Hindi
PVR launches an in-cinema ad innovation
Mumbai: Cinema exhibition company PVR Cinemas has announced its latest innovation in the in-cinema advertising space since its come-back after the pandemic. It has introduced 270-degree on-screen experiential in-cinema advertising for the first time in India to drive higher excitement for brands. Maruti Suzuki has become the first advertiser to use this platform to launch its all-new 2022 Maruti Suzuki Brezza in cinemas. The experiential view of the product is being showcased in select PVR locations in Delhi, Gurugram, Mumbai, and Bangalore for a week.
This differentiated offering from PVR in collaboration with Xperia Group, an OOH media company, uses 3D Projection Mapping on the side walls, powered by hybrid technological integration. The company explains that projection mapping can actually convert ordinary commercials into highly attention-grabbing commercials and give the content a new life.
PVR CEO Gautam Dutta said, “We are thrilled to partner with one of the finest carmakers in the country and have the chance to showcase their newly launched product in an immersive manner to visiting patrons inside the theatres. Innovation is at the core of PVR, and we are optimistic about offering our customers and advertisers something that is beyond their expectations. We are happy to expand the in-cinema advertising space. We are confident that this innovative method of advertising, which is ideal for product debuts, will help brands make a lasting impression on theatregoers’ emotions. PVR is really looking forward to collaborating with more brands and advertisers to revolutionise in-cinema advertising.”
PVR added that after the pandemic, it has been distinctly unique to break the inertia of inaction in advertising and film promotions. Strong partnerships with movies and brands were forged in the process. After it’s reopening, PVR tied up with leading personal care brand Dettol as a hygiene partner for its customer care programme (PVR Cares). For the first time in the history of world cinema, PVR & SS Rajamouli came together with PVR reimagining its brand identity and logo as ‘PVRRR’ and launch “PVRRR NFT,” iconic digital collectibles of the movie. A shift in the aspirations of customers from value-buying to seeking experience led to the launch of the Kotak PVR Movie Debit Card, India’s first co-branded movie debit card.
PVR has high affinity among young audiences, including a sizeable section of its loyal customers, and PVR chose this differentiated approach to create a youthful and exciting appeal for Brezza customers. Families bond over the shared experience of watching movies, and a utility vehicle purchase is mostly a family decision, hence the experiential advertising works well for the launch of the brand.
Cinema advertising has proven to be an effective medium of advertisement, as it attracts undivided attention from the audience. However, with the impact of the lockdown, the share of in-cinema advertising has declined against traditional forms of media. Introducing what it says is the industry’s first experiential advertising in cinemas, PVR reinforces the fact that it is an uber-effective medium for active advertising and brand engagement. With experiential advertising, PVR is set to offer exposure to in-cinema advertisers and it aims to push the boundaries of on-screen cinema advertising for an immersive experience of the brand.
On and off-screen media at the cinema offer advertisers a unique opportunity that no other medium can match, with cinemagoers spending an average of 15 minutes in and around the theatre. Cinema design and navigation, PVR explains, ensure that audiences enjoy a great experience at every touch point across their cinema journey, starting from the box office till the exit.
Hindi
India’s telecom subscribers cross 1.32 billion in February 2026
Broadband base swells past 1.06 billion as Jio and Airtel tighten grip on the market.
MUMBAI: India’s telecom sector is ringing in steady growth once again adding millions of new connections every month while the race for broadband supremacy continues to heat up like a fiercely contested cricket match. According to the latest data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on 1 April 2026, the total telephone subscriber base in the country reached 1,321.31 million at the end of February 2026. This marked a net addition of 7.31 million subscribers during the month, translating into a monthly growth rate of 0.56 per cent.
Wireless subscribers (including mobile and Fixed Wireless Access) stood at 1,273.31 million, registering a net addition of 6.97 million and a growth rate of 0.55 per cent. Within this, urban wireless connections grew to 730.75 million (growth 0.70 per cent), while rural wireless subscribers reached 542.56 million (growth 0.35 per cent).
Wireline subscribers, though much smaller in scale, showed slightly faster growth. The total wireline base increased to 47.99 million, with a net addition of 0.34 million and a monthly growth rate of 0.70 per cent. Urban areas continued to dominate wireline connections with a share of 89.41 per cent.
Overall tele-density in India improved to 92.66 per cent. Urban tele-density stood at 150.68 per cent, while rural tele-density edged up to 60.02 per cent.
The broadband subscriber base crossed a significant milestone, reaching 1,059.05 million at the end of February 2026. This reflected a healthy net addition of 6.33 million subscribers and a monthly growth rate of 0.60 per cent from January’s figure of 1,052.72 million.
Segment-wise, mobile wireless access continued to drive the majority of growth with 996.52 million subscribers. Fixed Wireless Access (including 5G FWA) added 16.51 million, while wired broadband stood at 46.02 million.
Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. maintained its commanding lead with 519.64 million broadband subscribers. Bharti Airtel Ltd. followed with 364.14 million, Vodafone Idea Ltd. with 129.36 million, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. with 28.70 million, and Atria Convergence Technologies Ltd. with 2.38 million.
Together, these top five players command a massive 98.60 per cent share of the total broadband market.
In the wireless (mobile) segment, private operators continued to dominate with 92.59 per cent market share, leaving public sector undertakings (BSNL and MTNL) with just 7.41 per cent.
Out of the total 1,257.29 million wireless (mobile) subscribers, 1,177.60 million were active on the peak Visitor Location Register (VLR) date, representing an impressive 93.66 per cent activity rate. Bharti Airtel led in this metric with 99.42 per cent of its subscribers active.
Meanwhile, 14.47 million subscribers submitted requests for Mobile Number Portability (MNP) in February, indicating healthy competition and customer churn across zones.
While urban areas still lead in absolute numbers, rural connectivity is slowly catching up. Rural wireless tele-density stood at 59.46 per cent, compared with the much higher urban figure of 142.32 per cent.
Fixed Wireless Access using 5G technology also showed promising traction, growing to 11.93 million subscribers. Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel are the primary players driving this segment.
The data paints a picture of a maturing yet still rapidly expanding telecom ecosystem. With total telephone subscribers now well past the 1.32 billion mark and broadband users comfortably above 1.06 billion, India continues to solidify its position as one of the world’s largest and most dynamic digital markets.
From bustling city streets to remote villages, more Indians are staying connected than ever before proving that when it comes to telecom, the country’s appetite for growth shows no signs of hanging up anytime soon.
