Real estate developer Uppal Group has appointed Abdul Bari as Senior Vice President, Marketing & Sales. Bari brings with him 22 years of rich experience in the real estate industry. Prior to joining the Uppal Group, he had worked with companies like Omaxe, Ansals and Majestic Properties.
World Gold Council (WGC) has appointed Aram Shishmanian as CEO. Shishmanian will join WGC for a transitional period in mid-October, while current CEO, James E Burton, will continue to lead the organisation until mid-December, when he will leave to return to his native California. Shishmanian has spent his entire career at Accenture, where he has held a number of senior positions, culminating in becoming a Senior Partner and Head of the global financial markets practice. He currently serves on the Board of several major organisations.
Public issue to raise Rs 200 cr on cards. The Ultra Group, a home video company, has firmed up major expansion plans in television, Bollywood and film-distribution segments. The company is also considering going public to raise Rs 200 crore by May 2009.
With a 300-million mobile subscriber base and 100 million additions a year, India is one of the fastest growing mobile markets. To take advantage of this growth, Chennai-based MobiSiteGalore has announced the launch of ‘Build-with-Mobile’, claimed to be the world’s first mobile website builder, which would enable anyone to build a full-fledged mobile website using their mobile phones.
Dettol, which occupies a leading position in the antiseptic liquid market, has sought to create a hygiene awareness culture in Indian households. This initiative is being backed by a survey conducted by the Indian chapter of The Global Hygiene Council.
The Indian media and advertising industry is growing, and there are various domains that have grown enough for advertisers and media owners to tap in order to connect better with consumers today. In line with its series of bringing such domains under the scanner, the exchange4media Group organised the India Sports Marketing Forum (ISMF) in the Capital on September 12. The event, which was organised in association with the India Sports Equity Foundation, looked at the factors that made a difference to the way sports was seen in India.
The roll-call for the CASBAA Convention 2008, to be held in Hong Kong on October 28-30, has given a major boost to Barry Diller (IAC), Bill Roedy (MTVNI), Roma Khanna (NBCU) and Darren Childs (BBC Worldwide Channels), who will now be joined by the Asia Pacific pay-TV’s top leadership of converged carriers and content.
Disney Channel is launching ‘Break Time Masti Time’, based on the storytelling format, to mirror the fun, laughter and antics of 14-year olds during their school breaks. The programme will go on air from October and would be aired between 6 pm and 7 pm.
A day after ESPN-STAR Sports announced its acquisition of the global commercial rights for Champions League Twenty20 till 2017 for $975 million, Neo Cricket, has ushered in India’s cricket season. Starting from the last week of September, enthusiasts of the sport can look forward to a cricket blitzkrieg, beginning with the Irani Cup from September 24.
Akamai Technologies, Inc. has released the second edition of its quarterly ‘State of the Internet’ report. Akamai’s global network saw 2.1 million unique IPs from India, with the country ranking 14th in terms of unique IPs, a growth of 4.5 per cent over the last quarter.
Chennai-based Raj TV is strengthening its programme offering with the launch of new primetime shows and give a boost to its viewership. The newly launched shows vary from reality shows to mythological serials, Hollywood movies, interactive games shows, celebrity chat shows, kids shows and talent hunt shows.
Hyderabad-based SatNav Technologies has launched its GPS navigation product – SatGuide – for major retail chains across India. SatGuide has partnered with chains like Croma, Staples, E-Zone and Reliance Autozone to bring its widest range of GPS products into the neighbourhoods of consumers across India.