News Broadcasting
Mobile technology key entertainment sector growth area: experts
CANNES: Indian entertainment companies take heed. If you are not on the mobile promoting or providing an experience for your potential customer you are not there. At least that’s the view of the two keynote speakers at the Milia/MipTV conference in Cannes, France.
News Corp senior vice-president content and marketing Lucy Hood said that while peer-to-peer dominated the mobile market place the next substantial growth will be in the entertainment sector.
She lauded the efforts of Sony’s spin on the new Spiderman movie. The company has launched games for the mobile and has gone for a 360 degree experience in the wired and wireless world for consumers. She also praised the mobile experience that was put behind Lord Of The Rings and Finding Nemo.
But above all she highlighted the initiatives taken by Fox in America which had partnered with AT&T for a campaign for American Idol. She said it was a good example of product integration, with mobile phone voting encouraged through a television push.
“We set a US record for mobile-orientated messages,” she said. The show brought in 7.5 million messages with 2.5 million on the last night.
She pointed out that it is not possible to get it all right and the evidence of that was Fox’s experience with a show Todd TV. The main character of Todd TV got advice and directions from mobile users on what he should be doing next. Todd would read out their messages, giving their names. Then he would decide if he was going to follow through on advice such as contacting his mother, taking
a swim or just getting out of bed.
“(Our focus is) what you want, where and when you want it,” she said. The mobile lets the company “combine mass media with viral media”.
She then talked about Fox’s initiatives with promoting movies for films such as The Girl Next Door, television shows such as The Simpsons, The Day After Tomorrow. Fox has offered invitations via SMS to sneak previews, developed MMS galleries for the Simpsons allowing users to send virtual cards etc,. She then talked about Fox’s initiative to develop a direct to mobile series called Hotel Franklin.
The second keynote came from mobile-phone lifestyle strategist and IT investment specialist Joichi Ito, chief executive of Neoteny in Japan. He stressed that the key to the mobile was not so much the content but the context. The focus should be on the “state” of the user.
“Usually most companies have got it wrong. They have focused on content and the technology and not the consumer,” he said. “People are not downloading too much video, instead they are using the mobile to stay connected with each other and forming an intimate community.”
While people had “cyberspace” at home via the PC, “the mobile is a seamless part of your real life”. He said he loved the quote to describe mobile use: “continuous partial attention”.
He said there had also been an explosion of shared content. But digital rights were a concern as they could block viral marketing getting the message out.
He pointed out that many people no longer decided on evening activities well in advance. Now they used “voice” or SMS to chat and decide as they went.
Copyright should be balanced, he highlighted. “We have less rights to share content but the technology to do it is exploding,” he said. He said companies had to change their attitude. “How are you going to market your product if you don’t let people share it?” he asked. “We need to find a middle way that allows consumers to create on top of the content and to share the content so it is marketed virally,” he added.
News Broadcasting
Rising Bharat Summit 2026 spotlights India’s global ascent
PM Modi keynotes two-day event with ministers, diplomats and icons in New Delhi.
MUMBAI: India didn’t just host a summit, it threw a coming-out party for a nation ready to own the global stage. The News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026, held on 27–28 February in New Delhi, emerged as a high-octane platform for ideas, vision and strategic dialogue, uniting national leadership, global policymakers, industry titans, defence strategists and cultural icons under the theme “Strength Within”.
Prime minister Narendra Modi set the tone with a keynote that framed India’s resurgence as a reclaiming of lost potential built over generations. “In previous industrial revolutions, India and the Global South were merely followers,” he said. “But in the era of Artificial Intelligence, India is a partner in decisions and shaping them.” He highlighted the country’s thriving AI startup ecosystem and the recent AI Impact Summit attended by over 100 nations.
Union minister Piyush Goyal (Commerce & Industry) stressed India’s readiness to scale exports and deepen manufacturing, while Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways, I&B, Electronics & IT) positioned technology and infrastructure as twin engines of growth, especially in AI and digital trust. Jyotiraditya Scindia (Communications & North East Development) revealed India’s ambition to lead in 6G through the Bharat 6G Alliance and partnerships with over 30 countries.
Global voices added depth: former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo called India’s development “self-sustaining” and strategically vital; ex-UK Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter asserted India deserves a seat at the great powers’ table; and former US Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez joined ambassadors from Norway, Germany and Sweden in discussions on geopolitical realignment, sustainability and defence preparedness.
Other speakers included veteran investor Ramesh Damani, World Gold Council CEO David Tait, Vianai Systems founder Dr Vishal Sikka, DeepTech Bharat Foundation co-founder Shashi Shekhar Vempati, defence experts Rajesh Kumar Singh, Sunil Ambekar, Patrick McGee, Tom Cooper and Adrian Fontanellaz, plus cultural and sporting icons Kangana Ranaut, Saina Nehwal, PR Sreejesh, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mithali Raj, Anil Kapoor and Yami Gautam.
The summit was supported by Jio Financial Services (Presenting Partner), Phonepe and DS Group (Co-Presenting Partners), Pernod Ricard India and Kia Seltos (Powered By & Driven By), state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand (State Partners), and associate partners including NSE, M3M Foundation and Reliance Industries.
Broadcast live across News18 Network, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz, the event reinforced India’s image as a confident democracy and emerging global power proving that when strength comes from within, the world can’t help but watch.
