GECs
Sahara mulls IPTV for residential complexes
NEW DELHI: The buzzword today is IPTV. Telecom companies like Reliance Infocomm have already expressed their intention to get into the arena. Now it is the turn of Sahara Group to announce its grandiose plans, albeit restricted to the company’s own residential complexes at this stage.
Speaking at the first session of day two at Convergence India, Sahara India Media and Entertainment VP for engineering and operations R S Chauhan said, “Sahara is building state of the art residential complexes in 217 locations in India. We aim at providing a better lifestyle through our complexes and we are considering IPTV as one of the many premium services we shall offer.”
The session on Broadcast technologies/ Digital Entertainment was chaired by Chauhan. The other panelists comprised Harmonic Inc regional sales director Tat Ng, Conax R&D manager B W Nicolaysen, Motorola senior director advanced tech or broadband Dr Ajay Luthra and Irdeto Access business development manager Rahul Nehra.
Motorola’s DR Luthra made a strong case for the latest Mpeg 4 standard, saying that it gave better quality at half the price of Mpeg 2. The standard, he said, would go a long way in reducing bandwidth demands for bandwidth intensive applications such as VOD and NVod.
Irdeto’s Nehra spoke about encryption, especially for IPTV. Nehra said that from a consumer’s point of view, he wanted the entire universe of content, with no latency while switching channels, to be transparent and have friendly billing mechanisms. Also, consumers could choose from a number of service providers.
Making a strong case for the need for encryption throughout the life cycle of content whether it be real time or time delayed, Nehra quoted the CII – KPMG report saying, “The Indian broadcast industry loses around $ 8 billion a year to piracy.”
GECs
Vikram and Ajinkya Gandhe win Masterchef India season finale
Chef Sanjeev Kapoor joins judges for emotional MasterChef finale
MUMBAI: The latest season of MasterChef India concluded on a high note, with brothers Vikram Gandhe and Ajinkya Gandhe crowned winners in the grand finale aired on Sony Entertainment Television.
The duo from Nagpur lifted the coveted trophy and donned the show’s signature golden apron after a season that celebrated India’s diverse culinary traditions under the theme “Pride of India”.
This edition of the popular cooking reality show introduced a new jodi format, with 50 pairs from across the country competing in the Masterchef kitchen. Contestants brought personal stories, regional flavours and family bonds to the competition.
The grand finale featured the final three pairs: Vikram and Ajinkya Gandhe (brothers), Saisree and Chanda (mother and daughter), and Anju and Manju (sisters).
The finale was attended by celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, who joined the show’s judging panel comprising Vikas Khanna, Ranveer Brar and Kunal Kapur.
Kapoor said the show has long served as a platform to celebrate India’s rich culinary heritage and provide passionate home cooks with a national stage. He noted that the current season reflected a confident India that takes pride in its roots while embracing new culinary ideas.
Judge Vikas Khanna said the contestants’ journeys and the memories created during the season would remain with the team long after the show’s conclusion. Ranveer Brar described the show as a family that continues to grow with every season, while Kunal Kapur praised the contestants’ creativity and determination.
With the finale now concluded, the latest season of MasterChef India once again highlighted how food can reflect identity, heritage and storytelling, inspiring home cooks across the country to pursue their culinary ambitions.
