iWorld
Intel to invest $49 million in IndusInd broadband venture
Intel Capital is investing close to $49 million in the Hinduja-run IndusInd Media as it makes its forays into the brave world of broadband and Internet delivery. The players involved have gone if for a convoluted structure for the investment. Intel Capital is actually picking up a 49 per cent stake in Grant Investrade Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Hinduja Finance, which in turn is owned by the Hindujas. The remaining 51 per cent stake in Grant Investrade continues to stay with Hinduja Finance.
Grant Investrade holds 3.5 percent in IndusInd Media & Communications Ltd (IMC) and will increase its holding to 6.7 percent by directing the investment from Intel into IMC. IMC operates under the brand name IN CableNet.
Intel Capital’s ultimate total investment could be increased up to 20 percent in IMC. The investment is subject to Indian regulatory clearances.
“This investment reflects Intel’s ongoing commitments to enable rapid deployment of high-speed Broadband internet access on a world wide basis”, said Claude Leglise, Intel’s Vice President and General Manager, Intel Home Products Group. “We have decided to participate in IN CableNet, India’s largest Multi-Systems Operator (MSO), based on IN CableNet’s unique market positioning, the company’s vision, capabilities and our common objectives for the Indian broadband market segment”.
IN CableNet is the only corporate effort in India, to build the information super highway, with the first 550 MHz cable system, being up-graded to Broadband network with fiber optic trunks. It offers high quality multi-channel transmission to more than four million Indian homes. It is classified amongst the 10 largest Cable TV Operators in the world in terms of subscribers. The network operates in nine cities with market leadership. In Mumbai, it claims to serve over 80 percent of the cable market and in the principal cities of Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad, it has a claimed over 60 percent of the Cable & Satellite market segments.
Ashok P. Hinduja, Chairman, Hinduja Finance, recently announced the Group’s “TMT” strategy continuing to create value through the convergence of Technology, Media and Telecommunications. “We believe this relationship with Intel will add significant momentum to IN CableNet ‘s deployment plans of Broadband to strengthen the Group’s leadership position in the convergence space.”
“This investment is strategically important to Intel South Asia, it reflects the importance we place on developing Broadband infrastructure to address the growing demand for internet access in the Indian market,” said Avtar Saini, Director of Intel South. “Over the past 15 months, we have invested in 15 companies in India. Today’s announcement is the largest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Indian Broadband infrastructure and reflects our commitment to invest in India’s growing technology sector”.
The IN CableNet success story has taken five years, said A. K. Das, Chairman, IndusInd Media & Communications. “With its market segment leadership position and its dynamic management, the company will now exponentially grow to expand operations on a nationwide basis,” he said. “The IN CableNet infrastructure will be enhanced with state-of-the-art technology to make convergence a household reality. We are excited about this new association with Intel Capital, which will enable IN CableNet to continue to maintain the technological edge.”
iWorld
Meta introduces new AI tools to boost discovery-to-purchase journey
From shoppable Reels to generative video, platforms get smarter at turning attention into sales.
MUMBAI: Meta is turning “scroll and stop” into “scroll, stop, and shop” and it’s using AI to make the whole journey feel almost effortless. The company has announced several new tools and enhancements designed to help brands guide people from discovery to purchase more effectively, while delivering more relevant and personalised experiences across its platforms.
Creators can now add product links more broadly on Instagram Reels, turning their content into shoppable moments. Businesses in 22 countries, including India, will soon be able to share their product catalogues with creators, opening up a new sales channel for brands and fresh monetisation opportunities for creators.
The Creator Marketplace has also been upgraded with enhanced target audience filtering, integrated with Ads Manager. This helps businesses quickly find creators who are a strong match for their goals. Campaigns using Partnership Ads deliver, on average, 19 per cent lower CPAs, 13 per cent higher click-through rates, and 71 per cent higher median brand lift.
Meta is expanding Reels Trending Ads inventory with new content categories including TV & Movies, Travel, Business, Finance & Investments. According to Meta’s analysis of 59 studies, Reels Trending Ads delivered an incremental 6.6 percentage point Ad Recall lift compared to control groups.
AI-Powered Shopping Enhancements
- Product Set Optimisation is now in testing, allowing retail media networks to promote specific products with detailed reporting. Early results show 17 per cent lower median seller cost per purchase.
- Product Showcase is being expanded so marketers can upload one image or video and let Meta’s AI automatically add relevant products as a carousel when it improves performance.
Meta is expanding its generative AI capabilities with:
- UGC-style videos featuring avatars and voiceovers
- Easier voiceover translation and text overlay translation in a single streamlined flow
- New tools to automatically turn product catalogues into dynamic video ads for Reels
Early testing of the Advantage+ creative video generation tool showed a 10 per cent increase in CTR and 8 per cent increase in CVR on average. Campaigns using catalog product video saw 20 per cent more conversions per dollar, while Reels placements with catalog product video delivered 33 per cent higher incremental conversions.
Industry voices welcomed the updates. Vikas Chawla of Social Beat called Partnership Ads a “flywheel” for authentic content that converts. Niti Kumar of Spark Foundry and Sadhvi Dhawan of Blink Digital highlighted the power of Reels Trending Ads for cultural relevance and guaranteed share of voice. Ramasish Bhowmik of Adbuffs noted that Meta’s GenAI tools are giving teams a clear competitive edge.
In a world where attention is fleeting but shopping intent can spark in seconds, Meta is betting that smarter AI will help brands turn discovery into decisions faster than ever. The message is clear: the future of advertising isn’t just about reaching people, it’s about reaching them at exactly the right moment, with exactly the right product.
