GECs
India one of the fastest growing markets for eBay: Whitman
MUMBAI: Online auction major eBay Inc. will focus this year on consolidation and integration of the acquisitions it had made in 2005. The company had bought internet phone company Skype Technologies, real estate company Rent.com and consumer review site Shoppong.com Inc.
eBay Inc. president and CEO Meg Whitman, who was on her first visit to India, told reporters here that the company would continue to look at acquisition opportunities but the focus would be on “consolidation and integration” this year.
Being bullish on India, Whitman said it was one of the fastest growing markets for eBay along with China, Korea and a few other countries in the Asia Pacific region. In 2004, eBay acquired India’s most popular online shopping site, Baazee.com.
“Though the internet base in India is low, it is growing at a fast pace. We are looking forward to the increase in broadband penetration as it accelerates the growth of online trade,” she said.
eBay India has two million users across 240 cities in India and the most popular items sold on the site are jewellery, mobile phones and digital cameras. Globally, eBay has 181 million users.
eBay, which was built on auction-style trading, is seeing growth in fixed-price format. “Today, 34 per cent of the trade on the site takes place in the fixed-price format,” she said.
When asked what precautions eBay was taking against counterfeit products, Whitman said the company was partnering with 14,000 intellectual property rights owners who can identify such items.
After the acquisition of Baazee.com, the Indian operations have gained from eBay’s global presence. “One-third of our business now comes from cross border trade. Sellers from India have access to buyers from nearly 100 countries. An Indian seller sells to an international buyer every nine minutes,” said eBay India country manager Gautam Thakar.
Though the top six towns in India account for 40-45 per cent of eBay India’s trade, rapid growth is coming from the small towns. Sellers are also coming from these places and micro enterprises. “There is width and depth in the marketplace. A piece of jewellery sells every five minutes, a mobile handset sells every seven minutes and a digital camera every 46 minutes,” Thakar said.
EBay India chairman Avnish Bajaj also expressed optimism in the growth of e-commerce in India.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
