Broadband
WiFi-enabled device sales expected to grow 8% in 2019: Report
MUMBAI: Over 204 million Wifi-enabled consumer devices were sold last year by India and in 2019, an 8 per cent growth is expected to touch 221 million units, according to a report by techArc.
According to the report, with 65 per cent contribution in the total sales, mobile phones have become the most-used Wifi-enabled devices. 23 per cent is expected to be contributed by feature phones, followed by 4 per cent and less to PCs and others.
During the year 2018, all WiFi-enabled devices sold were based on WiFi 4 or WiFi 5 standards. 31.39 per cent of WiFi 5 was sold by the country whereas 68.61 per cent of WiFi 4 standard was sold in the previous year.
In the future, the country will see WiFi of 6th standard which will be supported by the flagship smartphones. It is expected that with more flagships being launched supporting this standard, the actual enablement would happen only in the first quarter of 2020.
techARC founder and chief analyst Faisal Kawoosa said, “The future lies in wireless high-speed connectivity and WiFi offers one of the most reliable and affordable alternatives to it. We have seen so far WiFi enablement through legacy IT and communications devices like laptops, routers and smartphones. This is now shifting to other consumer electronics like TVs, lighting, ACs, and refrigerators.”
The report also added that the Indian market will move towards WiFi 5 in 2019 and it’s expected that the contribution of WiFi 5 devices will more than double by the year end owing to expected growth in Smart TVs including streaming devices as well as other homes automation or smart devices leveraging WiFi connectivity.
Broadband
Zoff Foods extends Shilpa Shetty partnership into ninth year
Spice brand reinforces trust-led positioning amid growth and funding push.
MUMBAI: Nine years, one flavour and the recipe clearly still works. Zoff Foods has extended its long-running association with Shilpa Shetty, marking nine consecutive years of her as brand ambassador as the company scales its presence across Indian households. What began as a digital-first collaboration has gradually evolved into a defining element of the brand’s identity. Over nearly a decade, the partnership has mirrored Zoff’s own journey from an emerging challenger to a fast-growing FMCG player with a widening footprint across e-commerce, quick commerce and offline retail channels.
The logic behind the continuity is straightforward. In a category where trust and familiarity drive purchase decisions, particularly in spices and ready-to-cook segments, long-term associations tend to carry more weight than short bursts of visibility. Shetty’s positioning as a fitness-conscious, health-aware public figure aligns with the brand’s emphasis on purity and quality factors that are increasingly shaping consumer choices in modern Indian kitchens.
The extension also comes at a time when Zoff Foods is entering a more aggressive growth phase. The company recently raised $2 million in a Pre-Series B funding round led by JM Financial Private Equity, with participation from Aman Gupta, signalling a push towards expanding distribution, product innovation and market reach.
Company executives have positioned the continued partnership as a strategic anchor amid this expansion, reinforcing brand recall while entering new markets. For Shetty, the association remains rooted in shared values around authenticity and ingredient integrity attributes that resonate strongly with increasingly mindful consumers.
In a market crowded with new-age brands and shifting loyalties, Zoff’s approach suggests a different playbook: build slowly, stay consistent, and let familiarity do the heavy lifting. Because sometimes, in both branding and cooking, it’s not about reinventing the dish, it’s about perfecting it over time.
