SEBI cracks down on unregistered finfluencers, but loopholes remain

Modenik Lifestyle ups ad spends by 25 percent; to double revenue growth in three years

Warner Bros. Discovery threatens legal action against NBA over media rights

Meta ordered to delete AI-generated photographs of public individuals

Esports industry divided over forming anti-poaching body

Representational image via Unsplash

Relief for advertisers as MIB restricts SDC for ads to food and health sectors only

Why are Indian brands advertising in NYC's Times Square?

What Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick teaches us about leadership

Advertising is in the position where tobacco was: IPG's Arun Kumar 

Biz Moves: Interactive Avenues, Verve Media, Foxymoron and Grapes

There is an opportunity for building a better agency, not just a different one: Manja's Prajato Guha

Paris Olympics to garner 150 million viewership on Digital, 120 million on Linear TV

Publicis Groupe to acquire Influential for $500 million

Google has a new competitor - SearchGPT by OpenAI

News influencers to be called 'digital news broadcasters', proposes new draft of Broadcasting Bill

Piyush Pandey

SC directs MIB to file affidavit within three weeks with recommendations on SDC | Ampverse shuts 7Sea Esports

Sachin Tendulkar, Adar Poonawalla-backed JetSynthesys to exit from Skyesports?: Exclusive

Quick-commerce players' ad revenue stream grows; a key investment focus for advertisers

FSSAI cancels licences of 111 spice producers due to high levels of ethylene oxide found in samples

The CRED Point: Relying on advertising virality without product virality?

Time to 'Share The Spotlight': Storyboard18's one-of-a-kind initiative to bring together women sparking change

Nobody’s Perfect Retro Porsche Ad

In Conversation With Raja Rajamannar, Mastercard

Shahid Kapoor And Varun Ganjoo Speaks On PokerBaazi's Campaign

In conversation with IHCL’s Puneet Chhatwal & GroupM’s Kate Scott-Dawkins

Why are brands including e-sports in their sports marketing itinerary?

Storyboard18 x The English Nut: How to pronounce these 10 brand names

Experts' Take On Reinvention Of Ad Campaigns Through Technology

Experts Speak On Key Emerging Trends In Cannes Lions Entries

Leaders of the future have to be outstanding human beings: Nestle MD

In conversation with VMLY&R’s Hari Ramanathan

Virat Kohli is a name that resonates with cricket fans worldwide. From his audacious stroke play to his fiery on-field demeanor, Kohli has redefined the game with his sheer passion and commitment. However, Kohli’s is a story of controversy and confrontation, a narrative that has shaped his journey to greatness. Whether it's his heated exchanges with fellow cricketers or his outspoken nature off the field, controversies are no stranger to him. 

Clash with Gautam Gambhir: One of the most memorable incidents involving Virat Kohli occurred during the 2013 IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore. As the captain of RCB, Kohli engaged in a heated argument with Kolkata's skipper Gautam Gambhir, resulting in a tense standoff that was eventually diffused by umpires and players.

Middle Finger Incident: During his early days in international cricket, Kohli courted controversy during a tour to Australia when he was seen showing the middle finger to the Sydney crowd. Kohli later explained that his actions were in response to abusive language directed at his family, highlighting his fiercely protective nature off the field.


Outburst at Journalist: The 2015 Cricket World Cup saw Kohli embroiled in another controversy when he lashed out at a journalist whom he believed had written an unfavourable article about him and his then-girlfriend, now wife, Anushka Sharma. 

Umpiring Controversy: In a Test match against Australia in 2017, Kohli accused Australian captain Steve Smith of seeking illegal assistance from the dressing room for a review.


Sunil Gavaskar Controversy: During the 2020 IPL, Sunil Gavaskar made a comment about Kohli’s performance, suggesting that he only practiced batting during the lockdown with Anushka Sharma bowling to him. Sharma’s public response underscored the challenges of being a public figure in the age of social media scrutiny.


As Virat Kohli continues to etch his name in the annals of cricketing history, his journey serves as a reminder of the complexities of success. While controversies may have punctuated his career, they have also been a testament to his unwavering spirit and fierce determination. Kohli's story is not just about cricket; it's about resilience, passion, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. As he continues to push the boundaries of the game, Kohli remains a symbol of inspiration for aspiring cricketers and sports enthusiasts around the world. His legacy is not just in the runs he scores or the matches he wins, but in the indelible mark he leaves on the hearts of fans everywhere.


Virat Kohli: A brief history of controversies and confrontations

Microsoft owned LinkedIn was down for a brief period, impacting thousands of users on Wednesday after a brief outage.


According to outage tracking website Downdetector.com, there were 48,000 reports of outages related to LinkedIn in the US.


March 5 saw the global outage of social media platforms Facebook and Instagram. Following the outage, as per multiple reports, parent company Meta’s chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg net worth declined by $ 2.79 billion, in a day, to hit $ 176 billion on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.


However, he continued to maintain his position as the world’s fourth richest person.


The global outage of Meta-owned apps Facebook and Instagram sent users rushing to Twitter now known as X to check about the outage. The apps were not working for users across the globe who experienced problems with Meta's popular apps. #InstagramDown started trending.


Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly known as Twitter) and Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg’s rival, shared a series of tweets about the outage stating, “we know why you’re all here now”.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/metas-facebook-instagram-down-for-thousands-of-users-worldwide-25534.htm">Elon Musk reacts to Instagram and Facebook outage</a>

After Facebook and Instagram, LinkedIn sees brief outage

Note to readers: Our latest column Marketing Mocktail breaks down and explains the big ideas, new disruptions and old concepts and marketing practices that matter in the modern age.


The creative brief is one of the most integral parts of advertising.


Yet, of late, briefs have become griefs - sterile and unimaginative.


We keep indulging in the over optimism of giving a bland brief and hoping for exciting creative work in return. Garbage-in, garbage-out.


Putting together a good brief is a dying art which needs to be revived.


From logic to magic


A brief is the inflection point in creating advertising and communication.


It’s the point where logic (the strategy) starts turning into magic (the idea).


It’s where planning ends and creativity begins.


Re-energising the brief


Definition of the brief should read, ‘The most insightful, inspiring, and igniting point in the creation of advertising’.


Insightful - Packed with gems and nuggets that bring the strategy to life.


Inspiring - Makes the creative team go ‘Wow!’ and take ownership of the brief.


Igniting - Triggers the creative to buzz with ideas that they can’t wait to get cracking on.


In fact, a good brief is like ‘an ad for creative people’.


What makes a great brief


While most agencies have their own briefing formats, based on their conceptual frameworks and creative philosophies, the basics of a great brief remain the same.


Here are a few key ideas that can help re-energise creative briefs.


Keep it simple and sharp


Don’t try to impress with mumbo-jumbo or jargon. Make it simple.


Rather than saying, ‘Increase TOM (Top-of-mind awareness) and brand salience’, it’s much better to say, ‘Make the brand famous.’


Instead of ‘Enhance width and depth of consumption’, why not ‘Get more people to use more’.


Also, never overload - stay focused, sharp and crisp. A brief should not be more than a page or two (that’s why it is called a brief).


Pull out little nuggets


Don’t dwell on information, instead dive for gems that bring your strategy to life and tell a story. Embed your brief with evocative and powerful nuggets.


When Taj Mahal tea bags were being launched, the nugget in the brief was to position them as ‘The Walkman of Teas’ to encapsulate the mobility, convenience and modernity of the format.


When Dabur honey was being repositioned as a health food from a home remedy, the brief summed up the challenge as moving the brand from ‘the medicine chest to the dining table’.


Bring your target person to life


One of the biggest sacrileges in briefs is the vague and rather generic definition of the target audience. You really can’t get a handle of who you are talking to until you bring that person alive.


This is how a bland brief will define the target audience for Axe deo:

Young men aged 16-25, who are concerned about their appearance and how they attract the opposite sex. They buy deodorants to smell fresh and feel confident. Axe with its masculine fragrance is the perfect choice to be attractive to girls.


Here’s an inspiring definition of the Axe target person:
Imagine Benjamin… he thinks about women a lot. A lot, a lot. But he’s not dreaming of romance, he’s a dirty boy who can’t stop thinking about sex with extraordinarily welcoming women. Yet in the real world, women are a completely different country - it’s somewhere he’s never been, it may be a while before he gets to go there, and you’re guaranteed he won’t be able to speak the language when he does. 
Deep down he wishes he could just be himself around girls and that it wasn’t so complicated, that he didn’t have to try so hard. What he wants isn’t deodorant at all, but a secret babe-magnet.


Which one do you think created the ‘Axe Effect’?


Dramatise it


A brief is more than just a piece of paper. It’s a piece of theatre.


Once, a bunch of creative people were packed like sardines into a cramped car and were told they were being taken to the client’s office for a briefing. Midway, they were intercepted by the account supervisor, driving a Maruti van (a move that was engineered). 


They were immediately transferred into the more spacious confines of the van and as they sprawled themselves, someone exclaimed, “Guys, this is the brief - travel in space.” How’s that for a powerful demonstration?


Here’s what a leading creative director told me, “I once had an account executive give me a brief with a hole burnt into it. That got me curious. Then I noticed it was for a fiery hot pizza. Right there, she got me.”


It’s time we changed the way we look at briefs, because great advertising is born out of great briefs. It may be a good idea for the industry to introduce an annual award for the best briefs as an incentive to encourage and reward great briefs. 


Can we bring the glory back into briefs? Can we have more briefs than griefs?


Yes, we can!


Anand Narasimha is a corporate turned academician with over three decades of experience spanning Brand Marketing, Advertising, Consulting, and Teaching. He writes the column Marketing Mocktail for Storyboard18. Views expressed are personal.

Marketing Mocktail: Brief or Grief - the creative brief explained

Most brands divide their advertising budget between creative development and media buying in a ratio of 1:10. However, when recalling famous advertising campaigns, it's likely that people remember the creative teams behind the ads, rather than the media planners and buyers who ensure that the ads reach the right audience with the right frequency.

In the past, when advertising was limited to one or two mediums such as TV and print, media planning and buying were relatively straightforward. However, with media becoming increasingly segmented, this is no longer the case. The role of media in the success of any campaign has therefore increased significantly. Without proper alignment between the creative campaign and media plan, the chances of failure are high.

Traditionally, advertising campaigns were conceptualised by establishing business objectives, which were translated into marketing objectives, and then communication objectives. Based on these, a brief was created, and the creative agency would uncover consumer/category insights and develop a core campaign idea. This idea would be presented alongside the TV commercial script, which formed the centrepiece of the campaign. The campaign idea would also be extended to other media such as print, digital, and OOH.

Although media objectives and planning would also be carried out concurrently, they were often not considered inputs or constraints for the creative agency.

Now, there are three problems that happen with this approach:

1. This leads to some campaign ideas/scripts which are not native to the primary platform as per the media plan. Because of a digital native TG, you might have a media plan which is heavily skewed towards Youtube to build awareness. And the best way to build awareness on Youtube is by using the 15-second non-skippable ad. Now if your hero creative is a 30 sec one and impossible to tell a coherent story in the 15-second cut, the campaign will fail.

2. Sometimes you have a wonderful clutter-breaking script, but it is not going to be registered by consumers when they watch it only once/twice. You might have a budget constraint which will limit the input GRPs in your markets. That would mean that at best you can optimize your plan to maximize reach at a three-plus frequency instead of 5/6. Now if your hero creative is witty/difficult to understand easily, your campaign will fail because of lack of enough number of exposure.

3. You might have a media plan which is skewed towards a certain region, but the core insight/communication might not resonate with that region. For Example, 50 percent of your sales might come from the five Southern States, but your campaign idea/core insight resonates more with the Hindi belt. If the TVC is also conceptualized in Hindi and only translated later to regional languages, the chances of the campaign failing will be higher.

All of these problems could be solved by making only a single change in the approach to rolling out a campaign. Include a tentative media strategy/plan, and the constraints that come with it as part of the brief that goes to the Planning team of the creative agency. This will ensure ideas and creative outputs which fit like a dream with our media strategy and plans.

If you want to use Meta in your media plan, your creative agency will ensure that vertical videos that seem native to the platform( Reels) are part of the creative output. If you have a reach plan to maximize reach at three plus frequencies, your creative agency will ensure that the communication is simple enough to understand in one go. If Kerala is a major market for you, your creative agency might recommend creating a separate campaign altogether conceptualized and taught in Malayalam using insights from the Kerala market.

The real magic happens when creative and media teams work together on a brief right from day one. This used to happen few decades back. Maybe it's time to go back to the same practice to ensure that brands get the highest RoI from their marketing spends.

The writer is the founding member and chief business officer of Atomberg. Views expressed are personal.

The power of collaboration: How including media planning in briefs can improve RoI

MAST

Brand: Oakley

Campaign: Be Who You Are

Agency: Brandmovers India

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Egz46FeBKAM" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Growing up, we were constantly asked to fit into the mould of societal expectations. Somewhere, amongst the increasing noise, doubts, aspirations and constant chatter, ‘being ourselves’ took a backseat. We forgot to focus on ourselves, be comfortable with making mistakes, and taking risks.

The latest commercial by Oakley stays true to its value of “Be Who You Are.” As the ad film rolls on, right from the hopes of 1.3bn people being shouldered by cricketer Rohit Sharma, to the doubts and noise surrounding him, the commercial shows how Sharma does not let the people’s uncertainties stop him from always giving his best. The ad film conveys the message of being your authentic self, and the importance of knowing “Who you are", where every frame of the film radiates courage and confidence. Overall, the ad film gets a thumbs up for its realism on a crucial subject.

MEH

Brand: NutriGlow

Campaign: NutriGlow

Agency: In-house

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oLn-NzVs_so" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

For years, most of the ads that touched upon the subject of beauty have either been explanatory in nature, or had a pair of girls dancing to stress upon the brand, and convey positive effects. NutriGlow’s latest campaign follows the same unsatisfactory pattern. Actor Genelia Deshmukh along with a bunch of girls are portrayed as ‘GlowGirls’ who are moving to a beat to highlight NutriGlow’s varied range of products. However, Deshmukh, who serves as the brand ambassador for the brand and is known for her bubbly and fun loving nature could not save the commercial from being a dull and disappointing one to watch. An engaging and different storyline could have prevented a Meh.

Mast 

Brand - Thums Up

Agency - Ogilvy India

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FSFd3mw8oIg" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

From sitting on tree-tops, listening to radio commentary to gathering around paan shops, Indians have found many unique ways to tune in to their favourite cricket matches. Cola brand Thums Up, plans to provide cricket fans in India with a never seen before, innovative experience through in its feature. The ad featuring Jasprit Bumrah, Umran Malik and Brett Lee, showcases an option that allows you to experience watching an ICC T20 World Cup match through a camera fitted in a wicket. Fans will have to scan a QR code on the Thums Up bottle to get access to the camera feed and become part of this immersive experience. That is as close as one can get to being present at the actual game. If this works, it is bound to leave all cricket fans stumped!

Meh

Brand - Casio India

Agency - In-house

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NDSigcUw4mw" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Are you an over-thinker? Yes? Then Casio’s latest ad is definitely one for you. The film opens with a student, who asks his father to buy him a Casio calculator. When his father asks if he can get any other calculator if he doesn’t find one by Casio, the son starts to overthink a series of probable events and scenarios that might impact his life, all due to the repercussions of using an ordinary non-Casio calculator. While the concept works well on paper, the execution doesn’t translate well onto screens. A great concept, poorly planned and executed resulted in us providing this spot, a meh. 

Mast

Brand: Tata Motors

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vjS4Q_np3KY" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Festive ads can seem too filmy and over the top with all the songs, dances and unnecessary drama around festivities. However, sometimes there are ads that truly have a feel good factor to it. The Durga Puja TVC from Tata Motors is a perfect example. The ad features the most celebrated actor of Bengali cinema, Prosenjit Chatterjee for the spot but not in a way you’d normally expect. His presence is subtle. His role is of the narrator who acts like a catalyst, adding a slight hint of glamour to the ad without being completely involved in it. The narrative is clean and well packaged with the integration of car features that seamlessly blend in. In true festive fashion, there is a sweet story, a great song and a product that is being rightfully celebrated. All the fun elements work perfectly in unison which makes this new TVC from Tata Motors a good one to watch. A definite Mast in our books. 

Meh

Brand: Hindware

Agency: In-house

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ipgCpOTvrHQ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Hindware has a new TV campaign – ‘Go Larger Than Life’ starring actor Tamanna Bhatia and The Great Khali. This is the first ever TVC from Hindware Italian Collection since the company forayed into the tiles segment. The tiles shown in the spot look beautiful and appealing for sure but unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the spot itself. With an inane narrative and an unnecessary objectification of a tall man being compared to huge tiles is unimpressive and doesn’t leave a good lasting impression. A very poor concept and even poorer execution awards this spot a MEH 

MAST

Brand: Cadbury Dairy Milk

Campaign: Cadbury Dairy Milk Bodyguard – Kissi aur ki Khushi mein shaamil hokar dekhiye

Agency: Ogilvy India

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ugp1IhxHT48" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Tigmanshu Dhulia never fails to impress viewers with his performances. In this spot, his appearance as a politician paints him as a ‘larger than life’ character. Dhulia, who is seen making his way towards the dais along with his bodyguards amidst the cheering crowd, to celebrate the success of one of his guard’s daughters who cleared the medical entrance exam is warm and comforting to watch. He is seen feeding the daughter a piece of Cadbury Dairy Milk as a token of appreciation and celebration. The ad film stays true to its message “Kissi aur ki Khushi mein shaamil hokar dekhiye.” A ‘Mast’ watch in our opinion. 

MEH

Brand: Myntra

Campaign: Myntra Big Fashion Festival

Agency: In-house

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ssr69nZDWKE" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The absence of any fun factor for an ad that aims to be comical is very evident right from the start. The campaign, which aims to promote Myntra’s Big Fashion Festival does not really generate any curiosity to check out how interesting the fashion festival might be. Even the presence of celebrity couple Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma, does not seem to add any drama to the dulness. Ironically, Myntra’s idea of using ignorance to draw attention not only tanked on screen but also failed to attract audiences in real life. An interesting build up to the story along with some festive cheer to promote the fashion festival could have prevented a Meh.

Mast

Brand: Coca Cola

Agency: In house

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WWaOTJ_E3xc" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Durga Puja for Bengalis is like a five-day long party. Like any party, food and soft drinks are an important part of this celebration. So if you are telling a Durga Puja story and you add food and soft drinks to it, you definitely make for a good storyteller. This new puja anthem from Coca Cola is a perfect spot for the pre-festive weeks. Casting the OG cool guys of Bengal (read members of Bengali band Chandrabindoo) and the catchy song add to the festive mood and cheer. The ad comes with its share of glam factor too, with Bengali superstar Dev adding spark and being a part of the 39 second screenplay. Overall, Coca Cola has done a great job with capturing the mood of the Bengal market right now with everyone preparing for the upcoming celebrations. 

Meh

Brand: Pantaloons

Agency: Production: KITCHEN, Concept: Ogilvy

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vAitIkoGJqs" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Rap songs and hip/hop as a genre are very popular with millennials and Gen Z. However, when used in an ad, it resonates only if executed and performed well. Unfortunately, this new Durga Puja spot from Pantaloons banks on a below average rap jingle that pulls down the overall vibe of the piece. Moreover, the Bengali voice overs are heavily accented. It could’ve been done on purpose to go with the background score but doesn’t help the tune in any way. It stands out as a noticeable blunder. The song, the script and overall performance of the cast makes this a wannabe number desperate for attention. We’re still on the look out for an ad that captures Gen Z mentality correctly and executes it well. 

MAST

Brand - The Body Shop

Agency - In house

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FkFmgjTZJ4g" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Breaking the popular notion that young citizens are becoming increasingly apathetic towards societal issues, The Body Shop launches a campaign calling upon policy makers to evaluate lowering the age of candidacy in the Lok Sabha from 25 to 21 years of age. The goal is to get greater youth representation in the Lok Sabha. To spread the message, the brands video campaign features young leaders from across the country including Sudhanshu Kaushik, founder, Young India Foundation (27), Jalandhar High Court lawyer Inderpreet Kaur (24) and Sachin Rathod, independent panch ingalangi (29) talking about their efforts in bringing change in society thereby inspiring others. The ‘Be Seen Be Heard’ initiative is being rolled out through a partnership with Young India Foundation. The WHY25 drive has been launched across India at all The Body Shop stores in September 2022 and will run till end 2024 in over 25 states with offline and online petitions to support the cause. Now, that's what you call a brand with a purpose. A mast ad, definitely a great watch. 

MEH

Brand - Levi’s India

Agency - Spring Marketing Capital

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vZ8pJXzA1h0" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Levi's India’s series of ads with Deepika Padukone follow a pattern that has become repetitive and boring. In the new ad Padukone is seen in a space that needs to be set up and decorated. The camera follows her doing various chores like pushing a sofa into place, sticking a poster on a wall while ambling around with her friends, etc dressed in a new baggy Levi’s jeans of course. The spot ends abruptly leaving viewers confused. While Levi's baggy collection might be in vogue, its advertising seems really last season! It’s time for a refresh. 


MAST

Brand – Bombae Fuzz Off Trimmer | Painless hair removal for women

Agency/Production House – Talented, StudioFry

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tJdv1KX0cPY" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

This 30 seconder is an edgy one. It’s probably the only hair removal brand that has shown body hair before women shave/wax/trim it off. Bombae says #FuzzOff to societal expectations. It shows the pain women go through to go hairless and attempts to normalise never-seen-before body hair imageries. An empowering ad that breaks boundaries. It’s a mast watch because it is changing the narrative of the category.


MEH

Brand – Manyavar | Taiyaar Hokar Aaiye

Agency - Shreyansh Innovations

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FmSZL1LByzE" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The hyperactive actor Ranveer Singh for the new commercial of Manyavar is featured as a spunky wedding photographer. For a change, he is dressed perfectly fine. However, he singles out a suit-clad ‘mausaji’ by saying he is ruining the perfect family photo in his western outfit. Okay, we get it, this was all supposed to be in good fun and maybe for the sake of advertising. However, we think the brand could have picked a better line of thought to stitch the script. After all, isn’t fashion a personal choice? Shouldn’t Singh know that better than anyone else?

Mast & Meh: Oakley, Thums Up, Tata Motors, Myntra, Levi's India

The biggest test Indian girls face in their school years is the "beauty test", says Unilever-owned beauty brand Dove in its latest campaign released on International Daughters Day 2022 (25 September). The ad has been viewed by millions of netizens, garnering over 12 million YouTube views in four days. 

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mv_1W3ss408" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

While the campaign gained appreciation for starting a conversation about deeply ingrained beauty biases, a section of audiences also criticised the company for double standards. Unilever sells Glow & Lovely (earlier called Fair & Lovely) which largely hinged its communication equating fair/light skin with success. However, in 2019 Unilever changed the product name and also its advertising strategy to be more inclusive and conscious. 

This is reflected in the new Dove ad as well. 

Made by advertising agency Ogilvy India, the ad shows how young girls are subjected to socially accepted standards of beauty which drastically impact their confidence and self-esteem. The Stop The Beauty Test 2.0 is an extension of its previous campaign that was focused on beauty judgements faced by women during marriage. 

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/E3kWzRB6Yy8" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

To be sure, Unilever said that Dove launched a study which stated that 80 percent of Indian school girls have faced unjust beauty tests as a teenager. Hence, this year the conversation has shifted focus from prospective brides to the stage where it all begins – adolescence.

 In an exclusive conversation with Storyboard18, Harman Dhillon, vice president, hair care, Unilever talks about the backlash on its new campaign, changing ideas of beauty and how Dove is striving to stay relevant among Gen Z consumers.

Edited excerpts:

There is a certain set of audience that have criticised the new campaign. How does the brand deal with the negative feedback?

Our intent with #StopTheBeautyTest campaign was clear - to make society aware of a prevailing issue faced by young girls on a daily basis. To bring about a tangible impact with the Dove Self-Esteem Project, we are training teachers to deliver educational modules around body confidence and self-esteem to young minds. Our purpose of the campaign is to create awareness regarding when these beauty biases start, and the impact it has on women. We respect everyone's point of view and hope they see that our objective is to redefine the scope of beauty - celebrating it in its authentic and diverse form.

What kind of research went behind picking the theme for this edition of the campaign?

At Dove, we’re constantly working towards making beauty a source of confidence and not anxiety. Last year, we brought to light beauty-based judgements women especially faced during marriage and the impact it had on their confidence. However, during our research we uncovered a key moment of truth wherein societal standards of beauty are imposed on women much earlier on - as young as adolescence. Capturing this sentiment, we shifted our focus on the root of the problem - moving our communication from prospective brides to teenage girls. At a time when these girls should be concentrating on education, they are being unknowingly subjected to beauty biases by society. We felt that this was a crucial stage of intervention and wanted to bring about a tangible change. Thus, with #StopTheBeautyTest 2.0, we aim to raise the self-esteem of these young girls and break through beauty led stereotypes. 

Where did the inspiration for the execution of the campaign come from?

As always, we wanted to share real stories enacted by real girls and feature the real-life implication beauty judgements have on their self-esteem. So, the brand film is a portrayal of exactly that. We want to highlight how family and peers, in the guise of guidance, are pressuring young girls to fit prescribed beauty standards and how this can lead to body image issues in their young minds - eventually stunting their confidence. The #StopTheBeautyTest movement is an attempt to bring awareness about this issue so we can stop subjecting young girls with beauty-based report cards and grading them on external appearances. The focus instead should be on building their self-esteem so that they can be comfortable in their own skin and realise their potential to the fullest. 



<blockquote>While Dove’s global markets may be slightly more evolved, we’re not far behind where customers are demanding equal representation and opportunity. Brands no longer can superficially support progressive social movement but need to be actively engaged and be true drivers of change.</blockquote>



What is Dove doing to stay relevant among the Gen Z? How do they define beauty and is it different from older consumers?

The Dove Self-Esteem Project is aimed at the Gen Z with a vision to empower 8 million young minds by 2025. As part of the initiative, we partnered with experts in the fields of psychology, health and body image to create educational modules around body confidence and self-esteem which will be delivered by teachers under the life skills curriculum. Through this we will be reaching girls and boys in grades 6, 7 and 8 in selected schools across 8 states.

The ultimate goal is to change ‘beauty’ from its conventional lens and redefine and realign what it means to be beautiful. In comparison to the older generation, the younger audience is demanding an ethical, inclusive and diverse representation of beauty in media and Dove’s Real Beauty motto stands tall to deliver on the ask - ensuring beauty is not defined by shape, size or colour but being beautiful is to be the best version of yourself.

Any unique trends in terms of advertising or consumption you are witnessing among your TG in India? How's it different from Dove's global markets?

The Indian woman has gone through a complete metamorphosis in the recent time, especially when it comes to her portrayal in advertising and media. We’ve come a long way from women being conditioned to believing their self-worth is dictated by the perception of others, to now where they are seen taking charge and having a voice of their own. At Dove, we’re proud to have been one of the leading contributors to this change and are glad that brands across categories are following suit.

Today, our TG makes their own choice and has the spending power. Beyond expecting brands to deliver high-quality products, they also demand the brand drive a thought-provoking dialogue. While Dove’s global markets may be slightly more evolved, we’re not far behind where customers are demanding equal representation and opportunity. Brands no longer can superficially support progressive social movement but need to be actively engaged and be true drivers of change.

How do you measure the success of a campaign now? Has the benchmark changed over the years?

Today, the success of a campaign, especially when it comes to the type of campaigns Dove has been leading, is very different from the benchmarks traditionally set in place. The impact is no longer purely number driven. The campaigns of the current era are heavily driven by the impact they have on people and the type of change we can drive through the efforts of the campaign. 

Are the days of big splash TV campaigns long gone? What works for new gen consumers?

Television is a relevant medium even now, in my opinion. There is still a large set audience in the deeper pockets of our nation who yet rely on television for entertainment as well as information. Thus, given that our target isn’t just the metro markets but pan India, TVC’s are a prime medium for us to bring our narrative alive. On the other hand, speaking about the new generation of consumers, social media has emerged as a stronger medium of communication than most others since it allows a two-way communication unlike TV. Thus, it is essential for us to keep the balance while strategising our media plan.

Exclusive: Unilever’s Harman Dhillon responds to feedback on viral Dove ad

Two years ago, YouTube introduced Shorts in India. Today, Shorts are generating 30 billion views per day, which is four times more than one year ago. Ajay Vidyasagar, Regional Director, APAC, YouTube Partnerships, says the language platter and the content genre is only growing in the market and Shorts is fueling the growth. He also talks about monetization on the platform and more. 

Edited excerpts.

Shorts completed two years in India. How has it been? And what has the growth story been like from where you started to where you are now? 

YouTube as a platform is over 14 years old in India. When we got started, our primary mission was to democratize video creation. Until that point, the world really saw storytelling as being the forte of a few. Our goal was to really, truly, truly democratize this in a manner that anyone who is interested in sharing a story should be able to share it. Our role in that was to use technology to take out all the friction in the operationalization of it and help good stories to be discovered, consumed and engaged with. That is really what we’ve been able to do in scale over these many years.

YouTube Shorts was announced two years ago; we flagged that off in India. The YouTube Partner Program (YPP) program was only available and enabled for long form and mid form content. So, we launched a YouTube Shorts fund, in which we worked closely with content creators to help them see a line of revenue for their work.

While we see a lot of entertaining content on the platform, what is the kind of interest you have seen brands? Are brands using Shorts like they are using other UGC platforms for integrations? Help us understand with some examples.

YouTube has enabled so many different formats to co-exist and speak to one another: long form videos, snappy Shorts, livestreams and deep dive podcasts. Advertisers can, therefore, choose to talk to their target audiences- in as many forms of stories, across as many devices, as many languages and as many times a day - effectively and at scale. 

YouTube Shorts are generating 30 billion views per day globally. India was the first country where we launched Shorts and we’re proud of how quickly YouTube Shorts have become popular in India. Brands are starting to see results too. For instance, Oreo, which started its very first Shorts Challenge in Tamil Nadu with 10 of our top creators in the market to launch Oreo Double Stuf during Pongal last year. With 8 million views on their content, the brand was able to build salience in the market, improving branded searches and household penetration in a key market for them. 

How important is India as a market for YouTube when it comes to Shorts? How does it compare to other markers?

We saw the great potential and engagement short form content has for today’s increasingly mobile viewer. That’s why two years ago, we introduced YouTube Shorts, first in India, to make it easier to watch and create short-form content on YouTube. It was where our journey began, and it’s encouraging to see the adoption and excitement the product brings to both creators and viewers. 

We truly believe that what moves India, has the potential to shape the world. Digital video has become a gateway to the world for millions of Indians. In particular, short form video, which is easy to consume and create, represents opportunity like no other - to be entertained and inspired, to learn and earn, to connect and grow. 

When we introduced Shorts, we knew that we were bringing an important new format for creators and that our creators are leveraging Shorts to help breathe new life into their existing channels or inform a new content and engagement strategy is testament to their creativity.

We’re constantly impressed that creators are getting really innovative with how they use the full breadth of video formats that YouTube offers to meet their personal and business goals: from growing views and subscribers, reaching out to new audiences and growing their earning potential. 

Shorts has helped capture the interest and imagination of mobile-first creators and viewers who from whom a smartphone is a window to a world of opportunity. In India, Shorts is lowering the barriers for under-represented voices to come to the fore and pursue their passions; many of whom may otherwise have not had a platform to do so. We’re seeing creators across languages, socio-economic backgrounds and even India’s hinterlands turn to Shorts to share their passions, grow their channels and build successful careers.

Shorts has introduced a new monetization format. Please help us understand how it will benefit the platform and the creators?

We recently unveiled the next chapter in rewarding creativity on the platform by expanding the platform’s monetization system, YPP, to allow more creators to join the program, introducing new ways for creators to earn revenue through Shorts, and re-imagining the music industry and creator dynamic by opening up ads monetization for those who feature music in their videos. 

Starting in early 2023, Shorts-focused creators can apply to YPP by meeting a threshold of 1000 subscribers and 10 million Shorts views over 90 days. These new partners will enjoy all the benefits YPP offers, including ads monetization across Shorts and long-form YouTube videos. This is another option to the existing criteria where long-form creators can still apply to YPP when they reach 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours. Creators can choose the one option that best fits their channel while YouTube maintains the same level of brand safety for advertisers. To support creators who are early in their YouTube journey, YouTube will also introduce a new level of YPP with lower requirements that will offer earlier access to Fan Funding features like Super Thanks, Super Chat, Super Stickers and Channel Memberships. 

To reward the new creative class, beginning in early 2023, we’ll be moving away from a fixed fund and doubling down on a unique revenue sharing model for Shorts for both current and future YPP creators. Because ads run between videos in the Shorts Feed, every month, revenue from these ads will be added together and used to reward Shorts creators and help cover costs of music licensing. From the overall amount allocated to creators, they will keep 45 percent of the revenue, distributed based on their share of total Shorts views. The revenue share remains the same, no matter if they use music or not. 

YouTube Shorts came to India at a very opportune time. It came right when UGC was becoming very popular and the market was expanding beyond metros. Throw some light on how you managed to gain footing in the Bharat market?

When you look at all of the digital platforms in the country, YouTube is fueled by voice, video and vernacular. So, because of that, the innate ability for the platform to go to every nook and corner of the country, and be understood, be loved, and be engaged, is very natural. It actually is the easiest form of communication that somebody can get on the digital connected platform.

We started off with a predominantly English language journey and then Hindi language content started to take off from India’s metro cities. If you remember, back in the day a lot of our creators were comedy centric and from urban centers.

Now in the last five to seven years, two very big things have happened with YouTube. The content creation has gone into the heartland of Hindi speaking markets. Hindi has become far more reflective of the evolving user base that has happened. Now it’s no longer a metro phenomenon.

We’re also seeing a host of other languages also doing very well on YouTube. Telugu and Tamil continue to be heavy-use cohorts for us. The richness of the language space has been unbelievable for us. From Punjabi, Haryanvi, Bhojpuri, Bengali, to Marathi, Gujarati, there is just an extraordinary breadth of languages. Shorts has helped these markets as well. We have seen extraordinary volume from these language markets.

Ours is a journey that is really about going wider and deeper and Shorts is helping us fuel that in even more in a significant manner.

Platforms that offer both long form and short format content often see the latter stealing all the limelight. Have you noticed any such pattern?

No creator says that I want to be a short-form creator or a long-form creator. They want to be storytellers and they want to express themselves and tell their stories in different forms. We might think about telling a story today that may need 10 or 20 minutes but tomorrow, we may have a story that may shine in 30 seconds.

Our role as a platform is to give a very versatile toolkit that can help a creator succeed in every format. That’s the core of what we do. When you think about video creation, our job is to give a toolkit that helps any video creator, do what they want to do, and express themselves with the least amount of friction. We do believe that both creators and users do not ever say that I’ll only consume a story, if it is, of this size or this form. They actually want a powerful story. The ability to have that sort of freedom with scale and the best technology is really what we do. That’s what we’re focused on. That’s what we’ll always be focused on.

What are your future plans for the offering? What are the top priorities when it comes to new plans for Shorts in India in FY-23?

Shorts is a natural evolution for us: YouTube Shorts is a new way to create and watch short, mobile videos. If you think about YouTube’s earliest days, we launched with a short 18-second video, ‘Me at the Zoo’. What changed since then is how easy it’s become to create and watch short-form videos. We wanted to make it even easier for people to create short videos on YouTube using their phones, so Shorts is a natural evolution for us. 

We’re building features that are unique to YouTube. We’re bringing all short-form video to YouTube, and all of YouTube to short-form video in a really significant way. There are billions of videos on YouTube - by unlocking those videos for features like remixing so people can sample from those in their own Shorts, we’re creating a real playground of creativity like never before. We have the ability to connect multiple ecosystems - YouTube as we know it today, YouTube Music, and now YouTube Shorts. You can imagine what this might look like in the future - it will allow people to connect more deeply with the content, creators, and artists they’re most interested in. This truly is just the beginning.

EXCLUSIVE: What moves India has the potential to shape the world, says YouTube's Ajay Vidyasagar

Leo Burnett and Jim Beam

Publicis Groupe-owned Leo Burnett has been appointed as the global agency-of-record (AOR) for Beam Suntory’s Jim Beam, an American brand of bourbon whiskey. The account, which was won following a multi-agency pitch, will see the agency develop a new global positioning and creative platform. This is the second time Leo Burnett has been appointed as the AOR for Jim Beam. 2016 marked the year when the agency was first selected as the AOR for the American brand. Recently, Beam Suntory announced that it would invest $400 million in renewable energy systems while boosting bourbon production. 

Hashtag Orange and Signify India

Digital marketing company Hashtag Orange has won the creative mandate for Signify Innovations India, erstwhile lighting division of Philips Eindhoven of Netherlands. Their responsibility would include ideation, development, and execution of the company’s creative campaigns for both online and offline channels. As per a media report published in June, Signify was looking to grow by 18-20 percent during 2022 in India. Last month, Hashtag Orange appointed Shraddha Iyer as the branch head of its Hyderabad office. Further, the agency bagged mandates across several key accounts. They include GMR Hyderabad International Airport, Monte Carlo, Rock-It, Hype Ryno, EDGE by Pearl Academy, HOUSR co-living and Tulips Hygiene.

Carat India and TimesPro

Marketing agency Carat India has won the integrated media mandate of TimesPro, an edtech initiative of Times Group. The responsibility of the agency would include managing TimesPro's omnichannel media services, and this will be handled by the agency’s Mumbai office. The account was won following a multi-agency pitch.

Bharat Media Group and Newell Brands

Newell Brands has appointed Bharat Media Group, a 360 degree marketing agency to handle its brands - Reynolds and Sharpie's strategic and creative duties. The mandate includes co-creating the growth roadmap for both businesses in the Indian market. Three weeks ago, Bharat Media Group was appointed as the Agency-Of-Record (AOR) for Super4, Indian fantasy sports platform. The role of the agency will include overseeing the integrated strategy and media mandate which includes creative, performance and experiential marketing, media planning and buying (across medium, traditional and digital), OOH, and cinema. Bharat Media Group has recently made key hirings including Unilever’s former head of Trading and Partnerships, Rohin Desai, who joined as national buying head in August. Desai will head the group’s entire media buying activities across India. He will be based out of the Mumbai office and will report to Anand Charles, CEO, Bharat Media Group. In May, Debarghya Mitra joined as national head of planning. Mitra was VP of client services and head of South at WPP-owned Essence.

Option Designs and CFS Vision

Creative and digital marketing agency Option Designs won the creative and digital mandate of CFS Vision, an optical retail chain of Center for Sight Group of Eye Hospitals, which is backed by Mahindra Partners. Their responsibility would include developing creative digital branding strategies for the company. By 2027, CFS Vision aims to create 500 retail locations. In the coming years, the brand will also begin manufacturing frames and lenses under the Make in India initiative.

Compiled by Kashmeera Sambamurthy

Biz Moves: Bharat Media Group gets cracking; Carat India, Hashtag Orange and Option Designs win accounts

Dating app Tinder, in a recent survey, reveals that most young adults in India have little or no confidence in navigating consent and find it hard to have conversations on the subject. Amongst those surveyed in Mumbai, more than 64% of young adults are hesitant to give consent, ask for it, and to withdraw consent when dating someone.

When asked about situations when their consent was violated, 65% of young Mumbaikars chose not to speak to their date/partner about it and turned to a friend and looked for resources online, illustrating the need for continuous dialogue on this subject. In fact, 83% of these young adults in Mumbai believe that consent should be discussed more openly with partners.

The findings are based on research conducted by YouGov which surveyed  1,018  young adults (18-30 years) across  Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad.

Young Indians want to learn and discuss consent with 1 in 2 recognizing themselves as the biggest channel for normalizing conversations around consent.

Around 8 in 10 young adults in Mumbai believe that consent should be discussed more openly with partners, 76% want it to be even taught formally in schools and colleges, and 72% have taken steps to personally understand the concept of consent.

More than 7 in 10 young adults in Mumbai seek more resources and safe spaces (both physical and online) on consent to be more educated and aware in their personal settings. Amongst a broad group of stakeholders potentially responsible for normalizing conversations on consent, young people identified parents (55%), themselves (44%), and schools and colleges (39%) as the top three influencers responsible for that conversation.

Across various aspects of consent education, most of the young Mumbaikars are most interested in learning about how to give consent (44%), understanding their own boundaries and limitations (41%),  followed by how to ask for consent (40%), emphasizing the need for consent education in the city.

The survey highlights that there are a myriad of factors that prevent young adults from communicating consent or the lack thereof to their dates or partners. The most frequent reasons include: afraid of hurting the date/partner’s feelings (41%), themselves are awkward having such conversations (36%), not knowing how to say no (33%) and anxious about not being liked (30%).

Young adults in Mumbai also have clear categorisation of widely understood metaphors for warning signs.They listed top three red flags include making fun about your interests/beliefs, asking for personal/intimate pictures, and not being empathetic towards others.

Yet putting them into practice proves harder than imagined: 3 in 5 young Mumbaikars say that they would hesitate to say no to a kiss and an almost equal number say they would hesitate to dismiss intimate advances even though it might make them uncomfortable.

Young adults in Mumbai believe that consent extends beyond intimacy and includes a larger concern for privacy and emotional boundaries.
 
The survey was a part of Tinder’s effort to create awareness around the importance of consent.  The platform is bringing back ‘Let’s Talk Consent’, its initiative to encourage conversations around consent and safe dating. This year, the campaign launches with “We Need To Talk”, a short film that explores the nuances of consent in interpersonal relationships amongst young Indian adults.

This will be followed by a Consent and Safe Dating curriculum, developed by experts and available online and in person in select universities, to give young adults access to appropriate information and a safe space to have a healthy discourse on the subject.
 
''Our Let’s Talk Consent initiative aims to give young adults the tools and resources to understand how consent equates freedom in making choices, mutual agreement and normalizes open discussions on tough topics. Coupled with safety products in the app and initiatives such as these, we are committed to working towards creating a healthy dating ecosystem in the country,” says Taru Kapoor, GM, Tinder & match group, India.

Young adults don’t know how to give, ask or withdraw consent while dating, Tinder study

Sleeping disorders are so common and yet there is not enough awareness about them in India. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), for instance, is a disorder caused by the repetitive collapse of the upper airway during sleep which leads to difficulty in breathing while sleeping. While it's one of the most common sleeping disorders, not many people know about it.

To tap this massive gap in the market, medical equipment company ResMed India has launched a campaign featuring singer and rapper Baba Sehgal.

Created by advertising agency Bang in the Middle, ResMed’s #AwakenYourBest campaign is aimed at creating awareness on sleeping disorders like sleep apnea and emphasis on sleeping well.

In the video, Sehgal, in his quintessential rap style, is seen crooning a rap or sleep anthem that talks about taking a simple at-home test to diagnose sleep related disorders. The purpose of the campaign is to create awareness about the importance of good sleep in a full-filled manner.

“There’s a great gap when it comes to talking about sleep disorders and we wish to start the conversation and create awareness,” says Seema Arora, business head - consumer and digital, South Asia, ResMed.

Acute sleep deficit

ResMed conducted a study, speaking to over 5000 people digitally to understand the impact on sleep post-pandemic. The findings show that Indians take a long amount of time (close to 90 minutes) to fall asleep which is far higher than Japan (25 minutes), China (42 minutes) and Korea (30 minutes). The longer duration is equated with extended screen time on devices.

“Data also confirmed a severe pandemic impact on sleeping habits in India. The survey also stated that 62 percent Indians agreed that stress has impacted their sleep during the pandemic as well as post pandemic. Erratic work schedules, excessive digital exposure and unhealthy lifestyle is contributing to poor sleep quality,” shares Arora.

Although ResMed is targeting consumers aged 30-69 years residing in the top 20-25 cities, it is also looking to connect with young Indians (under 25 years) who could be potential influencers in their household.

“We do wish to speak to audiences above the age of 25 years to have the information and encourage their loved ones to take the test and check about the quality of their sleep,” says Arora.

Social media and digital platforms are the likely places where ResMed is hoping to engage with potential customers.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DLyzgN_IKEQ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Market potential

India is a huge market for ResMed. Arora quotes a Lancet Respiratory Medicine 2019 study, which states that an estimated 5.4 percent of all Indians ages 30-69 years (28.8 million) have moderate to severe sleep apnea. The level of sleep awareness continues to remain low in a country like India, with only a handful of sleep labs for a population of over 1.3 billion.

The study states that people are often unaware about sleep issues and even if diagnosed with sleep disorders, they tend to hide them. Hence, there is a need to create awareness about the importance of sleep and sleep related disorders.

“The potential in the India market is huge. 28.8 million people could be dealing with sleep apnea. Diet and workout can have a positive impact but it is not the gold treatment for a sleeping disorder. It requires a proper sleep check-up followed by a CPAP (Continuous positive airway pressure) machine to treat sleep apnea. As we start creating awareness we foresee a demand for these products,” says Arora.  

Currently, there are barely 30,000 to 35,000 odd CPAP devices which are being sold in a year. Compared to the population the penetration of these devices is still less. ResMed is looking to change that.

Agency speak 

Naresh Gupta, co-founder and CSO, Bang In The Middle says that Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a life-threatening condition and it's easy for the brands to be in the zone that is a bit scary.

“All our consumer chats pointed towards the fact that instilling fear doesn't work as well as creating a happier curative story. Baba Sehgal has a unique style of telling the story, we merged it with an interesting way of taking the consumer on a journey with us," says Gupta.  

"The way the music flows and the way the scenes change in the commercial brought the audience into the brand fold,'' he says, adding, "The simple call to action of asking for a Home Sleep Test was made possible with the magic that was weaved through earworm quality of the music." 

ResMed has kicked off its campaign with a song and dance and the hope that its rap track can help Indians sleep well.

ResMed hopes its rap track can help Indians sleep well

FM Nirmala Sitharaman’s Interim Budget 2024 excluded any update on crypto regulations and taxes. This, while India continues to work alongside the G20 nations to formulate global regulatory framework on cryptocurrency and blockchain. 

The Indian government has been going back and forth with the Indian crypto industry in the past few months to meet some of their demands. 

The crypto industry too didn’t have hopes from this year’s budget considering it is an interim budget, ahead the upcoming elections. In their recommendations, the industry body Bharat Web 3 Association (BWA) asked for regulatory tightening of offshore exchanges, and represented its demand for rationalisation of taxes.

As per reports, BWA said that India leads in grassroots crypto adoption in the world and is the second largest market in terms of transaction volumes in 2023. 

Interim Budget 2024: FM Nirmala Sitharaman excludes update of crypto regulations and taxes

As per reports, BWA said that India leads in grassroots crypto adoption in the world and is the second largest market in terms of transaction volumes in 2023.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced significant revisions to the capital gains taxation structure. The Union Budget 2024 has received positive feedback from stakeholders in the gaming and esports industries. Measures like as the elimination of the Angel Tax and reduced capital gains tax for startups have been welcomed.

Rajan Navani, President of the Indian Digital Gaming Society backed by CII and the Vice Chairman & MD of Jetline Group of Companies and the founder and CEO of JetSynthesys states, "The reduction in tax on long-term capital gains from the sale of shares of startups and unlisted entities by 8-9% to 12.5% is another significant advancement. Bringing this rate on par with listed shares achieves long-awaited parity and will massively increase domestic capital investment through family offices and venture funds in startups and new-age businesses."

He points out the allocation of Rs 2 lakh crore, including Rs 1.48 lakh crore for education and skilling, highlighting the government's commitment to preparing our youth for the future. The new centrally sponsored skilling scheme, in collaboration with state governments and industries, is a significant advancement. By designing courses with industry input, the government ensures that our youth will emerge as seasoned professionals, ready for a rapidly evolving job market. This continuous upskilling approach aligns with the principle of a lifetime of careers, empowering individuals to adapt to technological advancements and industry shifts.

While addressing the impact of union budget on the gaming and esports industry, he says that the industry has long advocated for youth upskilling, and it is encouraging to see the government align with this vision. A tech-savvy, skilled workforce is vital for these sectors, and the increased investment in education and skilling will undoubtedly equip young talent to excel.

Akshat Rathee, Co-founder and MD of NODWIN Gaming says, "We’re happy to hear the Hon'ble Finance Minister’s announcement to rollback the Angel tax for all investors in today’s Union Budget. This move will create a vibrant environment for startups across the nation and is a major boost for Indian gaming and esports entrepreneurs, leading to more opportunities as well as higher engagement with the youth. The plan to simplify FDI rules and promote the use of the Indian Rupee for overseas investment is a promising approach that will encourage global entertainment giants to invest in India, further strengthening our position as a global cultural and entertainment destination."

According to him, focusing on enhancing sports infrastructure in Bihar is a positive step since the state has already shown its commitment to integrating esports into mainstream sports. This additional government support will help nurture young talent and promote esports as a new-age sport nationwide.

"Additionally, reducing the BCD on mobile phones, chargers, and PCDA will make smartphones more affordable, which is fantastic for mobile gaming enthusiasts. This will boost mobile gaming adoption within the nation and further strengthen India's position in the global mobile gaming market, bringing us closer to becoming the largest. Overall,  we’re excited to dive into these opportunities to drive growth and make waves," he states. 

Roby John, CEO and Co-Founder of SuperGaming shared his opinion on the reduction in customs duty on mobile phones and the removal of the Angel Tax. He says, "Today's Union Budget, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, offers multiple benefits to the country’s video gaming ecosystem. The reduction in basic custom duty on mobile phones is a move that will make smartphones more affordable, which is excellent news for India's extensive mobile gaming community."

"For our upcoming game, Indus, and other games in the market, this means reaching a broader audience and accelerating growth in the mobile gaming sector," and adds, Additionally, the removal of the Angel tax is a major boost for the entire startup ecosystem. This will give relief to more gaming and esports entrepreneurs who want to bring their innovative ideas to life, thereby strengthening the gaming and esports ecosystem in India. Overall, we are confident that these measures will propel India's tech and video gaming industry, bringing India’s gaming culture forward,” he empahsizes.

Addressing the budget, Dr Aruna Sharma, Policy Advisor, Practitioner Development Economist and Former Secretary to GoI proposes alternatives such as merging apprenticeships with MSMEs and using online games to engage skill development. She says, "The Economic Survey released on 22nd July highlights the urgent need for right skilling, revealing that 50% of the youth are not employable due to inadequate skills. As an outcome, like this year, skilling has been a focus area for the government in the past many years."

She further adds, "However, despite a decade of investment in skilling, the allocated budgets have not delivered the desired results. Attaching a couple of apprentices to MSMEs might prove to be essential. Furthermore, online gaming could be an effective tool for skill development through engaging methods. We need trained individuals who are focused, dedicated, and hardworking."



Union Budget 2024: Major tax revisions set to boost gaming and esports sector

The Union Budget 2024 allocated Rs 4,342 crore to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), with Rs 1,089 crore designated for information and publicity. Under social services, a capital outlay of Rs 38 crore has also been allocated for information and publicity. Compared to last year, there is no significant difference in the advertising and publicity budget for this fiscal year.

According to the budget expenditure report for 2024-2025, the government has allocated Rs 36.93 crore for Art and Culture and Rs 2,959.94 crore for Broadcasting. Furthermore, the government has allocated Rs 23 crore to the National Film Development Corporation. The budget for Prasar Bharati stands at Rs 2,509.94 crore this fiscal year, compared to Rs 2,644.02 crore last year. The government has allocated Rs 409.90 crore for the establishment expenditure of the Center for information and publicity.

Funds for the Broadcasting Infrastructure Network Development are implemented through Prasar Bharati. The scheme aims at the digitalization and FMization of the AIR Network, upgrading the capacity of the DTH platform to accommodate more channels, and enhancing the viewer experience.

In FY23, Rs 1,078 crore was allocated for information and publicity, while in FY22, Rs 1,001 crore was allocated. However, the current allocation of funds does not show a significant difference in the government’s ad spending.

A senior media analyst said, “TV gets the major chunk of the ad spends from the government’s publicity budget. With a few months left for the completion of the fiscal year and very little spent on advertisement during the first half, the government will utilize the funds in the upcoming months, boosting the AdEx.”


Union Budget 2024: Government to spend Rs 1,089 crore for information and publicity

In a move to encourage more startup investments in the country, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced on July 23 that the angel tax will be abolished for all classes of investors in the Budget 2024. Additionally, the Union government will establish a Rs 1,000 crore venture capital fund to boost space startups. The minister mentioned that the Indian space economy will expand fivefold over the next decade but did not elaborate on which entity would set up the fund or how the funds would be invested.

"The announcement of the removal of the Angel Tax for all classes of investors is a huge reform. This is essential for startups to remain in India and grow from here. This is a major step forward for Indian startups and a watershed moment in the Indian startup story," said Siddarth Pai, Managing Partner, 3One4 Capital.

"A tax on capital is antithetical to capital formation and has long been used to harass startups and investors. Given the mandatory dematting of securities, Section 68, and the disclosure of unlisted investments in tax returns, the transparency gap that the Angel Tax was created to address has been plugged. It took 12 years, but the startup industry can now heave a sigh of relief that the dreaded angel tax has been removed," he added.

Manoj Agarwal, Managing Partner of Seafund, said, "As a deep tech-focused VC fund, the Finance Minister's announcement of a Rs 1000 crore space economy VC fund and an R&D fund of Rs 1 lakh crore will act as a strong catalyst for startups in deep tech and space tech. This Budget has addressed several longstanding demands of the industry. Rationalizing LTCG to 12.5% for all financial and non-financial assets is also a step towards bringing parity between listed and unlisted companies."

Agarwal further stated, "However, the biggest takeaway from the Budget is the removal of the angel tax. This will ease the process of raising funds for early-stage founders and will encourage more early-stage investors and angels to consider startup investing as a fruitful asset class. In our view, this single announcement is a small step towards making angel investment accessible for people with investment capital that currently goes to markets and mutual funds."

Anil Joshi, Managing Partner, Unicorn India Ventures, “The 1000 Cr fund of funds for space tech is testimonial to India’s capability in coming up with breakthrough solutions at low cost. This will certainly help space tech companies to look for much needed early stage capital to get started. This will certainly help mobilise over Rs 4000 Cr, great move.” 

Joshit said, “Angel Tax abolishment was long pending, glad that Hon. FM has heard industry voices and has finally abolished it. This will certainly help in expansion of angel investment in India and will take away a lot of burden from the minds of everyone on tax notice for tax paid investment. This will also free up a lot of domestic capital and improve the funding sentiment in a strong way.” 

Last year, a change in the angel tax provision introduced in the Union Budget raised concerns about startup investments in the country by foreign investors. This was because an exemption for money raised from foreign investors under the so-called angel tax regime was removed in the Finance Bill, 2023.


Finance Minister abolishes angel tax to boost startup investments

The travel industry has suggested a slew of initiatives for Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman ahead of the upcoming Budget 2024 that will be presented in the Parliament on 23 July, Tuesday.


According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTC), the industry will be contributing around Rs 21.15 trillion to India’s GDP in 2024, a marked 21% above 2019 levels. 

Besides, the WTC has also predicted an increase in employment in the travel and tourism industry by 2.45 million this year.

Madhavan Menon, Executive Chairman at Thomas Cook (India) Ltd has recommended slashing the income tax levels that will boost travel and tourism spending. Besides, Menon said that LTA (Leave Travel Allowance) exemption should be implemented annually as against twice in four years to catalyse domestic tourism.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/fmcg-majors-share-budget-expectations-21293.htm">Budget 2024: FMCG majors Parle, Godrej and Adani Wilmar share budget expectations</a>

Menon also suggested that the setting up of new airports via private participation should be prioritised by the Centre. There should also be a rapid expansion in rail, road, and waterways (sea and river cruises), he added. 


As per industry data, air travel in the country has surpassed pre-COVID levels as compared to the USA, Canada, and Australia where the passenger traffic has just reached or is still below pre-COVID levels. From January to May 2024, domestic airlines carried 661.42 lakh passengers, marking a 4% YoY growth. Rail passenger volumes have also increased. According to a recent F&S report, buses remain the most preferred mode of travel, accounting for 70% of all transportation in India as of March 2023.

Aloke Bajpai, Chairman, Managing Director & Group CEO, ixigo has expected that the Modi government will continue to allocate resources for the development of infrastructure, technology, and safety measures at existing and new airports in tier 2,3 and 4 cities to cater to the growing demand. 

Bajpai also emphasized the need to simplify visa requirements for tourists visiting India to boost foreign arrivals. 

"We look forward to budget measures that support growth, innovation, and sustainability in the travel and hospitality sector, enhancing India's status as a top travel destination," the ixigo chairman added.

Kanika Tekriwal, Founder & CEO at JetSetGo is hopeful that Tuesday's budget will introduce more policies that will empower women, especially in aviation to excel on the global stage.

"By investing in industry-designed training programs, we can help organizations quickly absorb these women into their workforce and also inspire and equip young women to pursue careers in aviation. It's time to break down barriers and open up new horizons for women across India," Tekriwal said.

Budget expectation 2024: Tourism industry demands 'reduction in income tax levels, simplifying visa process'

Just a day before the Union Budget 2024 of the Modi 3.0 government, several experts suggested Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to keep the focus on a robust job market by incentivizing industries that have high employment potential. Besides, policies that would incentivize upskilling and vocational training are also need of the hour.

"The key to building a stronger economy for us will lie in enhancing government spending on education and bringing in more structured public-private partnerships in primary and secondary education," Anandorup Ghose, Partner, CHRO Programme Leader, Deloitte India said.

Sekhar Garisa, CEO of talent platform foundit told Storyboard18 that Budget 2024 should include policies that will drive innovation and attract foreign investments as such measures will result in job creation in emerging sectors like green collar jobs, IoT-enabled manufacturing, and travel and tourism. Garisa said that these industries have the potential to create niche job roles, helping in fostering talent development.

"At foundit, we have noted a significant 13% growth in demand for green jobs since last year, underscoring the expanding opportunities in sustainable sectors," Garisa said.

Lohit Bhatia, President of Workforce Management, Quess Corp said that the most critical thing in India's job creation is creating faster formal employment. Bhatia has suggested that the employment generation industry can be brought down in GST from 18% to 5% and considered as "merit services". 

"Domestic workers which are estimated to be 50 million (of which 85% are women) can be supported with social security under the social security code approved as part of the labour code, individuals should contribute an additional 5% towards the social security and income tax benefits can be given to such individuals for the formal employment creation. Together this focus on women, domestic workers, MSME workers, and reduction in GST for the employment industry can greatly benefit the economy by transitioning more individuals from informal to formal jobs," Bhatia said.

Himansh Verma, CEO of Navrattan Group said that the support for manufacturing, agriculture, and services can drive job creation. He added "Supporting startups and small businesses through tax breaks and easier access to capital can significantly boost job creation. Investing in infrastructure projects can lead to immediate job opportunities and long-term economic benefits.".

Mamta Shekhawat, Founder of Gradding.com pointed out that in the era of the digital economy, there should be, "more skilled employees in regions such as IT, statistics analytics, and online advertising and marketing".

Hariom Seth, Founder of Tagglabs has suggested increased budgetary allocations for, "virtual infrastructure development, upskilling applications, studies and development in emerging technology like AI, IoT, and cybersecurity". Moreover, tax incentives or subsidies for technology startups and agencies ought to, in addition, improve employment possibilities inside the sector, Seth added.

Budget 2024: Experts push for job creation by allocating funds for education, upskilling, PPP model

Indian industry leaders are eagerly awaiting the upcoming budget, with a diverse set of priorities and wishlist. Companies like IKEA are looking for a skilled and sustainability-focused workforce, while Meesho wants more government support for startups. Bajaj Electricals hopes for increased consumer spending power, and Haier Appliances prioritizes infrastructure and manufacturing development. 

UpGrad calls for educational reforms, improved skills training, and a flourishing startup environment. Even the informal waste management sector seeks modernization through strategic resource allocation.

With expectations encompassing tax relief, electric vehicle industry boosts, and more, this budget holds the power to significantly influence India's economic trajectory. 

IKEA

Susanne Pulverer, CEO and CSO of Ikea India says, "At IKEA India, we are optimistic about the upcoming budget's potential to prioritize key areas that will drive quality and innovation in the industry. We look forward to the continued rapid expansion of infrastructure, particularly digital infrastructure, across the country. Additionally, we aim to deepen the Make in India initiative to help us cater to both domestic and export markets, and advocate for provisions that promote sustainable practices, including incentives for eco-friendly materials and green manufacturing. Investments in vocational training are essential to equip our workforce with contemporary skills. Lastly, initiatives aimed at increasing consumer income will definitely boost purchasing power and stimulate demand.”

Bajaj Electricals

Bajaj Electricals CEO Anuj Poddar calls for a budget that prioritizes boosting domestic spending power, especially for the middle class and rural citizens.

“Boosting domestic consumption should be a strong theme of the upcoming Budget. Over the recent years, we have seen a lot of focus on capex outlays and infrastructure sectors. It is now time for the Budget to also provide momentum to mass consumption – by providing more spending power to rural and middle-class citizens. There are many levers to do this, without affecting our fiscal balance which is very healthy at present. Our categories (FMEG) are highly dependent on the consumer demand environment and will gain from budgetary measures that boost middle-class and rural demand.” states Poddar.

Haier

NS Satish, President of Haier Appliances India, emphasizes the consumer durables industry's desire for a budget that prioritizes infrastructure, manufacturing incentives, and digitalization. He argues these measures will create a robust market environment, benefiting both domestic appliance makers and India's overall economic growth.

“As the Union Budget approaches, the consumer durables industry is optimistic about increased infrastructure spending and the extension of PLI schemes to boost economic growth. The durables segment is currently under-penetrated, presenting a significant opportunity for demand generation. The industry is also hopeful that the government's emphasis on 'Make in India' and 'Digital India' initiatives will align with the growing consumer preference for locally manufactured products. Such focus will not only enhance global competitiveness for Indian players but also significantly boost employment," he says and adds, "At Haier India, we look forward to a budget that creates a stable and growth-oriented environment, facilitating ease of doing business and driving economic activity and demand generation. These measures will provide the much-needed impetus for sustained growth in the consumer durables sector.”

Meesho

Meesho's CFO, Dhiresh Bansal urges the government to amplify its support for startups. He emphasizes that these measures are crucial to propel India's technological growth and reach its $5 trillion dollar economic goal.

"Meesho remains optimistic about the government's commitment to fortifying India's growing startup ecosystem. Acknowledging the pivotal role startups play in steering India towards a 5 trillion-dollar economy, we recognize the need for sustained government support. India's technological contribution to GDP is growing but remains in its early stages compared to other nations. The government's involvement in encouraging venture capital and angel investment is commendable, and we believe that further emphasis on these initiatives will gradually elevate the number of startups in India," states Bansal.

"To foster continuous expansion, we advocate for an all-encompassing strategy. Moreover, simplifying the processes associated with tax compliance and lowering tax rates, especially during the initial operational years, will ease the financial strain on startups, cultivating a more advantageous business environment. Lastly, with regard to talent attraction, a reduction in taxes related to Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), presently standing at around 40%, will heighten the attractiveness of startups to skilled professionals, thereby contributing to the development of our vibrant ecosystem. This multifaceted approach aims to establish a conducive environment for startups, nurturing innovation, job generation, and sustainable economic.”, he adds.

upGrad

Mayank Kumar, co-founder of upGrad expects a substantial increase in funding for K-12 education, aligned with NEP recommendations, to revolutionize the quality and accessibility of education for every child, fostering a generation of future-ready learners. He also wishes for a boost in skill development programs through robust public-private partnerships, with a special focus on empowering government employees with cutting-edge emerging technologies. The budget should also prioritize initiatives to encourage and increase women's participation in STEM fields, creating a more diverse and inclusive workforce.

Kumar highlights the importance of making upskilling a "national habit" According to him, implementation of attractive tax benefits and incentives, akin to Section 80C deductions will help to make upskilling and lifelong learning an integral part of Indian culture. This will not only address the existing talent gap but also foster a culture of continuous learning and adaptation in the face of rapid technological advancements.

Kumar also expects a comprehensive overhaul of the ESOP taxation regime, aligning it with the treatment of shares, to unlock the full potential of ESOPs as powerful tools for attracting, retaining, and motivating talent in the thriving Indian start-up ecosystem. He believes this move will further propel the start-up revolution and contribute significantly to India's GDP.

 Kenvue

Manish Anandani, Managing Director of Kenvue India and South Asia wishes the budget should prioritize boosting disposable income through tax breaks. This would put more money in people's pockets, allowing them to buy more FMCG products, ultimately driving consumption and economic growth.

“The Union Budget 2024-25 should prioritize stimulating domestic demand by boosting disposable income through tax breaks. This will enhance their purchasing power, drive consumption and economic growth. The budget should also focus on enhancing infrastructure especially in the rural areas to ensure that essential health and everyday care products reach more households across India. Additionally, one needs to drive job creation in both rural and urban areas to build a robust economy. Together, these steps will revitalize the FMCG sector, promoting sustainable growth and resilience,” he states.

Schneider Electric 

Rajat Abbi, Vice President, global marketing, greater India and Chief Marketing Officer of Schneider Electric India says, "As we look ahead to the upcoming budget, our expectations are firmly rooted in the government’s commitment to sustainability and energy efficiency. We believe that the government is and will play a pivotal role in encouraging companies to adopt and drive forward sustainability initiatives. Providing incentives for businesses that invest in energy-efficient technologies and sustainable practices will accelerate the transition to a greener economy but also help the country achieve its goal of becoming net-zero by 2070. At Schneider Electric, we are dedicated to being at the forefront of this movement, and we are hopeful that the budget will reflect and support these priorities."

CARS24

Gajendra Jangid, Co-Founder & CMO of CARS24 wants the budget to make electric vehicles more popular. This includes tax breaks for both consumers (lower GST) and businesses (income tax relief). Jnagid also anticipates more charging stations and a skilled workforce to make EVs a success. In addition, better infrastructure and less red tape would benefit the entire auto sector.

Jangid is of the opinion that substantial investment in skill development, particularly in digital skills and emerging technologies like AI and renewable energy, is crucial. "This budget should ideally include specific allocations for upskilling programs, infrastructure development in industrial hubs, and streamlined regulatory processes to facilitate smoother operations for businesses," he says.

Recykal

"There is an urgent need for policy intervention and strategic resource allocation in the upcoming budget to address the challenges faced by India's informal waste management sector. This sector is a critical component of the country's waste management ecosystem, with a significant portion of waste being managed by informal workers and small-scale enterprises. However, it faces issues such as inadequate infrastructure, manual processes, and limited access to modern recycling machinery," says Abhay Deshpande, Founder and CEO, Recykal.

He adds, "By rethinking import duties on waste recycling machinery, the government can incentivise the modernisation of the waste management sector. This can lead to the adoption of advanced technologies for sorting, processing, and recycling waste, thereby improving efficiency and reducing environmental impact. Additionally, aligning recycling efforts with green investments can further bolster the sector by attracting financial resources towards sustainable waste management practices."


According to Deshpande, new machinery and better systems could create more jobs, especially by giving those already working in waste collection a chance for better pay and training. At the same time, this shift would help India move towards a greener economy by reducing waste and pollution.

Mankind Pharma Limited 

Arjun Juneja, Chief Operating Officer, Mankind Pharma Limited and Chairman, Pharma Committee, FICCI highlights the need for increased public healthcare spending to ensure wider access to quality medicines. He also proposes export incentives and expanded production-linked schemes to boost domestic manufacturing. 

"Key priorities include increased R&D funding, strengthening healthcare infrastructure, and streamlining the GST framework. We urge the government to prioritize increased public healthcare spending, reaching 2.5% of GDP, to ensure wider access to quality medicines. Strengthening R&D infrastructure and fostering innovation are crucial for long-term success. Enhancing export incentives (RoDTEP) and expanding PLI schemes will promote local manufacturing. Regulatory reforms and a renewed focus on primary healthcare, particularly in rural areas, are essential for our sector's resilience. Attracting NRI medical talent back to India will solidify our position as a global pharma leader," he says. 


Hero Vired

Akshay Munjal, Founder and CEO, Hero Vired advocates for continued prioritization of education, health, and skill development to cultivate a robust and globally competitive workforce. 

He says, "Developing a strong tech infrastructure is critical for fueling growth and job creation in high-demand sectors like AI, cybersecurity, and big data. Our policies must equip our workforce with essential digital skills and technologies, enabling India to spearhead global advancements. By embracing research-driven skill development tailored to job creation, we can elevate the effectiveness of our education sector. Implementing a regulatory framework for EdTech should also be evaluated as it can bring organization, transparency, and efficiency to the sector, benefiting all stakeholders involved. T By adopting these measures, we can strengthen our education system holistically and position India as a global leader in digital skills, knowledge and technological innovation.”

Indian Industry wishlist for Budget 2024: Tax relief, EV push & skill upgradation

As India prepares for the forthcoming Union Budget, scheduled on July 23, one of the key focus areas for the government should be around the consumer industry. Anand Ramanathan, Partner and Consumer Products and Retail Segment Leader at Deloitte India said that the government should consider allowing 100% FDI in multi-brand retail trade, at least for goods that get manufactured in India. He said that the government should also implement a cohesive national policy in this regard. 

Notably, India's consumer industry is expected to grow and become world's 3rd largest by 2027, behind the US and China. In India, the middle class is the main driver of consumer demand and expenditure. However, there's still a disparity in consumption between urban and rural areas in the country.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/gaming-news/indian-gaming-industry-awaits-tax-exemptions-sez-in-upcoming-budget-36680.htm">Indian gaming industry awaits tax exemptions, SEZ in upcoming budget</a>

Ramanathan suggested that continuous investment in ONDC and digital infrastructure building is required to open new growth avenues in the Indian economy.

Further, the government's focus on capex and private-sector manufacturing and service activity should support income generation and boost economic activities. The focus should be on the local implementation of the government policies. 


<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/budget-2024-boost-ai-tech-in-taxation-ppp-model-building-trust-say-experts-36433.htm">Budget 2024: Boost AI tech in taxation, PPP model, building trust, say experts</a>


According to Ramanathan, the rise in rates of levy for MUVs and luxury sedans has made the segment unaffordable for most consumers. Higher rates will not only directly affect consumers but will also have indirect consequences in terms of increased pricing for taxis, a higher logistics burden, etc. To address the limited volume growth of the industry, the government may reconsider high rates, he suggested.

Besides, reducing the import rates for EVs should be the government’s top priority, as it will boost the automotive sector and support the logistics and transportation sectors.

"To boost India’s viability as the next manufacturing hub, especially with the China+1 strategy to bolster investment in the country, the government should consider extending the concessional tax regime. This will help boost investor confidence and will also supplement the PLI schemes being run by the government," Ramanathan added.

Budget 2024: Focus should be on '100% FDI in multi-brand retail trade,' Deloitte India says

The newly formed government is set to announce its first budget on July 23, and the Indian gaming and esports industry is hoping for increased sports funding and the inclusion of esports in Khelo India. The video game industry is expecting tax incentives for developers and clear classification of Real Money Games and video games.

In 2023, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget, which many in the online gaming industry found encouraging. Storyboard18 spoke with multiple stakeholders from the esports and gaming industry to understand about their expectations for the upcoming Union Budget 2024.

Allocate Budgets for Centers of Excellence

Akshat Rathee, Co-founder and MD of NODWIN Gaming, said, "Gaming and esports have different needs and demands in the budget. With esports now under national and international sports federations, esports would benefit from increased investment in the sports budget and inclusion in national games such as Khelo India."

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/sachin-tendulkar-adar-poonawalla-backed-jetsynthesys-to-exit-from-skyesports-exclusive-36392.htm">Read more: Sachin Tendulkar, Adar Poonawalla-backed JetSynthesys to exit from Skyesports?: Exclusive</a>

Rathee further noted, "Esports has the potential to win India medals in international sports competitions. Gaming would benefit from the allocation of budgets for centers of excellence under the AVGC policy of India, where game development and associated businesses can create jobs and increase India's soft power in content for the youth worldwide."

RMG Players Will Rejoice

Rohit Agarwal, Founder and Director of Alpha Zegus, a next-gen marketing agency specializing in gaming and lifestyle, shared his perspective: "I believe in this budget session, we will not see any major updates about the video gaming and esports industry. We might, however, see updates regarding the regularization of the RMG segment and changes in policy structures/tax slabs for the same."

He added, "The battle between the division of esports and RMG is still prevailing and is being escalated to the highest authorities for judgment. For this reason, we can expect some budget modifications. I hope that decisions regarding RMG don't negatively impact the esports industry."

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/quantum-brief/exclusive-ampverse-exits-from-7sea-esports-founder-says-cant-see-growth-trajectory-in-india-36488.htm">Read more: EXCLUSIVE: Ampverse Shuts 7Sea Esports; Founder says 'can't see growth trajectory in India'</a>

Recently, a consortium of 70 Indian gaming companies wrote to the PMO and I&B Ministry suggesting a reduction of GST on video games to a 12 percent bracket to promote sustainability and better cash flow for game companies, as well as exemptions on import/customs duties, IGST, and any cess for proprietary hardware development kits used for testing and developing video games.

Need for Tax Incentives

Roby John, CEO and Co-Founder of SuperGaming, said, "The video gaming and esports industry holds high expectations for policies that will bolster economic growth and innovation in India. The gaming sector has seen exponential growth, driven by a young, tech-savvy population. We hope the upcoming budget will recognize this potential and introduce measures that support game development, infrastructure, and talent development."

He further stated, "Tax incentives for developers, investment in infrastructure, and support for local studios can position India as a global gaming leader. The gaming community looks forward to a budget that acknowledges our contribution to the economy and supports our growth trajectory."

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/gaming-news/indian-gaming-consortium-writes-to-pmo-ib-ministry-seeking-tax-relief-and-clear-classification-36508.htm">Read more: Indian gaming consortium writes to PMO, I&B Ministry seeking tax relief and clear classification</a>

Treat Us Differently

Shalin Shodhan, CEO and Founder of Masala Games, creators of the upcoming Indian mystery adventure Detective Dotson for PC and Xbox Series X and S, said, "Video games are the intersection of art, commerce, and tech. They need to be treated differently from other forms of entertainment. We hope the government considers supporting video game development by adding it to educational curriculums and skill development initiatives. This would allow India to shine on the world stage as a net contributor to game development instead of just being a consumption market."

Encourage Banks to Consider AVGC-XR IPs as Assets

Expecting multiple policies on financial incentives, taxes, game developer funds and encouraging banks to classify AVGC- XR IPs as assets, Deepak Ail, CEO and Co-founder of Dot9 Games, creators of the mobile shooter FAU-G: Domination, said, “We are seeing a fundamental shift in our industry with more made-in-India video games than ever. This will make original IP video game production the norm. The Government of India can play a crucial role in leveraging the potential of our industry with appropriate policies so that the Indian video game industry will emerge as a significant exporter and contributor to the nation’s goal of achieving a 10-trillion-dollar economy by 2047.”

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/gaming-news/indian-esports-ecosystem-slows-down-who-is-to-blame-36584.htm">Read more: Indian esports ecosystem slows down. Who is to blame?</a>

Establish SEZ for Manufacturing

Vishal Parekh, Chief Operating Officer of CyberPowerPC India, expects the government to enhance investments in building digital infrastructure and establishing Special Economic Zones dedicated to the manufacturing of PC and gaming equipment. 

Parekh said, “The gaming and esports sectors hold immense potential for career opportunities for the youth, which in turn encourages more investments in digital infrastructure, such as faster internet connectivity and wider broadband penetration. This will be crucial in ensuring that gamers across the country have access to seamless and immersive gaming experiences. The government can further fuel the gaming hardware industry by introducing subsidies for research and development in gaming technology.”

Indian gaming industry awaits tax exemptions, SEZ in upcoming budget

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be presenting the first budget of the Modi 3.0 government on July 23. The budget will focus on taxation, education, healthcare, infrastructure, and other sector. However, FM Sitharaman is most likely to have a special focus on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning because of the global buzz around this latest technological revolution.

The application of AI brings in 3-10x improvement in business processes. Therefore, it could significantly contribute to India's ambitious goal of making it a $5 trillion economy if used effectively. The Centre and the state have already implemented policies focusing on AI such as the Bhasini program, and YuvAI for skilling youth. Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Telangana have launched schemes around AI.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/eu-passes-worlds-first-ai-rules-artificial-intelligence-act-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-landmark-law-26353.htm">EU passes world's first AI rules - Artificial Intelligence Act; All you need to know about the landmark law</a>


Deloitte India’s Debashish Banerjee, and Shrenik Shah, Partner have suggested some of the pre-budget expectations around the AI sector. They said that the government should boost investments in AI or encourage private investment via tax cuts and identify new research areas such as quantum computing in AI, digital nudge for social good using AI, Explainable AI (XAI), Gen Chem, and Computational Biology. 

The government should focus on implementing AI technology in tax assessment, Deloitte India's partner added. "The use of AI by tax officials will help focus on non-compliant taxpayers, including early detection of non-compliance trends and taking preventive measures," the experts said. Besides, the Centre should reduce friction in integrating AI technologies with existing tax systems to enhance the performance of AI in tax compliance, relaying the correct information to taxpayers, etc, they said.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/govt-urges-auto-firms-to-onboard-on-right-to-repair-portal-36416.htm">Govt urges auto firms to onboard on 'right to repair portal'</a>


The experts also proposed a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model for the implementation of AI in sectors such as education, agriculture, and healthcare. For instance, using lifestyle-based data to predict future health scores for the population to reduce the burden on healthcare and proactive mitigation. 

To boost AI and analytics, they said that it should improve the trust of customers and organizations that their data is protected and secured. 
India must produce penalties for unethical use, helping it shape its image as a global AI hub, they added.

Interim Budget 2024: FM Nirmala Sitharaman excludes update of crypto regulations and taxes

As per reports, BWA said that India leads in grassroots crypto adoption in the world and is the second largest market in terms of transaction volumes in 2023.

More from Storyboard18

Brand Makers

GOAT Brand Labs raises $21 million to drive omnichannel expansion

Quantum Brief

EXCLUSIVE: Ampverse Shuts 7Sea Esports; Founder says 'can't see growth trajectory in India'

How it Works

Look beyond vanity metric to make most of print ads: Rajiv Gopinath of Publicis Media Services

How it Works

TRAI puts NCF under forbearance; Watching dish and cable TV may become cheaper

Quantum Brief

Epic Games CEO to fight against Apple’s app store policies

Quantum Brief

Bajaj Auto along with Nitin Gadkari launch world's first CNG motorcycle

Quantum Brief

Byju's to face audit unless salaries are paid, says NCLT

Quantum Brief

OnePlus India appoints Chinese exec as head of India operations amid govt's push for local talent

Quantum Brief

Marico to exclusively handle sales and marketing of Kaya’s products

How it Works

BREAKING: MIB advisory on SDC; Only Food & Health sectors to upload self-declaration certificate for ads