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The <keyword id="189426" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="gsma" source="Orion">GSMA</keyword>, a global organisation that represents mobile network operators worldwide, on Monday elected Gopal Vittal, CEO of Bharti <keyword id="15491" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="airtel" source="Orion">Airtel</keyword> as Deputy Chair among the newly-elected members, for a two-year term beginning January 1, 2023. Jose Maria Alvarez-Pallete Lopez, CEO of Telefonica Group, will continue to be the Chair at the GSMA, the organisation said in a statement. There are 26 members of the GSMA Board. including senior representatives from global mobile operators as well as smaller independent operators. "The industry is at a pivotal point at the moment. It is more important than ever that we work together to ensure that the true potential of the mobile ecosystem benefits people, businesses and society as a whole", said Mats Granryd, GSMA Director General. He added that "we are delighted to welcome the new and re-elected Board members and we thank the outgoing GSMA Board members for their exceptional support". After graduating from IIM Calcutta in 1990, Vittal joined <keyword id="178761" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="hindustan-unilever-limited" source="Orion">Hindustan Unilever Limited</keyword> (<keyword id="44863" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="hul" source="Orion">HUL</keyword>), one of India's biggest FMCG companies. In 2006, he was roped in by <keyword id="6358599" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sunil-mittal" source="Orion">Sunil Mittal</keyword>, Founder and Group CEO of Bharti Enterprises, to join Bharti Airtel as the head of marketing. His first stint at Airtel lasted till 2008 as he returned to HUL. In early 2012, Vittal re-joined Bharti Airtel. In early 2013, Airtel announced that Vittal would be the next CEO of Airtel India. He took over as the CEO on March 1. More than 750 mobile operators are full GSMA members and a further 400 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem are associate members. "I look forward to working closely with the rest of the Board, the GSMA leadership team and our entire membership to address the critical issues facing our industry and our customers," said Lopez. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/telegram-launches-new-updates-with-topics-in-groups-collectible-usernames/articleshow/95353505.cms">Telegram launches new updates with Topics in Groups, Collectible Usernames</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/signal-will-now-allow-users-to-delete-stories-before-24-hours/articleshow/95357692.cms">Signal will now allow users to delete stories before 24 hours</a>

Bharti Airtel CEO Gopal Vittal appointed Deputy Chair by GSMA

<ul><li>The <keyword id="15178259" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel-5G-Plus" source="Orion">Airtel 5G Plus</keyword> service will be initially rolled out in eight cities in a phased manner.</li><li>Existing 4G subscribers in these cities will be able to use the 5G services provided they have a compatible 5G smartphone.</li><li><keyword id="15491" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="airtel" source="Orion">Airtel</keyword> is offering 5G services without any extra charges until the rollout is more widespread.</li></ul><keyword id="6354287" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="bharti-airtel" source="Orion">Bharti Airtel</keyword> on Thursday launched 5G Plus services in eight cities and users will not need to change the SIM card as the existing Airtel 4G SIM is now 5G-enabled. Customers in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Siliguri, <keyword id="4072" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="nagpur" source="Orion">Nagpur</keyword> and Varanasi will start enjoying the <keyword id="4237866" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel-5G" source="Orion">Airtel 5G</keyword> Plus services in a phased manner, said the company, as it continues to construct its network and complete the roll out. The company promises between 20 to 30 times higher speeds than the current speed, coupled with brilliant voice experience and super-fast call connect. Customers who have 5G smartphones will enjoy the high-speed Airtel 5G Plus on their existing data plans until the roll-out is more widespread. "Our solution will work on any 5G handset and the existing SIM that customers have. Our obsession on customer experience is now embellished with a 5G solution that is kinder to the environment," said <keyword id="521074" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="gopal-vittal" source="Orion">Gopal Vittal</keyword>, Managing Director and CEO, Bharti Airtel. "Airtel 5G Plus is all set to redefine the way people communicate, live, work, connect and play for years to come," Vittal added. Airtel 5G Plus runs on a technology that has the widest acceptance in the world with the most developed ecosystem. This will ensure that all 5G smartphones in India seamlessly work on the Airtel network. Airtel 5G Plus will allow superfast access to high-definition video streaming, gaming, multiple chatting, instant uploading of photos and more. Bharti Airtel last week showcased a 5G-connected ambulance to transform primary health care in emergency situations, along with smart farming solutions to Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="narendra-modi" source="Orion">Narendra Modi</keyword> at the 5G official launch in the country.

Airtel rolls out 5G Plus in 8 cities, promises 20-30x higher speeds

Telecom operator <keyword id="19951944" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharti-Airtel" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Bharti Airtel" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Bharti Airtel">Bharti Airtel</keyword> on Tuesday posted a 31 per cent drop in consolidated profit to Rs 2,072 crore in the March quarter. The company had registered a profit of Rs 3,005.6 crore in the year-ago period. The consolidated revenue of operations increased 4.4 per cent to Rs 37,599.1 crore during the quarter under review from Rs 36,009 crore a year earlier. "Consolidated performance was impacted primarily by the devaluation of the Nigerian Naira. We added 7.8 million smartphone customers and delivered an industry leading <keyword id="20233536" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ARPU" source="keywords">ARPU</keyword> of Rs 209," Bharti <keyword id="19896909" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="airtel" source="keywords">Airtel</keyword> Managing Director Gopal Vittal said. For the year ended March 31, 2024, Bharti Airtel's profit dropped 10.5 per cent to Rs 7,467 crore from Rs 8,346 crore in FY23. The annual revenue from operations of the company increased 7.7 per cent to Rs 1,49,982.4 crore during the reported fiscal from Rs 1,39,144.8 crore in 2022-23. For FY24, the Airtel board has recommended a final dividend of Rs 8 per fully paid-up equity share of face value of Rs 5 each and Rs 2 per partly paid-up equity share of face value of Rs 5 each. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/chatgpt-maker-openai-has-launched-gpt-4o-a-new-ai-voice-assistant/articleshow/110112039.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/chatgpt-maker-openai-has-launched-gpt-4o-a-new-ai-voice-assistant/articleshow/110112039.cms" target="_blank">ChatGPT maker OpenAI has launched GPT-4o, a new AI voice assistant</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/google-i/o-event-today-how-to-watch-and-what-to-expect/articleshow/110105611.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/google-i/o-event-today-how-to-watch-and-what-to-expect/articleshow/110105611.cms" target="_blank">Google I/O event today – how to watch and what to expect</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-nord-ce-4-lite-to-launch-soon-in-india-expected-price-specs-and-everything-we-know-so-far/articleshow/110076267.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-nord-ce-4-lite-to-launch-soon-in-india-expected-price-specs-and-everything-we-know-so-far/articleshow/110076267.cms" target="_blank">OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite to launch soon in India – expected price, specs and everything we know so far</a>

Bharti Airtel net profit tanks 31% to ₹2,072 cr in Q4

Telecom service provider <keyword id="6354287" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="bharti-airtel" source="Orion">Bharti Airtel</keyword> posted quarterly revenues of Rs 31,500 crore in Q4FY22, up 22.3 per cent year on year. The sharp rise in revenues was backed by strong and consistent performance delivery across portfolios. The company's <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> business posted quarterly revenues of Rs 22,500 crore, up 22.7 per cent on year. Mobile services revenues in India were up 25.1 per cent on year, led by increase in average revenue per user (<keyword id="107848" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="arpu" source="Orion">ARPU</keyword>), largely on account of flow through of tariff increase done in late 2021. Mobile ARPU increased to Rs 178 in Q4FY22 as against Rs 145 in the same period the previous fiscal. It reported a 165 percent growth in its consolidated net profit of Rs 2,008 crore in the said quarter, as against Rs 759 crore in the year ago period. Besides, digital TV continued to amass its strong market position. Further, 4G customers rose by 21.5 million on year and 5.2 million on quarterly basis, thereby crossing 200+ million milestone which is 62 per cent of the overall customer base, Bharti <keyword id="15491" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="airtel" source="Orion">Airtel</keyword> said in filing to the exchanges. It rolled out additional 7,000 towers in the quarter to provide ubiquitous connectivity and differentiated network experience. "Airtel continues to have the highest ARPU at Rs 178. Our Homes and enterprise business continue to exhibit very strong growth momentum, reflecting the resilience of our overall portfolio. Our strong balance sheet and cash flows have enabled us to further repay some of our spectrum liabilities ahead of schedule and improve our leverage," said <keyword id="521074" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="gopal-vittal" source="Orion">Gopal Vittal</keyword>, MD and CEO, <keyword id="2925917" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india-south-asia" source="Orion">India &amp; South Asia</keyword>. "We continue to remain optimistic about the opportunities in the coming years and believe we are well poised as a company for three reasons." This, he said, were firstly, its ability to execute consistently to a simple strategy of winning with quality customers and delivering the best experience to them. Secondly, its future proofed business model with massive investments in both infrastructure and digital capabilities, and lastly, the financial prudence backed by the strong focus on governance. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/lic-makes-a-weak-listing-on-exchanges-today-heres-what-analysts-have-to-say/articleshow/91621041.cms">LIC makes a weak debut on exchanges today: Here is what analysts have to say</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/paradeep-phosphates-ipo-company-revenue-profit-growth-outlook-in-10-points/slidelist/91619298.cms">Paradeep Phosphates IPO: Company revenue, profit, growth outlook in 10 points</a>

Bharti Airtel's revenues soar by 22% year on year, net profit 165% in Q4FY22

<ul><li>Bharti Airtel has officially launched its Security Intelligence Centre to protect enterprises from cyberthreats.</li><li>The company’s CEO Gopal Vittal claims that it took around ₹100 crore of investment and over a year to set up. </li><li>Vittal also revealed that the company already has 20 paying customers using the new platform and is hoping that the commercial launch will bring in more clients. </li></ul>To address the growing threat of cyber attacks on data and information, Bharti Airtel has now launched a new cybersecurity product called <keyword id="4644317" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel-Secure">Airtel Secure</keyword> for enterprises. It operates out of the Airtel Security Intelligence Centre set up in Manesar. According to Bharti Airtel’s CEO Gopal Vittal, the hub took an investment of over ₹100 crore and over a year to set up. But it’s a small price to pay for a piece of the cybersecurity market that is estimated to grow to $13 to $15 billion over the next five years. “We already have a couple of large companies who are already using our Security Intelligence Centre. We’re starting to bundle it for small and medium enterprises as well,” said Vittal, citing that around 20 paying customers already live on the product. The Government of India is also one of the potential customers with it already working hand-in-hand with the National Security Advisor (NSA). Vittal highlighted that there’s a team of over 500 cybersecurity experts behind the ‘integrated and automated’ facility. Airtel’s new global partnerships To make the new portfolio possible, Airtel has reeled in <keyword id="6390344" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="CISCO">CISCO</keyword>, <keyword id="1516392" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Radware">Radware</keyword>, <keyword id="141089" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="VMware">VMware</keyword>, and Forcepoint for this project. “You will see the launch of more and more partnerships. You will hear about that in the coming weeks and months,” said Vittal. Airtel and Radware also have plans to set up a scrubbing center in India. Roy Zisapel, Radware’s President and CEO, highlighted the recent attack on the New Zealand Stock Exchange, expressing the importance of a product like Airtel Secure for companies as the threat of cyberattacks has increased during the coronavirus pandemic with more people working from home. Vittal is optimistic that companies will sign up because security is no longer something to mull over but ‘basic hygiene’. “It’s become a very serious subject. It’s only going to grow with respect to importance over time. Every business we spoke to is acutely conscious of cyber security,” said Vittal. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/lakshmi-vilas-bank-down-5-as-concerns-over-clix-capital-merger-deepen/articleshow/78399789.cms">Lakshmi Vilas Bank is down nearly 5% as concerns over Clix Capital merger deepen</a>

Airtel launches new cybersecurity product with CISCO, Radware, VMware, and Forcepoint for enterprises — it took ₹100 crore and over a year to set up

Telecom operator Airtel has said its retail stores have now opened across most locations and that measures such as 'Concierge Service' have been rolled out for delivery of SIM card at customers' doorsteps or for installation of broadband and DTH. In a note to subscribers, <keyword id="3803888" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel-CEO-Gopal-Vittal">Airtel CEO Gopal Vittal</keyword> said that while restrictions are lifting in large parts of the country, "there seems to be even more uncertainty" as people are worried about safety of their loved ones, and there is growing concern about incomes and jobs. "At Airtel, we empathize with this uncertainty. So as each of us adapts to this new context, there is one thing we don't want you to worry about - your need to stay connected," Vittal said. Outlining measures taken by the company to ensure connectivity and continuation of services in the backdrop of the lockdown and coronavirus pandemic, Vittal said that more than a million customers have already enrolled into its 'Super Heroes' program, and have helped many more millions stay connected. "...if you want to help someone get access to our services or help pay their bills or recharge for them, we have our Super Heroes initiative. More than a million customers have already enrolled into this program and have helped many more millions stay connected," Vittal said. He said the company's retail stores are now open across most locations, and that Airtel will take all necessary precautions to ensure that staff and customers remain safe. "If you prefer to be served at your home, we now have a Concierge Service and would be delighted to come to your home. Whether it is delivery of a SIM card at your doorstep or an installation of a broadband or DTH, we can do it all," he said, adding that the field teams have been trained on a new contactless delivery and installation protocol. The 'Digital Channels' have been made even more simple to ensure that users can easily recharge mobile/TV, pay bills, buy new services or raise a complaint from anywhere, he said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/comparison-between-samsung-galaxy-a31-smartphone-vs-xiaomi-redmi-note-9-pro-max-smartphone/articleshow/76217812.cms">Samsung Galaxy A31 vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro Max – Which device should you go for?</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/remove-china-apps-removed-from-google-play-store-after-5-million-downloads/articleshow/76169569.cms">‘Remove China Apps’ pulled from Google Play store after 5 million downloads</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/keralas-liquor-home-delivery-app-bevq-has-fallen-to-a-2-1-rating-on-the-google-play-store/articleshow/76133893.cms">BevQ, Kerala’s liquor home delivery app, is ‘on the rocks’ with a 2.1 rating on the Google Play Store</a>

Airtel CEO announces retail stores open in most locations — outlines precautionary measures

<ul><li><keyword id="6354287" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="bharti-airtel">Bharti Airtel</keyword> said that it has shut down 3G services in Kolkata. </li><li>Last year, the chief executive officer of Airtel <keyword id="521074" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gopal-Vittal">Gopal Vittal</keyword> said, “The demise of 3G technology is rapidly drawing near. </li><li>High-speed data 3G services were launched amidst great fanfare in 2011 -12, triggering growth in smartphones.</li></ul>Weeks after the government said that it will auction 5G spectrum, and three years since Reliance Jio launched <keyword id="122479" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="4G">4G</keyword> services, the once-prized 3G services are being phased out. Bharti Airtel made the first move as it has<a href="https://www.teleanalysis.com/news/3g/airtel-shuts-down-3g-services-in-kolkata-31048"> shut down 3G services</a> in Kolkata, and all its customers were notified to upgrade to 4G handsets. However, the telecom operator will continue to provide 2G data services for customers who use feature phones only. The company claims that most of its consumers have already upgraded their handsets and it can use its 3G spectrum to strengthen the quality of its 4G services. “We plan to re-farm all of our 3G spectrum across India and deploy it for 4G in a phased manner. Also, it complements the smartphone ecosystem, which has now gravitated overwhelmingly towards 4G only devices,” said Randeep Sekhon, chief technology officer of Bharti Airtel. ‘Demise of 3G’ After a spurt in demand for 4G services, the company said that it plans to phase out 2G and 3G services and use the premium airwaves to make way for the new technology. Last year, the chief executive officer of Airtel Gopal Vittal<a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/telecom/telecom-news/airtel-to-start-phasing-out-2g-3g-for-4g-says-gopal-vittal/articleshow/66381263.cms"> said</a>, “The demise of 3G technology is rapidly drawing near since standalone 3G services is scarcely generating any meaningful revenue.” High-speed data 3G services were launched amidst great fanfare in 2011 -12, triggering growth in smartphones. The service remained premium for many years until a price war triggered by Reliance Jio in the data market took away pricing power from top operators like <keyword id="15492" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vodafone">Vodafone</keyword>, Idea Cellular and Bharti Airtel. Around nine years back, the spectrum auction brought a bonanza for the government as it made a whopping $15 billion from the first-ever auction of telecom airwaves. Even as 4G LTE is popular now, the country is all set for yet another mobile technology shift as the government announced plans to<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/the-indian-government-wants-to-raise-6-trillion-from-the-largest-5g-spectrum-auction-ever/articleshow/69787896.cms"> auction 5G airwaves</a> soon. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/the-indian-government-wants-to-raise-6-trillion-from-the-largest-5g-spectrum-auction-ever/articleshow/69787896.cms">The Indian government wants to raise ₹6 trillion from the largest 5g spectrum auction ever</a>

The beginning of the end of the 3G era in India begins in Kolkata as Airtel preps for the 5G life

New Delhi, Feb 5 () Telecom operator Bharti Airtel on Wednesday said it will not buy 5G spectrum in the upcoming auction if its base price is fixed at Rs 492 crore per megahertz as recommended by the telecom regulator Trai.The company has stressed balance sheet reeling under debt of Rs 1.14 lakh crore with liability to clear statutory dues of around 35,500 crore, following a Supreme Court order in October 2019 that upheld the government's stand on calculating levies over telecom licences.Bharti Airtel chief financial officer Badal Bagri during the earnings calls, however, said that the industry is now repairing itself with hike in mobile call and internet rates, which needs to rise further and it expects a favourable outcome in the adjusted gross revenue from the judiciary and regulator for long-term growth and viability of the sector."On the 3.5 Ghz band Trai has recommended price to Rs 50,000 crore for 100 mhz of spectrum. 5G requires a large block of spectrum. 100 Mhz spectrum for 50,000 crore, we can't afford. We believe it is too high. We will not pick it up at those prices," Bharti Airtel MD and CEO for India and South Asia Gopal Vittal said.The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has recommended that proposed base price of proposed 5G spectrum in 3,300-3,600 Mhz band at about Rs 492 crore per Mhz unpaired spectrum on pan India basis.Telecom operators interested in buying radiowaves for 5G will have to shell out a minimum of Rs 9,840 crore on pan-India basis to buy spectrum in 3,300-3,600 Mhz band as Trai has suggested that it "should be put to auction in the block size of 20 MHz".The Digital Communications Commission, apex decision making body at the Department of Telecom, has approved the suggestions made by Trai.Vittal said that though telecom players raised mobile call and internet rates in December, the tariff needs to go up further for better return on investments."We have ARPU of Rs 135. In the end state, I think we need to see ARPU of Rs 300 in Indian telecom. I think that is when we will turn a reasonable return of capital on the overall business," Vittal said.He said that with the last round of tariff hike, the ARPU of the company will go up, but it may not be enough to give return on the investments."While our ARPU will go up in next quarter because of tariff increases, they are just not good enough. At Rs 200, we will barely be head above water in terms of return on capital. It is clearly something that we need to see moving. I cannot comment on what the timing is," Vittal said.Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea raised their services rates by up to 50 per cent in December and their rival Reliance Jio too increased tariff by about 40 per cent.The companies cited the burden of AGR dues on their books following the Supreme Court judgement dated October 24, 2019 as one of the compelling reasons to enhance tariff.Bharti Airtel's liabilities added up to nearly Rs 35,586 crore, including licence fee and spectrum usage charge dues.It may be recalled that for September quarter, Airtel had posted a staggering Rs 23,045 crore net loss, after provisioning of Rs 28,450 crore on account of the Supreme Court ruling on past dues.Bharti Airtel has posted a consolidated loss of Rs 1,035 crore for the three months ended December 31, 2019 with apex court ruling adding to the financial woes of the company.The company had to clear dues by January 23 but it has sought time from the DoT to wait till the outcome of its modification plea filed before the apex court seeking relaxation on timeline to clear dues."We are hopeful that we will get favourable outcome from the engagement with judiciary and regulator that will ensure long term growth and viability of the sector," Bagri said.During the October-December 2019, Bharti Airtel said that it has posted the highest ever addition of 4G customers and attributed the growth to its rival operator move to charge 6 paise per minute for every outgoing call outside the network.While overall mobile customer base of Bharti Airtel grew by 1.3 per cent to 28.3 crore on quarter on quarter basis, its 4G customer base grew by 20.1 per cent to 12.3 crore on sequential quarter basis.For just ended December quarter, Airtel's consolidated revenues came in at Rs 21,947 crore, up 8.5 per cent over the same period previous year. The India revenues for reported quarter stood at Rs 15,797 crore, 7 per cent higher over same period previous year, while Africa revenues were up 14.2 per cent. PRS BAL

Bharti Airtel will not bid for 5G spectrum at Trai recommended price: Vittal

<ul><li><keyword id="270001" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Surf-Excel">Surf Excel</keyword>'s 'Daag Acche Hain' was a unique proposition from a detergent brand back in 2005 when all other brands were simply talking about how to get rid of 'ziddi daag'.</li><li>The first 'Daag Acche Hain' ad featuring two siblings was conceptualized by <keyword id="274876" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lowe-Lintas">Lowe Lintas</keyword> and aimed at presenting a different proposition, in an attempt to stand out in the category.</li><li><keyword id="185767" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Arun-Iyer">Arun Iyer</keyword>, the brain behind the ad, shares some heart-warming anecdotes from the making of the campaign. </li></ul>Over the years, Surf Excel has evolved its communication with changing times. While in the eighties, it was the iconic Lalitaji educating people about the perks of buying the detergent with ‘Surf ki khreedari mein hai samajhdaari’, the brand later came up with ads like ‘Dhundhte reh jaoge’ and ‘Surf Excel hai na’, that spoke about what made the brand special and most effective. It was in 2005 that we were introduced to the cute siblings, one of who slips on a puddle, and the other, who then punishes the puddle for hurting his sister. That’s when Surf Excel’s ‘Daag Acche Hain’ came into being. The brand already had a campaign ‘Dirt is good’ running globally, and ‘Daag Acche Hain’ was an extension of this proposition, while Indianizing it. In India, the campaign was conceptualized by Lowe Lintas. We spoke to Arun Iyer, the brain behind the campaign on our latest episode of #BTSwithInsiders, to unearth some never-heard-before stories behind the ad and he did not disappoint. While the campaign was launched in 2005, the groundwork had been done in 2004, shares Iyer, who was working on Surf Excel since 2003. “At that point of time, we were trying out a bunch of things because the brand’s growth had stagnated. The competition was coming down heavily, Ariel was doubling down on India and there was a lot of stuff happening in the category at that point in time. At the same time, ‘Dirt is Good’ had been launched in Brazil and there were attempts to bring it to India in various forms but it didn’t really resonate with people here because in India, dirt isn’t necessarily a good thing,” he shares. In 2004-2005, <keyword id="521074" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gopal-Vittal">Gopal Vittal</keyword>, who is now the CEO of Airtel, along with <keyword id="1557780" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sudhir-Sitapati">Sudhir Sitapati</keyword>, Executive Director, Foods &amp; Refreshment, Hindustan Unilever Limited, were a part of the brand. It was Vittal who said that talking about values could work because mothers want to instill values in children. “It is also during this time that children stop sharing what’s going on in their lives with their mothers.When they come back home, the stories are actually carried by the stains. You can make out what’s transpired through the stains. We realized that behind every stain there’s a beautiful story and that was the starting point,” says Iyer. However, it still took the team sometime to come up with the perfect story. “We came up with alot of stories until one day, it was around 8 pm when Preeti Nair, <keyword id="72976" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="R-Balki">R Balki</keyword> and I were sitting together in Balki’s office and there was this moment. Its classical, how we hit a table if I kid gets hurt by it. We reassure a child saying we will punish the table for what it has done to him. It’s a very innocent thing that people do and that was the behavioral insight we picked up. We thought why don’t we do this with stains? So this is how the story panned out,” he revealed. Once the idea struck, the creative team decided to share it almost immediately with the brand. “It was at 10:30 at night and Gopal was at a dinner with his team at Olive in Bandra. And Balki and I called him and told him we are coming there. The meeting was supposed to happen the next morning at 8 am but we drove down to Bandra at night and shared the script with him. Then Sudhir came over, we did a bit of research and that’s how the campaign saw the light of the day,” added Iyer. The film was directed by <keyword id="1874192" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="abhinay-dev">Abhinay Dev</keyword> and was shot by Hemant Chaturvedi in Ooty, and there was a reason for choosing the venue too. “In India, too much dirt is considered a bad thing. Too much interaction with dirt can lead to illnesses and that’s not something mothers are generally comfortable with. So we said it should be a place where even if you get dirty, it feels clean. A very innocent thought was, where was the place where if you dropped a chocolate, you could simply pick it up and eat it. That’s when Ooty came to our mind,” shared Iyer. However, in Ooty, for a child to play with a puddle full of water in the cold weather was a big challenge. The team had to think around this problem and they came up with an innovative solution. “While we were shooting there, it was really cold, muggy and was even raining a little. The shoot kept getting interrupted. And this was for the first time that the boy was acting in anything, and since it was really cold, he couldn’t take it after a point. So we devised a strategy and put hot water in the puddle. What happened after that was quite fascinating. After that, he just did not want to come out of the puddle because it was so warm and cozy in there,” laughs Iyer. It was perhaps this ad that helped the brand stand out in the category because while every other player was talking about how to get rid of stains, here was a brand saying something quite the opposite, that stains are good. And it has worked well for the brand as that still remains the brand’s core proposition and we have seen many more gems from the brand’s stable on similar lines over the years.

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