India Insights by Times Bridge: July '22
Dear Reader,
We hope you've been doing well.
Below is the latest from the Times Bridge portfolio and a few noteworthy trends that we have been observing in?India?more broadly.
Happy reading!
Times Bridge Events
Earlier this month, we hosted an in-person event in Bangalore to engage with investors and founders about building brands in India. We were pleased to have Ananth Narayanan (Founder, Mensa Brands) join a conversation with Viral Jani (EVP & Country Head - India, Times Bridge). They discussed culture, communication, and capital and how to leverage these pillars to immerse and scale in India. You can watch a recording of the conversation here .
In late May, we co-hosted a South Asia Networking Evening in New York for investors, founders, and industry leaders to engage about India and its vast digital and business potential. We had an impressive turnout with folks from across industries, including fintech, sports, and consumer goods. We are encouraged by the return to in-person gatherings and hope to continue hosting and engaging with others in India and abroad.
Portfolio Highlights
Our portfolio partner companies had an impressive quarter, generating outsized impact and growth in India and, in so doing, advancing their global position as well.
Headspace?has onboarded philanthropist, educationist, and mental health activist Dr. Neerja Birla as the first Indian on its International Advisory Board. Birla brings standout experience from running a mental health nonprofit and a longstanding commitment to changing the narrative around mental health in India. Her perspective and vast experience will help guide the company as it serves individuals, organizations, and educational institutions across India.
Having recently partnered with the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (India’s top-tier management institute), PwC India, and others,?Coursera?now has 19 top educational and industry partners within India. The additions will equip learners with foundational skills required for the most in-demand technology and management careers in Coursera’s largest market outside of the U.S.
Canva?and Times Bridge have been working together to introduce the design platform’s school-specific offering, Canva for Education, to K-12 schools across India. As part of the undertaking, Canva and Times Bridge conducted an in-person teacher training workshop at Mayo College (the “Eton of India”), delivering a comprehensive introduction to Canva and imparting strategies to optimize presentations for student engagement.
The Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF), which took place from May 29 to June 4, helped filmmakers reach wider audiences by partnering with?MUBI. The event is the oldest and largest film festival for non-feature films in South Asia. As part of the partnership, MIFF identified promising Indian filmmakers for MUBI, providing them with a channel to share their stories with the world.
Smule?and creative learning platform Unlu have launched a first-of-its-kind Singing Talent Show to help India’s next generation of singers build a career in music. Unlu, which will provide training to the top singers, was the perfect partner for Smule as it continues to attract young, talented vocalists from across India.
领英推荐
On Earth Day,?Business Insider?India?successfully launched 'Sustainability Insider', which strives to be India's leading corporate sustainability media platform. As sustainability increasingly becomes part of the corporate narrative in India, Business Insider will be at the forefront of empowering individuals and businesses with relevant and cutting-edge knowledge.
Girl Effect?has launched Bol Behen ("Speak, Sister") — a chatbot designed to discuss sensitive topics — on WhatsApp, further expanding its reach and accessibility for girls and young women who have questions regarding general health and sexual wellbeing. The chatbot was ?rst launched in India on Facebook Messenger in 2020 and enabled more than 100,000 conversations with over 1.6 million messages received.
Malaria No More?and Meta have expanded their partnership over the next five years to bolster malaria elimination efforts in India. The partnership, which has already leveraged a media-led awareness campaign to distribute life-saving information to over 300 million people, will support grassroots messaging and peer-to-peer learning among vulnerable populations.
The Weather Channel?has just completed four years in India. Its website traffic has grown by nearly 600% by building its brand through editorial operations and a unique social personality. The Weather Channel has guided Indians through extreme weather events, rare celestial phenomena, the pandemic, and relatable, everyday content.
India's Passion Economy
We did a deep dive into India’s passion economy. According to our assessment, a sizable opportunity exists for platforms, given that India has:
Times Group Highlights
The Times of India and The Economic Times have emerged as the top trusted news brands according to a 46-country survey conducted by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism.
India Insights
A study by McKinsey investigated whether consumer trends from the past few years are here to stay. The results from India indicate a digital-first preference for a range of goods and services coupled with perhaps the highest consumer optimism across?Asia.
Several recent trends in India point to the growth in a rapidly transforming nation, as described in this article. Noteworthy takeaways are India’s evolving social demographics, a growing economy, a surging volume of digital payments, and an increasing number of internet users — particularly in rural areas.
Thanks for reading. Until next time!