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aha 2.0 expands to Tamil market, powered by Firstlight Media

100% cloud-native platform expedites launch of multi-language services

CHENNAI, India and TORONTO, April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — On the heels of its successful transformation to aha 2.0 last year for Telugu audiences, India’s aha streaming service intends to significantly increase its potential market footprint by using the same backend to deliver localized services to the Tamil audiences .

Firstlight Media's cloud native platform is now supporting aha 2.0 in Telugu and Tamil

Using Firstlight Media’s cloud-native OTT platform and multi-dynamic storefront technology, aha is delivering its entire content catalog to both Telugu and Tamil language audiences, while dramatically optimizing costs and time to market. The award-winning Firstlight Media technology runs on Google Cloud and is the backbone of aha’s first-to-market “glocal” strategy.

More than 70 million Tamil speakers worldwide now have the ability to access the same features that have been available since launch to 75 million Telugu speakers: fast, smooth, smart aha 2.0 experiences across multiple devices including mobiles, tablets, browsers, SmartTVs (miTV, AndroidTV, Samsung, LG, ROKU), and connected devices (AppleTV, FireTV, ROKU); enhanced personalization, customized recommendations, and exclusive content—all supported by flexible monetization options depending on customer preference and profile.

“Rapid and cost-effective entry into new regions is something that could only be supported by a 100% cloud-native platform,” said Ajit Thakur, CEO of aha. “Firstlight Media provides us with the ability to engage viewers in each market on their own terms, without the time and expense of creating an entirely new backend for each language or region. It also enables us to offer combo packs in Telugu and Tamil with 4K and Dolby through our Special Plan, which will be a super attractive feature for dual language speakers.”

aha’s lineup of blockbuster content for the 2.0 service includes digital premieres of highly anticipated Tamil shows and  films acquired and produced specifically for the aha 2.0 platform. The lineage of Aha’s includes the uniquely packaged “Writer” blended with a strong lineup of originals like Akashvani, IRAI that sizzle the netizens with unique story plots that make the service bingeworthy and present the audience with one chartbuster after another.

“aha’s visionary approach is to maximize the value of an outstanding content lineup not only in Telugu but also in Tamil, using the flexibility, agility, and scalability of a true cloud-based platform from Firstlight Media,” said Goutham Vinjamuri, COO and Co-Founder of Firstlight Media. “We’re giving aha 2.0 a competitive edge by enabling them to ideate new features and capitalize on new business opportunities in days and weeks, not months and years.”

Firstlight Media’s OTT architecture uses a sophisticated, cloud-native technology stack to power the aha platform from end-to-end, enabling rapid time-to-market; reducing cost and effort by more than 40%; and future proofing aha to enable capitalization on new trends and markets. The aha 2.0 platform, powered by Firstlight Media’s OTT architecture, runs on Google Cloud.

About aha:

Launched in 2020, aha is an Indian video-on-demand streaming service that provides 100% local entertainment. It started out with a 100% telugu OTT and has seen great success across the world with its extensive content slate that includes original programming of web series and movies, with a new release every friday. Fulfilling its promise of 100% Local entertainment, aha has recently launched aha Tamil which has 100% Tamil Web series and movies. Aha is owned by Arha Media & Broadcasting Private Limited, a joint venture by Geetha Arts and My Home Group. Aha creates original Telugu content across various formats that include movies, web-series, and non-fiction shows.

About Firstlight Media

Firstlight Media is expediting OTT’s transformation to ultra-scalable, cloud-based platforms that use artificial intelligence to drive true engagement and monetization for Tier 1 operators. Founded by a team with deep OTT video expertise and a strong track record of building successful B2B businesses, Firstlight Media is poised to capture the next wave of growth in premium OTT entertainment services. The company is headquartered in Toronto and has additional locations in Los Angeles, San Diego and Chennai, India. For more information, visit firstlight.ai.

CONTACTS: Paul Schneider, PSPR, Inc. for Firstlight Media, paul@paulschneiderpr.com, +1.215.817.4384; RIdhi Shah, Asst. Manager, Marketing for Arha Media, riddhi.shah@arhamedia.com, +91 81790 93406

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Lumina Datamatics Wins IMC RBNQA – Performance Excellence Trophy 2025 in the Service Category

MUMBAI, India, May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Lumina Datamatics, a strategic partner to global publishers and eCommerce retailers, has won the IMC RBNQA – Performance Excellence Trophy 2025 in the Service category. The award was presented at a prestigious ceremony held at the IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Mumbai on 30th April 2026.

This esteemed recognition is part of the IMC Ramkrishna Bajaj National Quality (RBNQ) Awards for 2025, one of India’s most respected benchmarks for organizational excellence. The award underscores Lumina Datamatics’ unwavering commitment to business excellence, quality-driven processes, and continuous performance improvement. Notably, Lumina Datamatics Limited is the only organization recognized in the service segment this year, representing excellence across the Business Process Management spectrum.

The selection followed a rigorous multi-stage evaluation process conducted by an eminent panel of judges, assessing organizations on key parameters such as leadership, strategy, customer focus, operational effectiveness, and overall business performance.

Speaking on the achievement, Sameer Kanodia, Managing Director & CEO, Lumina Datamatics, and Vice Chairman & CEO, TNQTech said, “We are deeply honored to receive this recognition. This achievement reflects the collective dedication, collaboration, and relentless focus on quality demonstrated by our teams across the organization. It reinforces our commitment to delivering consistent value to our clients worldwide while continuously striving for excellence in everything we do.”

The milestone highlights Lumina Datamatics’ strong foundation in operational excellence and its ongoing efforts to set new benchmarks in service delivery across global markets.

About Lumina Datamatics:

Lumina Datamatics is a trusted partner in providing digital Content Services, Retail Support Services, and Technology Solutions to companies in the Publishing and Retail Industries worldwide. We are among the largest service providers in the Content space, and our customers include 8 of the top 10 academic publishers and 3 of the 5 largest Retailers and Marketplaces. Lumina Datamatics’ expert solutions combine its various in-house and client-facing platforms, partnerships with global technology leaders, and more than 7,500 professionals across the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Philippines, and India. This integrated global capability enables the company to deliver scalable, high-quality solutions to clients worldwide.

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HOP Events, helmed by Kalpesh Kinariwala, bridges Indian talent and global prestige at the Shows of India 2026 Conclave

  • The anchor sponsorship of the Shows of India 2026 Conclave marks HOP Events’ official pathway into the Indian subcontinent; the UAE-based premium live entertainment company aims to source and showcase extraordinary Indian talent in the markets it operates in.
  • This move will bridge the gap between iconic Indian artists — rooted in Indian and South Asian culture — and world-class international venues and global audiences.
  • In addition to headlining the conclave as its anchor sponsor, HOP Events also made its presence felt in crucial conversations and networking hubs, with Founder and Chairman Kalpesh Kinariwala gracing the conclave as a speaker.

NEW DELHI, May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — HOP Events, a UAE-based premium live entertainment company, made landfall on Indian shores through the eagerly awaited Shows of India 2026 Conclave. The sixth edition of the event, which drew to a close on May 2, brought together high-profile industry veterans, change-makers, and disruptors who are shaping the future of India’s live entertainment economy.

Led by industry trailblazer Kalpesh Kinariwala, HOP Events not only participated as the anchor sponsor for the conclave but also broke new ground by offering Indian talent and agencies unprecedented inroads into global markets and prestigious productions.

Held at Delhi’s upscale The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, the two-day Shows of India 2026 Conclave is India’s most anticipated flagship gathering focused on the live entertainment, events, and experiential segments. It brings together key players from across the industry’s value chain, including event professionals, artist managers, promoters, brands, and creators, and facilitates industry-shaping conversations and collaborations.

HOP Events’ rationale for backing the Shows of India 2026 Conclave was simple but powerful – as a hub for some of the greatest artistic talent in the world, India stands to benefit immensely from HOP Events’ proven expertise in the premium live entertainment industry. With the conclave sitting at the intersection of India’s creative excellence and its commercial ambition, it is the perfect avenue for HOP Events to seek the artists, managers, collaborators, and cultural voices they want to elevate and present to the world. This anchor sponsorship is thus a declaration of HOP Events’ intent to champion Indian talent and carry it far beyond India’s borders.

Elaborating further on the sponsorship, Kalpesh Kinariwala, Founder and Chairman of HOP Events, who also spoke at the conclave, shared:

“India is producing some of the most streamed, most loved, and most culturally significant artists on the planet. Arijit Singh ranks ninth among Spotify’s top artists globally. A.R. Rahman has 75 million followers and ranks ahead of global superstars. Rishab Sharma is the number one followed sitar player in the world. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Aditya Gadhvi, Anuv Jain — these are artists with massive, passionate global fanbases.

Yet their presence on international stages, particularly in the Gulf and beyond, remains far below what their stature deserves. That is the opportunity HOP Events is seizing. The UAE is home to a millions-strong South Asian diaspora — professionals, families, and communities who are hungry for these artists and have both the means and the desire to attend premium live experiences. The Shows of India 2026 Conclave gives us the needed platform to engage with this talent ecosystem at exactly the moment when appetite for Indian talent on the global stage has never been higher.”

The conclave’s growing eminence as a premium, high-production-value platform was further underscored by its association with HOP Events, an industry leader in creating large-scale experiential events. Through the years, the Shows of India Conclave has differentiated itself through its trailblazing properties and a star-studded artist line-up. By essaying the role of anchor sponsor for India’s premier business and entertainment conclave, HOP Events is throwing the doors open for partnerships with Indian artist managers, talent agencies, record labels, and creative professionals.

As the force behind the sold-out Etihad Arena concert with Arijit Singh, A.R. Rahman, and Rishab Sharma, HOP Events knows what it takes to market Indian artists to global audiences, fill premium venues, and create experiences that do justice to the cultural magnitude these artists carry.

In the mid-to-long term, HOP Events aims to become the defining bridge between Indian artistic talent and the global stage. The company is actively scaling across the GCC and extending further into South Asian diaspora hubs globally, with the goal of bringing world-class talent backed by high-end productions and marketing sophistication to deep, passionate, and underserved audiences for Indian and South Asian cultural experiences.

About HOP Events

Founded by industry veteran Kalpesh Kinariwala, HOP Events is one of the UAE’s most prestigious names in premium live entertainment. It is hailed for curating global live experiences across the UAE and beyond. The company brings together eminent international artists, creativity, and immaculate organization on one stage, delivering world-class live concerts and entertainment experiences that make a lasting impression on the cultural fabric of the region. HOP Events’ expertise spans from close-up intimate performances to sold-out iconic arenas and includes notable names such as Arijit Singh, A.R. Rahman, and Rishab Sharma. The company differentiates itself through the three pillars of innovation, excellence, and a strong community focus. In doing so, it creates experiences that anchor communities, build connection, and foster a stronger sense of belonging, while delighting audiences with seamless execution, elevated experiences, and disruptive thinking.

https://hopevents.ae/

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MSEED and SCOPE Global Skills University Sign Strategic Partnership to Shape the Future of Experiential Marketing Education

MUMBAI, India and BHOPAL, India, May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Premium education institute MSEED (The Management School of Events and Experience Design) today partnered with SCOPE Global Skills University, Bhopal, to introduce a two-year MBA in Event Management and Experiential Marketing.

Besides boosting students academically, this association intends to equip them with the evolving demands of events and the experiential marketing ecosystem. Furthermore, the collaboration will be fueled by industry expertise and academic structure, helping students build a career in the fast-growing fields of events, entertainment, and experiential marketing.

At a time when experiential marketing is ‘evolving from a tactical activation to a strategic growth engine for brands’, this collaboration serves right.

Speaking on this exclusive partnership between MSEED and SCOPE, Joshua Newman, Vice-President – Marketing & Partnerships, MSEED, said, “Our focus has always been on outcomes, not just education. This partnership allows us to extend that vision by working with SCOPE Global Skills University to create a program that prepares students for real careers. From curriculum to classroom delivery and industry exposure, every aspect is designed to ensure that students graduate with confidence, clarity, and practical experience.”

The MBA program is designed to:

  • Provide a recognized postgraduate qualification with a specialized focus
  • Build practical skills through real-world projects and case studies
  • Offering industry interaction, mentorship, and exposure
  • Support students with internship and placement opportunities

Dr. Vijay Singh, Vice Chancellor of SGSU, hailed the launch as a landmark moment for the city. “This is a remarkable event not just for our university, but for the city of Bhopal. We are witnessing a paradigm shift in how specialized education is delivered in Madhya Pradesh. By launching this MBA in Event Management, we are providing our youth with a platform to master the art of execution, creativity, and management right here in their home state,” he said.

The partnership was formally cemented through the signing of an agreement between the two institutions in the esteemed presence of Mangubhai C. Patel, the current and 19th Governor of Madhya Pradesh, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of industry-integrated education in India.

For more information on events and experiential marketing, please visit our website.

Media Contacts:

For media inquiries, please contact

Tasneem Limbdiwala

tasneem@mseededucation.com 

About MSEED

MSEED, a part of EVA Group, India’s one of the largest live event companies, and backed by 200 odd industry veterans, the institute brings with it deep-rooted industry expertise and real-world insights. It is a creative business institute designed for the next generation of storytellers, strategists, producers, and brand builders. The mission is not just to prepare students for jobs, but to lead industries. 

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