News Broadcasting
IT’s walking the ‘animated’ talk or is it?
MUMBAI: FICCI Frames 2004 is abuzz with the ‘A’ word – animation. With two sessions dedicated to animation on day two yesterday, prominent Indian and international personalities met again today to talk about the buzzword.
“Animation will outperform IT,” that’s what Crest Communications CEO AK Madhavan would have you convinced. Other than that one IT v/s animation statement, the FICCI Frames 2004 seminar on IT and Animation: Walk the Talk was mostly about developing the nascent animation business as an IT enabled business on the lines of BPO, SCM and ERP businesses.
The seminar that was held today on the third and last day of FICCI frames 2004 was hosted by Vijay Mukhi and on the panel were Crest Communications CEO AK Madhavan, iGate president and co-founder Ashok Trivedi, Jadoo Works CEO Rajiv Marwah, and Alias Wavefront South Asia Pacific regional manager Paul Cousen.
Develop animation as an IT enabled business
Create sustainable business models
Utilize the best practices of the IT industry
The industry is starved for money and this is where IT can help
Lack of adequate manpower and formal training
However, before a PIXAR comes out of an Indian IT giant, there would be many a teething troubles to deal with.
“This industry is starved for money and this is where IT can help,” said Trivedi adding that while the animation businesses had weak and flexible processes, they could utilize the best practices of the IT industry especially as to managing the human capital. He further emphasized that for Indian IT companies to graduate to animation, sustainable business models would have to be created.
The main concern of panelists across the board was prominently the lack of adequate manpower and formal training available to establish a resourceful pool of talent unlike the IT industry where quality certifications and credentials exist.
Fortunately for the animation businesses, there are more opportunities available in this date and age – for instance the Bangalore based Jadoo Works is using the open source engine to develop its business which is something that even a PIXAR did not have 10 years ago, informed Marwah.
While on the ground, the animation business is yet to take off, panelists at Frames 2004 sounded buoyant about the future of the industry. “Animation is an emerging market – it is just a matter of time (before it grows into a full fledged one),” said Marwah. And as Madhavan put it, “We are at the beginning of the curve.”
DIGITAL RIGHTS MANAGEMENT IS A DEAD DUCK
Meanwhile, in another seminar on digital rights management (DRM), one thing that was crystal clear was that unless effective legislations to enforce digital rights were brought in and unless these legislations entailed adequate civil and criminal liabilities, DRM would be dead even before it breathes its first.
While India has its set of copyright laws, in the age of convergence, what is needed is a greater understanding of the control of intellectual properties (IP) and DRM technology that is embedded across different end user products like PCs, mobile phones, wireless devices et al.
“Interest in the PC related DRM is now dead. What people are talking about now is DRM for wireless devices and set top boxes,” said Quentin Staes Polet of IBM Digital Media Solutions Asia Pacific.
The seminar was held today on the third and last day of FICCI frames 2004 and was hosted by Amarchand & Mangaldas managing partner Shardul Shroff. On the panel were Quentin Staes Polet of IBM Digital Media Solutions Asia Pacific, WIPO counselor Carole Croella and Bertrand Moullier of FIAPF, France.
News Broadcasting
News18 India launches Command Centre war explainer with Arya
New show shifts from debates to decoding global conflicts and impacts
MUMBAI: News18 India has rolled out a new war-focused programme, Command Centre, featuring Gaurav Arya, as it looks to offer viewers a sharper, more grounded take on global conflicts amid rising tensions in West Asia.
Positioned as an “insider war room”, the show moves away from conventional panel debates and instead focuses on explaining military developments, decoding strategy and connecting global events to their everyday impact, from fuel prices to economic shifts.
The format leans heavily on visuals and data. The studio has been designed like a command hub, complete with large LED war maps, real-time graphics and an alert system to track developments as they unfold.
At the centre of it all is Arya, who brings his military background to simplify complex war strategies for viewers. His signature line, “Seedhi baat samjhiye”, anchors the show’s promise of clarity over noise.
News18 India managing editor Jyoti Kamal said, “Command Centre, featuring Major Gaurav Arya is designed to deliver accurate insights and a clear perspective on how evolving conflicts impact everyday life, from household budgets to national security. With expert voices analysing every development in real time, the show goes beyond headlines to decode what’s happening now, what it means, and what could come next.”
Echoing the intent, Gaurav Arya added, “In times of war, confusion is the biggest threat. With News18 India’s Command Centre, we are bringing viewers inside the war room, decoding strategies, tracking every escalation, and explaining, in the simplest terms, what it means for India and for every household. Seedhi baat samjhiye, this is where you understand not just what is happening, but what happens next.”
The weekday show will air in the afternoon slot and will also feature Gaurav Shukla, adding to its editorial depth.
With its mix of analysis, visuals and a clear focus on impact, the show reflects a broader shift in news consumption. Viewers are no longer just watching events unfold, they are looking to understand what those events mean for them.
