@TiEcon 2006: Announcements, Previews And Rumours

Some previews, announcements, and rumours from TiEcon 2006

- Bobby Bedi of Kaleidoscope Entertainment gave a preview of a 90 second movie clip that they have prepared with former cricketer turned commentator (and MP) Navjot Siddhu. There’s a full series called Seedhe Siddhu Se.

- Dinesh Wadhawan, Managing Director & CEO of Indiatimes said that they will launch a new portal called ‘Phat Chicks’ which will carry the worlds first ‘chatisodes’, and will combine blogs, chats, video, among other things. He didn’t elaborate further. We got to see a screencap, and it seemed to be a portal for women.

- Krishna Durbha, Head, VAS, Business & Marketing for Reliance Communications Ltd. said that “Bhojpuri rocks. We’re going to try Chhatisgarhi soon”. So they’ll be launching mobile content in Chhatisgarhi soon.

- Canaan Partners, TiE, INSEAD, the Band of Angels and Evalueserve have announced the TiE-Canaan Entrepreneurial Challenge, a contest for early stage funding.

- Satish Kaushik and Anupam Kher have together formed a new film production company called Cut2cut Entertainment, and were at TiEcon 2006 pitching to investors.

- Kingfisher Airlies will begin carrying live TV as a part of its in-flight entertainment starting Jan 1st 2007, said UB Group Chairman Dr. Vijay Mallya. This is keeping in mind the Cricket World Cup in the West Indies

- Rumour: more DVD companies could get funded soon. Sahad spoke to a VC and was told that the market is big enough. I saw a representative of a DVD company having long conversation with one of the VC’s. But there are operational troubles: also heard that DVD companies in Delhi/NCR get threatening calls from those renting out pirated DVD.