Author: Akanksha Nagar

TRAI urges for structured regulatory regime for OTTs

Anil Kumar Lahoti, Chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), currently is the Vice Chairman of South Asian Telecommunication Regulators' Council (SATRC).

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti says OTTs should be subject to structured regulations as regulatory issues have been raised by law enforcement agencies and traditional communications providers.

Smytten to turn profitable by FY25-end; seeks fresh funds for offline expansion

Smytten raised around $12.9M in a Series A round in 2022 led by Fireside Ventures and Roots Ventures, and is staring at a Series B round to expand its offline presence, its co-founder Swagat Sarangi (ex-head of business marketing at Google) tells Storyboard18.

The try-and-sample e-commerce start-up Smytten is expecting Series B funding soon to expand its offline presence and technology infrastructure. Having crossed the Rs 100 crore revenue milestone recently, Swagat Sarangi, Co-founder, Smytten and Smytten Pulse, shares the plan to grow at 40% year-on-year for the next three years.

Return to Retro: Brands are singing same old song to inject nostalgia

Nostalgia is a powerful route because it relies on sensory stimuli like taste and touch to trigger emotional associations with a past— which is often idealised by consumers, say experts. (Stills from the ads)

From reviving old logos and jingles to repurposing old insights, nostalgia is becoming an important peg for brands in storytelling these days— but is GenZ impressed? Experts doubt.

HUL challenges Rs 962-crore tax demand for Rs 3,000-crore GSK deal

HUL completed the merger of GSK Consumer Healthcare with itself, and acquired Horlicks brand for India from GSK for Rs 3,045 crore, in April 2020.(Image source: Moneycontrol)

Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) has filed an appeal with the Commissioner of Income Tax to challenge the Rs 962 crore tax demand related to its acquisition of the ‘Horlicks’ brand from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).

CCPA issues guidelines against greenwashing, misleading environmental claims

"It is imperative that these positions are filled as soon as possible to ensure consumer cases are handled efficiently," Khare said.

Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare says that Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) may initiate individual or class actions if investigations indicate violations of the Consumer Protection Act, greenwashing guidelines, and other relevant rules.

DoT urges TRAI to bring pesky callers under regulatory mechanism: report

DoT advisory noted that violations could lead to imprisonment or hefty fines. Social media platforms are required to comply by February 28.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is seeking the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to regulate telemarketers, and foster accountability of telemarketers alongside telecom operators and curb pesky callers.

BFSI sector’s ad volumes see 37% increase in print in H1 FY24

BFSI ad volume saw a drop in the radio medium in H12024, according to the TAM Adex report. (Representative Image: Erik Mclean via Unsplash)

The banking, financial services, and insurance sector’s ad volumes saw a 14% increase on TV, and 17% in digital but a drop of 2% on radio, compared to the first half of fiscal year 2023.

Reliance Industries may acquire stake in Dharma Productions: report

Reports have surfaced that Reliance Industries may acquire a stake in Karan Johar's Dharma Productions. Last week, it was reported that Saregama India aims to pick up the stake in the production house. (Image source: GQ India)

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) will likely acquire a stake in the Bollywood producer and director Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, as it explores strategic partnerships amidst rising costs.