iWorld
Vidnet 2019 set to lead engaging discussions on the OTT industry
AMUMBAI: As over-the-top (OTT) platforms have started capturing audiences from tier II, tier-III cities, beyond the top metro cities, all major players in the ecosystem have upped their investment significantly. Both international and homegrown players are trying to win more consumers with original content, innovative marketing strategy, and right distribution partnerships.
Despite the fact that the market is thriving, certain challenges like content protection, regulatory issues, monetisation, lack of measurement system are bothering video streaming services. Indiantelevision.com's flagship event Vidnet 2019 summit is ready to facilitate conversations on the opportunities and challenges of the ecosystem.
Various studies have also indicated the bright future of video streaming in India. A recent PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report said that India’s video streaming service is set to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.82 per cent to reach Rs 11,977 crore by 2023. Moreover, media agency Zenith also predicted that by 2021 Indian consumers will spend 79 minutes per day on mobile internet, up from 54 minutes today.
The summit is hosting panel discussions on OTT streaming piracy, OTT-telco relations, challenge of content protection, monetisation, consumer engagement, technology’s influence on storytelling along with other topics.
Red Chillies Entertainment Gaurav Verma, The Linus Adventures founder and chief evangelist Sunil Lulla, House of Cheer founder and CEO Raj Nayak, Viacom18 Digital Ventures COO Gourav Rakshit, ZEE5 Global chief business officer Archana Anand, Viu India country head Vishal Maheshwari, Sony Pictures Networks India digital business head Uday Sodhi, IndiaCast Media Distribution group CEO Anuj Gandhi, Amazon Prime Video India originals head Aparna Purohit will participate in the sessions along with other veterans from the industry.
"It is still day 0 in the Indian OTT landscape and the category has already witnessed exponential growth fuelled by affordability, accessibility and availability of data. Most of the growth in the category is on the back of marquee Indian originals and catch-up content from network TV. With evolving audience preferences, content consumption has now become device and screen agnostic, presenting significant growth opportunity for the category," Viacom18 Digital Ventures COO Gourav Rakshit said.
iWorld
Tips Music CEO Hari Nair to step down
Girish Taurani and Sushant Dalmia to jointly steer the company as the hunt for a new chief begins
MUMBAI: A leadership shuffle is under way at Tips Music. Hari Nair, the company’s chief executive, will step down on April 30 as the music label begins the search for a successor.
The company said Girish Taurani, executive director, and Sushant Dalmia, chief financial officer, will jointly oversee operations during the transition while the board identifies a permanent replacement.
Nair joined Tips Music in 2023 and set about reshaping the veteran music label into a more digital, data-led enterprise. During his tenure, the company secured licensing and partnership deals with global platforms including Sony Music Publishing and TikTok, while renewing agreements with Warner Music Group.
Drawing on earlier experience in technology and entertainment, including a stint at ByteDance, Nair pushed the organisation towards a performance-driven culture. He built a brand partnerships division and introduced proprietary software systems aimed at strengthening digital distribution and data capabilities.
Kumar Taurani, chairman and managing director, credited Nair with embedding a data-led culture within the company and driving revenue growth in line with shareholder commitments.
In his resignation note, Nair said that after helping transition the label into a modern, digitally focused and process-driven organisation, the time had come to pursue his next leadership challenge.
The leadership change comes as the broader Tips Films group shows signs of financial stabilisation. In the third quarter of FY26 the company reported a net loss of Rs 2.86 crore, narrowing sharply from Rs 14.2 crore in the previous quarter. For the nine months ended December, losses stood at Rs 12.37 crore.
Yet revenue told a more volatile story. Income from operations slid to Rs 4 crore in Q3 FY26 from Rs 56 crore in the preceding quarter, taking total operating income to Rs 4.56 crore.
For a company built on a catalogue of more than 34,000 tracks and decades of Bollywood hits, the next chief will inherit both a digital engine and a volatile music market. The playlist may be familiar, but the next act at Tips Music is only just beginning.
