iWorld
TO THE NEW Venture growing 100% YoY: Puneet Johar
MUMBAI: In the wake of the digital boom, internet product & services company TO THE NEW Ventures, which specialises in emerging markets, has witnessed a 100 per cent year on year (YOY) growth.
What’s more the company’s services business has witnessed of growth of 40-50 per cent, whereas its consumer internet business comprising American Swan and #fame have also been growing 100 per cent YOY.
TO THE NEW five businesses include TO THE NEW Digital, American Swan, #fame, Blogmint and ThoughtBuzz.
#fame has been great combination of the engagement of social media with the power of live video where users can go live on a simple click of a button on their mobile.
Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, TO THE NEW Ventures CEO Puneet Johar said, “As a service company, technology and analytics are the two cores of digital offering. Content and marketing is always the icing on the cake as they clearly engage with the consumer. If you see the overall growth, our company is growing 100 per cent year on year, our services business is growing around 40-50 per cent and our consumer internet business is growing by 100 per cent year on year.”
Talking about the growing digital space, Johar added, “Smartphones, internet connections and mobile internet have all witnessed a tremendous growth so obviously people are consuming more content on mobile devices, which is an irreversible phenomenon in my opinion.”
From the advertisers’ perspective, people are using digital for engagement, innovation as well as for reach. “There are different matrixes available where people can measure their results from social media and videos. Targeting is much more superior than print or any other media as far as digital is concerned. We believe the intensity of targeting will only get strengthened over the next two years when more and more machines will come, which is already happening based on people’s past usage. We will see targeting based on more and more usage,” Johar informed.
Over the past few years, the digital space has been growing by rapidly. It’s already a big and sizable platform now. Johar said, “Approximately Rs 4000 – 5000 crore was spent on digital this year. It’s already a very big platform in India and it will only get bigger and bigger in the coming days. In the next five – six years it will become as big as print.”
While on the one hand there are the popular upper crust channels that do well in terms of viewership, on the other there are also those at the bottom rung, which don’t command healthy viewership. Johar said, “It’s very tough to aggregate and do a campaign with measured money. However on the digital platform, even on a smaller budget, one can make a good impact on the target group with creative content. One can create a lot of buzz on digital as opposed to television. In today’s time, the consumer likes to discover things, they like to interact rather than being just told about it.”
Throwing light on digital monetisation, he said, “In a business, which is just one year old, we are not worried about profitability. Currently we are more concerned about user’s usage and increased viewership. I think profitability will naturally be slow with these things.”
TO The NEW Digital invested $10 million last year in #fame and is still working with the same funds.
Reliance Jio offering a unique combination of telecom, high speed 4G internet data, digital commerce, media and payment services has already created a lot of buzz in the country. Opining on the same, Johar said, “I think everybody is looking forward to a great telecom infrastructure. Essentially data will be available to everyone at a compelling rate and it will expand the usage of data on all smartphones and PCs. It’s an exciting road ahead. It can be positive development for the digital environment.”
With rural India getting connected by the internet slowly but surely, digital players are smiling from ear to ear. “We are also looking forward to the infrastructure enhancement. While I do believe data is expensive now, the cost is likely to come down soon. Rural India will start adopting when the cost will come down. This will happen sooner or later and things will change,” he said.
Johar informs that TO THE NEW is eyeing new revenue models from advertising, subscription and gamification in the future.
Sharing his future insight about the company, he added, “For all the three businesses, we are looking at strategic partnerships. Our aim is to have at least our key businesses namely American Swan and #fame to strike strategic partnerships so as to expand the business in India and South East Asia over the next year.”
iWorld
Prime Video drops trailer for Lukkhe, a rap crime drama starring KING in his acting debut
Eight episodes of revenge, redemption and hard-hitting rap arrive on the streaming platform on 8th May
MUMBAI: Prime Video has unveiled the trailer for Lukkhe, an eight-episode musical action drama built around the world of rap, crime and bruised relationships — and it has done so in suitably loud fashion, launching it at a live concert in Mumbai featuring electrifying performances by KING, Amira Gill, Akshath, Raashii Khanna, Ruaa Kayy and RUTVXK. As if that were not enough, the show’s music album was also dropped at the event, in collaboration with exclusive music streaming partner Amazon Music and music label Warner Music India.
The series is directed by Himank Gaur and produced by Vipul D. Shah and Rajesh Bahl under the banners of Optimystix Entertainment and White Guerrilla LLP. It is created and executive produced by Agrim Joshi and Debojit Das Purkayastha.
The cast is the talking point. KING, the acclaimed Indian rapper and songwriter, makes his acting debut as MC Badnaam, a performer consumed by rivalry and hunger for recognition. Raashii Khanna, returning to Prime Video after Farzi, plays Gurbani. Palak Tiwari, making her streaming debut, plays Sanober. Lakshvir Singh Saran plays Lucky. The ensemble also includes Nakul Roshan Sahdev, Kritika Bharadwaj, Shivankit Parihar, Yograj Singh and Ayesha Raza Mishra in pivotal roles.
The trailer plants its flag squarely in the tension between MC Badnaam and his rival MC OG, played by Parihar, while threading in the love story between Lucky and Sanober. The soundtrack, which spans hard-hitting rap anthems to emotionally charged melodies, is as much a character in the show as any of its leads.
Gaur was candid about what drew him to the project. “Lukkhe gave me a chance to dive into a world that’s loud, emotional, and constantly on edge,” he said. “What stayed with me was how every character is chasing something personal, and music becomes their way of expressing it. Working with this cast, especially KING in his debut, along with Raashii, Lakshvir, and Palak, was incredibly rewarding because they brought honesty that elevated every moment.”
Khanna reflected on her character with evident relish. “Playing Gurbani in Lukkhe was a really intense and fulfilling experience,” she said. “What I found most interesting was how her strength comes from something deeply personal, which shapes every decision she makes. It was about finding that balance between vulnerability and grit.”
KING, stepping in front of the camera for the first time, was characteristically direct. “Stepping into Lukkhe as MC Badnaam has been a defining moment for me,” he said. “What drew me in was how real his hunger and need to be heard felt. It’s something I connect with as an artist. Bringing music into his journey made the experience even more personal.”
Tiwari described the role as a first on multiple fronts. “It was my first time working with Prime Video, and the whole experience felt new and creatively satisfying,” she said. “Being part of a story that has both intense and heartfelt moments, along with a team that brought so much honesty to it, made this journey truly memorable.”
Saran, for his part, zeroed in on what made Lucky tick. “Lucky is someone who’s trying to move forward while still carrying the weight of his past, and that push-pull made him really interesting to explore,” he said. “There’s a sincerity to his journey that I hope people connect with.”
Lukkhe premieres on Prime Video in Hindi on 8th May, across India and in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. In a streaming landscape drowning in crime dramas, this one is betting that putting a rapper at its centre – and meaning it – is enough to cut through the noise. On the evidence of the trailer, it might just be right.
