where it matters in the everyday commute. Because sometimes, in a marketplace full of grand narratives, a Rs 25 ride is story enough.
