News Broadcasting
Parle Biscuits Meets Tom and Jerry
MUMBAI: The Indian biscuit industry is set to witness a new innovation as two of the world’s most iconic brands come together to offer a product never seen before in the market. Parle Products, India’s largest biscuit manufacturer, has joined hands with Warner Bros. Consumer Products to introduce a biscuit range with Warner Bros.’ beloved animated characters Tom and Jerry, that have entertained many generations. For Mumbai-based licensing enterprise, Dream Theatre Pvt. Ltd, this ranks among its top merchandising quests.
The initiative will see Parle Products introduce a new range of its popular Milk Shakti Milky Sandwich biscuits embedded with Tom and Jerry’s faces. Carrying all-new packaging, these biscuit packs will be available in the market in two sizes – 60 grams and 120 grams, costing Rs 10 and 20 respectively.
The launch of these exciting biscuits will be followed by a post-launch television commercial. With Parle on board, the product is poised for longevity in the biscuit segment. The move assumes much significance for being the first of its kind in the market, and with the INR 21,213 crore biscuit industry watching, Parle’s dominant position will earn an extra ring of innovation.
Sharing his views on the announcement, Mr. Jiggy George, Founder and CEO of Dream Theatre Pvt. Ltd. offered, “This deal spells good news for the licensing industry. Tom and Jerry aren’t just animated characters – they have an instant ‘happiness appeal.’ We are very excited about the Parle Milk Shakti Milky Sandwich – Tom and Jerry association, a unique tie-up that brings together the strengths and acumen of Parle Products, the largest biscuit player in India, and the immense popularity of Tom and Jerry, among young and old alike!”
Mr. Pravin Kulkarni, General Manager, Marketing, Parle Products adds, “Tom and Jerry, with a classic legacy, have a lot of fans amongst both kids and adults in India. To get Warner Bros.’ Tom and Jerry on board is definitely a landmark for Parle. We have associated with Warner Bros. Consumer Products to bring Parle Milk Shakti Milky Sandwich – Tom and Jerry biscuits to consumers everywhere and delight them!”
“We’re pleased to mark WBCP’s entry into India’s food and beverage market by partnering with Parle Products for Parle Milk Shakti Milky Sandwich – Tom and Jerry biscuits,” said Preston Kevin Lewis, Managing Director – Australia, New Zealand & India for Warner Bros. Consumer Products. “This new partnership allows us to bring the most popular animated brand in India to consumers in a fun new way.”
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to air live counting day coverage for five state election results on May 4
The channel is rolling out its biggest election coverage machinery yet for results day on 4th May
NOIDA: The votes have been cast. Now comes the reckoning. CNN-News18 is pulling out all the stops for results day on 4th May, when counting begins across five battleground states — West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry — in what promises to be one of the most closely watched electoral verdicts in recent memory.
The channel’s coverage, titled Battle for the States: The Verdict, kicks off at 7am and runs through the day across linear TV, connected television and YouTube. It is the culmination of CNN-News18’s multi-format editorial initiative, Battle for the States, which has tracked the polls from the beginning under the theme Road to Power.
At the operational heart of the coverage will be the Live Results Hub, the channel’s central command centre built to collate, verify and process real-time data flowing in from reporters stationed at counting centres across constituencies. The hub combines newsroom intelligence, analytics and on-the-ground reporting to deliver what the channel promises will be the fastest and most accurate results coverage in English news.
Leading the on-air charge will be primetime anchors Rahul Shivshankar, Anand Narasimhan, Aman Sharma, Nabila Jamal and Shivani Gupta. They will be joined by a wide panel of commentators including author Chetan Bhagat; GVL Narasimha Rao, senior leader of the BJP; Smita Prakash, editor of ANI; activist Saira Shah Halim; political analyst Sumanth C Raman; Abhijit Iyer Mitra, senior fellow at IPCS; Amitabh Tiwari, founder of VoteVibe; columnist Abhijit Majumdar; Nalin Mehta, managing editor of MoneyControl; political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla; senior journalist Subir Bhaumik; and political analyst Manojit Mandal.
Shivshankar, who serves as editorial affairs director at CNN-News18, set out the stakes plainly. “Counting day is one of the most watched events in the electoral cycle, where speed and credibility are tested in real time,” he said. “Battle for the States: The Verdict is built on that promise, combining ground reporting, sharp analysis and cutting-edge election technology to give viewers the clearest and fastest route to the verdict. On May 4, CNN-News18 will once again be the nation’s most trusted channel to witness democracy in action.”
Smriti Mehra, chief executive of English and Business News at Network18, framed the coverage in broader terms. “Elections are defining national events, and audiences turn to brands they trust in moments that matter,” she said. “CNN-News18 has consistently led from the front in every election coverage, and this special programming reflects the scale of our ambition and editorial strength.”
The channel has form here. It claims to have been India’s most preferred English news destination for election results for the past 20 years, covering everything from the 2024 general elections to the Delhi, Maharashtra, Bihar and BMC polls on the back of what it calls an “Always First, Always Right” record. Five states, one day, and a nation waiting for answers. The clock starts at 7am on 4th May.
