GECs
Dr. Subhash Chandra shares his views on M&E industry
MUMBAI: The Essel Group and Zee chairman Dr Subhash Chandra shared his views about the Media and Entertainment (M&E) industry by giving a keynote at the Kotak Institutional Equities’ (KIE) Chasing Growth 2015 Forum.
Held on 9 February at Hotel Trident BCK, Mumbai, an hour-long session was a part of the ‘Millennium: Makers of India’ event, where he spoke on the topic – ‘Entertaining India’.
Addressing the audience, which comprised institutional investors from India and abroad, Chandra first spoke about the innovation-led swiftly evolving M&E industry. Citing examples of leading players like Google and Apple, he explained how tech companies are now moving towards entertainment.
He then detailed the journey of Zee from 1992 when it was illegal to run a private TV channel to its current position as a leading player in the M&E industry.
Chandra stated that media has played a crucial role in transforming India to Version 2.0. The growth till 2013 was 2.0 but now it has accelerated to 3.0 and is poised to grow even further.
He said, “We are confident that Bollywood is capable of entertaining Western minds. Through its recent launches like Zee Bioskop in Indonesia, Zee Nung in Thailand and Zee World in Africa, Zee is taking Bollywood to global audiences.”
Other notable speakers on Day one of the event included HDFC chairman Deepak Parekh, Hindustan Unilever CEO and MD Sanjiv Mehta and Bharat Forge chairman and MD Baba Kalyani.
KIE’s Chasing Growth 2015 Forum is being held in Mumbai from 9-11 February, 2015. ‘Millennium: Makers of India’ is a part of this event and focuses exclusively on those Indians who have put India on the global map through economic and social empowerment.
GECs
Samsung TV Plus launches Kings of Comedy channel
New free FAST channel brings iconic Hindi comedy shows to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners.
MUMBAI: Samsung TV Plus has just turned up the laughter volume and it’s completely free. The leading free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service in India has launched Kings of Comedy, a premium comedy channel featuring some of the country’s most beloved primetime shows. Available exclusively on Samsung TV Plus, the channel delivers back-to-back hits including Comedy Nights with Kapil, Khatra Khatra Khatra, and Comedy Nights Bachao, with no login or subscription required.
The launch marks a milestone for free streaming in India, offering audiences a dedicated comedy destination directly from their Samsung TV home screen. It arrives as Samsung TV Plus India celebrates its 5th anniversary, during which the service has grown its monthly active users by 42 per cent and more than doubled its total viewing hours. The platform now offers over 180 free channels across 14 languages.
Samsung TV Plus India general manager and head of business development Kunal Mehta said, “Comedy is the heartbeat of Hindi entertainment, and Kings of Comedy brings together the shows Indians already love, completely free on their Samsung TV. Our focus remains the same take the content people know and make it effortless to access.”
Globally, Samsung TV Plus has surpassed 100 million monthly active users across more than 4,500 channels, solidifying its position as one of the world’s leading free streaming services.
Kings of Comedy is now available on all compatible Samsung Smart TVs. For viewers seeking non-stop laughter without any cost, this new channel delivers a royal treat proving that sometimes the best entertainment really does come with no strings (or subscriptions) attached.
