iWorld
Micromax aims to make a comeback: Reports
NEW DELHI: Homegrown smartphone brand Micromax is reportedly planning to make a comeback to the Indian market. This time, the company is banking on the government support, with its Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme which was announced recently. The company said that it would invest Rs 500 crore towards manufacturing and research and development, as per an online report. The brand also plans to launch 20 new phones by the end of the next fiscal.
The PLI scheme will help boost local manufacturing as part of government’s initiative to make India self-reliant (Aatmanirbhar). The PLI scheme was announced on April 1, 2020, under the National Policy on Electronics 2019 shall extend an incentive of 4% to 6% on incremental sales (over the base year) of goods manufactured in India and covered under target segments, to eligible companies, for a period of five (5) years subsequent to the base year as defined.
Micromax co-founder Rahul Sharma in an interaction with a leading daily said that the company was looking to regain its spot in the smartphone market through the multiple handsets it has planned to launch in the future. He also mentioned that the phone would look to disrupt the market.
On 15 August, the smartphone brand had also uploaded a teaser across its social media handles captioned “73 years of independence or being in dependence? On our 74th independence day, let’s stop being doosron pe nirbhar and become truly Atmanirbhar. Are you ready to join the revolution with us?”
73 years of independence or being in dependence?
On our 74th Independence Day, let's stop being doosron pe nirbhar and become truly Atmanirbhar.
Are you ready to join the revolution with us?#AtmaNirbharBharat #JoinTheRevolution #IndependenceDay pic.twitter.com/7O5Y8JrbAM— Micromax India (@Micromax__India) August 15, 2020
Due to the influx of Chinese brands including Xiaomi, Oppo, the homegrown smartphone brands got wiped out of the smartphone market. Reportedly, Xiaomi is currently leading the smartphone market with a 30 per cent market share.
iWorld
Britney Spears sells music catalogue rights
Pop princess bags multi-million deal to hand over hits to Primary Wave
ALIFORNIA: Britney Spears is officially trading her masters for a massive payday. The pop icon has reportedly sold the rights to her extensive music catalogue to Primary Wave, an independent music publisher known for housing the legacies of legends like Whitney Houston and Stevie Nicks.
According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, the deal was inked on December 30. While the exact figure remains under wraps, sources suggest the payout is “in the ballpark” of the $200 million agreement Justin Bieber struck with Hipgnosis back in 2023. It seems Britney decided it was finally time to see some “Gimme More” in her bank account.
The 44-year-old superstar has been a permanent fixture on the global charts since her 1998 debut, “…Baby One More Time.” This new deal covers a treasure trove of millennial anthems, including:
Toxic
Oops!… I Did It Again
Circus
I’m a Slave 4 U
While the news has sent fans into a frenzy, the parties involved are keeping things quiet for now. Primary Wave has not yet responded to requests for comment, and Spears herself has stayed silent on social media.
For an artist who has spent decades under intense public and legal scrutiny, this move represents a significant shift in how her musical legacy will be managed. By handing over the keys to her kingdom, Britney is the latest in a long line of heavyweights to treat their songbook as a high-value asset rather than just a trip down memory lane.
