BR Shetty’s Mega Movie Plan Crashes: Huge Collapse Adds to Shetty’s List of Dud Projects in India

* The much-hyped mega crore film, Randamoozham, never really took off as Shetty withdrew from the project claiming that he did not want to be involved in the legal tangle 

* All of the projects in India, that Shetty promised to invest in, have become the subject of ridicule and mockery as Shetty did not honour even a single one his commitments

The Supreme Court has approved the terms of settlement related to a nearly 5-year-old dispute between M. T. Vasudevan Nair and director V. A. Shrikumar in connection with making of the film Randamoozham. The two reached an agreement last week to settle the dispute out of court, following which, they had informed the terms of conditions to the apex court considering the case. 

In 2014, Shrikumar had announced that Randamoozham would be made in multiple languages including Malayalam, English and Hindi at a cost of Rs. 1,000 crores, making it the costliest film in the history of Indian cinema and that it would be produced by the UAE-based entrepreneur B.R. Shetty. He had also said that the two-part film would be released in 2020 where in Malayalam it was to be named as Randamoozham and in other languages as Mahabharatham. The legal battle started when M.T. demanded that director V.A. Shrikumar Menon return the script to him since the latter had failed to start the film’s shoot according to the time stipulated in the contract. 

The film never really took off as Shetty withdrew from the project claiming that he did not want to be involved in the legal tangle. He had always claimed that he wanted to make a movie on the epic Mahabharatham but had also become wary of the fact that just as SLB’s Padmaavat had stirred up a controversy due to its name, his movie too, if titled Mahabharatham, might create issues.  

He said, “I don’t want to be involved in legal matters between Shrikumar and MT Vasudevan Nair hence have distanced myself. But I haven’t dropped the wish to make a movie on Mahabharatham. I am now on the lookout for a good script. I have reserved the money for the project and for this new project, I will get the necessary permissions from the BJP and RSS before starting my new project.” However, he never really came around to announcing another movie. 

The shelving of the legendary movie is not the only doomed project that can be attributed to Shetty’s shallow promises and tall claims. A long list of ventures that Shetty had vowed to undertake in India in healthcare and entertainment, have all been witness to a similar fate.  

MT had approached court after shooting of the film did not start even after the tenure of the contract. The case reached the high court and then the Supreme Court which today gave its nod to the terms of agreement mutually agreed upon by the two parties. The central points of the agreement include: the script of Randamoozham will be returned to MT and he will have the full right of the script. The advance amount of 1.25 crores will be given back to Shrikumar who will not make any movie on the theme of Randamoozham. While he can use the theme of Mahabharat, he will not use Bhim as the central character.  

Shetty’s List of Duds: 

* Karnataka state cabinet scrapped a Rs 450 crore worth project with BR Shetty Ventures to develop Jog Falls as there was no progress in it.  

* His ambitious 3000 acre ‘film city’ project in Jammu and Kashmir worth $1bn was a non-starter 

* His plans to invest $5 billion in creating and developing high-quality healthcare facilities across India never took off 

* His announcement to build India’s top-notch multiplex at Udupi, Karnataka, possibly with the country’s first ever 8k screen remains only on paper 

* The proposed $2-billion medical city spread across 100 acres in Amaravati turned out to be a damp squib.  

Shetty’s BRS Ventures and Andhra Pradesh Government had inked an MoU entailing investments worth Rs 12,000 crore in healthcare in Amaravati which again remains only on paper. 

* He had promised to acquire defunct paper mills in HPC's Cachar and Nagaon units of Assam and construct a health city, a school and a smart town, the launch of which is yet to see the light of day.  

* In an MOU signed with the Telangana government, Shetty had agreed to setting up healthcare manufacturing unit, multi-specialty hospital and higher education institutions in Hyderabad which he has still not bothered to honour. 

Samarthanam Trust Announces “Cash Relief for India’s Blind Cricketers”

In extreme times like now, dealing in kind has its limits but kindness doesn’t. Recognizing that cash in hand is any day, and especially so in the current position, better than providing people with things that may have or many not want, the Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled, a pan India non-profit organization founded in 1997, with a vision to empower the visually impaired, disabled and marginalized people in India, has come up with a plan to help blind cricketers in India. 

Almost 600 cricketers from across India, that includes men and women, will benefit to the tune of approximately Rs 35 lakh thanks to the largesse of Give India with whom Samarthanam has tied up to provide the cricketers associated with the Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI). Players of the 24 State teams that took part in the second season of the All India Nagesh Trophy Men’s National Cricket Tournament for the Blind as also players from the seven states that took part in the inaugural Women’s National Cricket Tournament for the Blind will each receive Rs 7,000 (for those in Tier 1 cities), Rs 5000 (for Tier 2 cities) and Rs 4,000 (for tier 3 cities). 

Take the case of Venugopal Mani, the 32-year-old Blind Cricketer from Badiyadka in Kasaragod district in Kerala, who used to sell lottery tickets when he wasn’t playing cricket.  He used to make Rs. 400-500 per day by selling lottery tickets said Venugopal who has been playing for the Kerala blind team from 2013. But this pandemic has put a hold to the South Africa Blind Cricket’s team tour of India earlier in March, took its toll away from the field too. He has to support his wife who is also a blind, a two-year-old son and his aging mother but this pandemic has confined indoors, and he had to borrow loans. 

Naturally this cash infusion from CABI and Samarthanam has left him relieved, at least for some time. “This help has come just at the right time for and I am most grateful to both the Cricket Association for the Blind in Kerala (CABK) and CABI as also to Samarthanam. I hope to get back to playing cricket and earn my livelihood soon,” said Venugopal.  

Similar is the case with Sukhram Majhi, another blind cricketer who has represented India. Hailing from Koraput district in Odisha state, he doesn’t have a job and is currently pursuing his studies as a MA student. They are a family of three and have lost his father. His mother, who is also partially blind a daily wage labourer and the only earning member of the family. His mother’s elder sister is mentally challenged and stays together with them. 

“Due to the lockdown, my mother lost her job had to depend on the disability pension and they were running out of basic essentials at home and were unable to pay the house rent. I was so grateful when I received financial help from Give India through Samarthanam. The cash assistance couldn’t have been timed better otherwise we would have been in trouble” says Sukhram Majhi. 

Shilpa’s story is no different. Having represented Karnataka in the inaugural Women’s National Cricket Tournament for the Blind back in December 2019, the Davangere girl said the lockdown and its consequences had made life very difficult for her and her family. 

“My father couldn’t go out to work and so we depended on the free ration provided by the government for BPL card holders. Just as we were getting desperate we received cash from CABI. It came as a great relief and I do hope more people like me will get similar timely support” says Shilpa. 

Soon after the lockdown was announced, the Samarthanam Trust started identifying disabled people in dire need of support and chalked out an action plan to implement the relief work. As many as 14 cities are being covered under the relief work, 3.5 lakh meals were cooked and supplied while dry ration kits are being given to 16,000 people with focus on persons with disabilities. Medical equipment such as 32,000 PPE kits and other aids such as pulse oximeters, ICU beds, masks and sanitizers were provided to 12 government hospitals. In addition, about one lakh frontline workers (ASHA workers, Sanitation workers, Anganwadi workers, Police personnel) were supported with masks, sanitizers, medical gear and even sarees (uniforms). 

Meantime some of the state associations like Kerala and Delhi announced some cash relief for their players. 

“The need of the hour is cash so that each individual can decide for himself or herself what their immediate needs are and use the money accordingly” said Mahantesh GK, the Founder Managing Trustee of Samarthanam and the President of CABI. 

“We wish we could do more but for that blind cricket needs more support from the Union Sports Ministry as also the BCCI. Our cricketers have won four World Cups (two ODI World Cups and two T20 World Cups) and have brought great laurels to the nation. We also conduct our national tournaments and have bilateral cricket series regularly every year thanks to some support from the corporate world but much more needs to be done,” added Mahantesh. 

About Samarthanam Trust: 

Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled is a National Award-winning NGO established in the year 1997 by Founder Managing Trustee Mahantesh G Kivadasannavar and his schoolmate and childhood friend, Late Sugur Paramashivaiah Nagesh. 

Samarthanam,one of the biggest NGOs in India, works for the empowerment of persons with disabilities and the underserved through its diverse initiatives focused on providing quality education, accommodation, nutritious food, vocational training and placement based rehabilitation. It facilitates opportunities to enable persons with disabilities and the underserved to keep pace with the rest of the society.Today, The organization also facilitates direct livelihood opportunities to hundreds of persons with disabilities and women in distress through its Social Enterprises. Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI), the cricketing arm of Samarthanam, fosters the game of blind cricket and the visually impaired players across India.  

Small Retailers Across Indian Market Embark on Digital Journey with Pine Labs

Small retailers across India are embarking on their digital journey with Pine Labs. Merchants can now use customer relationship management (CRM), GST billing, inventory management, staff management, barcode scanning, and loyalty programs using Pine Labs’ Plutus Smart Android PoS device.

Over 50 partner apps in these areas are now integrated with the Pine Labs’ Plutus payment system and are helping small retailers manage their business better. Small retailers operating grocery, mobile stores, and small pharmacies no longer need to deploy several different software and devices to meet their business needs.  Pine Labs’ Plutus Smart provides a full retail-automation solution, on a single PoS device.

“With the Vyapar app on the Pine Labs PoS, it is easy to manage business and keep track of transactions and bills. It has also helped in creating a trust factor with customers as now I can create invoices in the app and share them,” says Nilesh K Agarwal, a mobile store owner in Narmada, Gujarat.

Commenting on the Pine Labs app ecosystem, Nitish Asthana, President and COO, Pine Labs said, “In the post-Covid period our customers, especially small retailers are relying on digitization to grow their business. An out of box solution on our Plutus Smart PoS device with integrated app ecosystem is helping them jump start this business. We are excited to drive this digital transformation in India.”

A partial list of apps available via Pine Labs’ Plutus Smart can be found here: https://www.pinelabs.com/products/business-apps

About Pine Labs

Pine Labs is one of Asia’s leading merchant commerce platforms. Its unique cloud-based platform enables it to offer a wide range of payment acceptance and merchant commerce solutions. Its stored value platform includes issuing, processing, and distributing digital gift cards for corporate customers. Its customer base includes prominent large, mid-sized and small merchants across India, South East Asia, and the Middle East. Pine Labs is incorporated in Singapore. Pine Labs’ key investors include Sequoia India, Mastercard, Actis Capital, Temasek, PayPal and Sofina. To know more, please visit www.pinelabs.com 

Dettol BSI & NASVI Partner to Train and Provide Access to Hygiene Products to Street Vendors in India

* With an objective to drive behavior change communication, the nationwide partnership program will help street vendors across India inculcate hygiene practices in their everyday routine

* In the first phase of the nationally focused partnership program reached street vendors across Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru & Surat

Dettol BSI, the flagship program by RB, global consumer healthcare company, announced partnership with National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) for a program to support street vendors in India and create a healthy and hygienic environment for them. The nationwide partnership aims to provide training and access to hygiene products like Dettol Soaps and masks to ensure better health and hygiene practices. Simultaneously it aims to help them emerge from the languishing financial condition by instilling public confidence in street vending.

The street vendors constitute an integral and legitimate part of the trade and distribution system for the daily necessities of the public. As per a research study done by WEIGO, they represent 4% of the urban workforce across India. They work in an unprotected environment and usually are the first point of contact in the supply chain for end consumers, this puts them and their customers at high risk. During the pandemic, it becomes crucial to provide appropriate training to vendors on safety and hygiene.

With India re-opening after the lockdown and society still marred by the sudden peaks of the Covid-19, the program is of paramount importance. Addressing the situation this partnership program is designed to prepare street vendors to be safe and serve their consumers safely and hygienically. The first phase of the program has successfully equipped, street vendors, on correct hygienic street vending protocols in the most impacted communities across Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru & Surat.  

Commenting on the partnership initiative, Mr. Gaurav Jain, Senior Vice President, South Asia, Reckitt Benckiser Health said, “The unprecedented pandemic has changed the way we live, eat, behave and socialize in our everyday lives. For the street vendors community in India, this is a bigger challenge than we realize. The misinformation coupled with panic had created a sense of fear that was stopping street vendors from getting back to work. With this program, our ambition is to create awareness and open a safer path to survival for them in the post-pandemic world. Partnering with National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) was crucial to building back the confidence amongst street vendors. By providing hygiene essentials to help fight the spread of Covid-19 and demonstrating the ease with which they can tackle the pandemic helped thousands of them to get back to work stronger and safer than ever before. We will continue such initiatives with the aim of building a healthier nation.”

Mr. Arbind Singh, National Coordinator, NASVI said, “The fight against COVID-19 is only possible through a collaborative approach. We are grateful to have partnered with India’s most trusted hygiene brand, Dettol, to support the street vendor community in India. Preparing them to successfully function in the new normal equipped with the right knowledge and the means to protect themselves as well as avoid spread of the virus was crucial.”

The partnership programme has also trained staff and volunteers visiting the field with instructions regarding correct preventive measures for themselves. Additionally, to assist them with essentials, Dettol BSI distributed 5,00,000 soap bars & 2,00,000 face masks to the street vendors with on-ground support from Jagran Pehel and NASVI.

About RB:

RB* is driven by its purpose to protect, heal and nurture in a relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world. We fight to make access to the highest-quality hygiene, wellness and nourishment a right, not a privilege, for everyone.

RB is proud to have a stable of trusted household brands found in households in more than 190 countries. These include Enfamil, Nutramigen, Nurofen, Strepsils, Gaviscon, Mucinex, Durex, Scholl, Clearasil, Lysol, Dettol, Veet, Harpic, Cillit Bang, Mortein, Finish, Vanish, Calgon, Woolite, Air Wick and more. 20 million RB products a day are bought by consumers globally.

RB's passion to put consumers and people first, to seek out new opportunities, to strive for excellence in all that we do, and to build shared success with all our partners, while doing the right thing, always is what guides the work of our 40,000+ diverse and talented colleagues worldwide. 

Acronis Partners with Roborace to Provide Cyber Protection Support for the AI-Powered Motorsport Championship

Acronis, a global leader in cyber protection, today announced its partnership with Roborace to provide easy, efficient, and secure AI-powered cyber protection solutions to the world’s first autonomous electric racing car competition. The company also announced the launch of a new Roborace team in partnership with the Schaffhausen Institute of Technology (SIT).

Acronis SIT Autonomous became the newest team to join Season Beta, a full twelve-race schedule of the 2020 Roborace Championship, initially postponed due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The new season will add new excitement to the autonomous racing events, including the integration of the mixed reality world Metaverse and an update for Roborace’s autonomous overtaking algorithms, further challenging teams and pushing the boundaries of autonomous mobility.

While the racing will take place on actual race tracks, during the COVID-19 travel restrictions Acronis SIT Autonomous will monitor progress remotely through the Roborace Race Control platform.

“Sport accelerates the development of mobility technologies,” said Ilya Shimchik, Team Principal of Acronis SIT Autonomous Team. “We are proud to push the limits of autonomous driving with its AI and machine learning solutions designed to produce extremely accurate, calculated results. Winning in Roborace often comes down to who has the best and latest technology, and we are confident that together with Acronis we have the world-class technologies we need to compete against the best in the world.”

Acronis will also provide direct support to Roborace, providing the series with a full suite of cyber protection solutions, including backup, disaster recovery, and secure file sync & share. These cyber protection solutions are developed based on the Five Vectors of Cyber Protection: Safety, Accessibility, Privacy, Authenticity, and Security (SAPAS). This ensures that these solutions provide the highest level of safety and security to users, while ensuring that data is both tamper-free and easily accessible for smooth day-to-day operations.

One of these solutions includes Acronis Cyber Protect, an AI-powered integration of data protection and cybersecurity built to protect today's businesses and organizations from modern threats. Its capabilities include fast and reliable backup and full-stack, AI-based protection against malware, with all aspects of protection manageable from a single, easy-to-use console.

“Acronis solutions are a perfect fit for our high-speed, data-driven, and technologically-advanced race series, said Chip Pankow, Chief Championship Officer of Roborace. “Our data is of critical importance to us, and we have full confidence that the Acronis solutions will not only help us protect our data, but also help us optimize our data flow for smoother day-to-day operations.”

Acronis' founder and Executive Officer, Serguei Beloussov, said: “We're excited to be entering two new partnerships with the Roborace series. The world of AI Racing is the perfect testing ground for brand-new technologies like AI and machine learning, and we are happy to be helping the Roborace series get #CyberFit with our cutting-edge cyber protection offerings.”

To find out more about Acronis SIT Autonomous, please visit https://sit.org/sit-autonomous/

To find out more about Acronis #CyberFit Sports, please visit www.acronis.sport

About Acronis

Acronis sets the standard for cyber protection through its innovative backup, anti-ransomware, disaster recovery, storage, and enterprise file sync and share solutions. Enhanced by its award-winning AI-based active protection technology, blockchain-based data authentication and unique hybrid-cloud architecture, Acronis protects all data in any environment – including physical, virtual, cloud, mobile workloads and applications – all at a low and predictable cost.

Founded in Singapore in 2003 and incorporated in Switzerland in 2008, Acronis now has more than 1,500 employees in 33 locations in 18 countries. Its solutions are trusted by more than 5.5 million consumers and 500,000 businesses, including 100% of the Fortune 1000 companies. Acronis’ products are available through 50,000 partners and service providers in over 150 countries in more than 30 languages. Learn more at acronis.com.

About Roborace

ROBORACE is the world’s first racing series for autonomous driving systems. It was created to accelerate the development of autonomous software by pushing the technology to its limits in a range of controlled environments, and to educate and inform the world about autonomous driving. In 2019, the series held six events that drove over 36 million multi-channel video views. 

Voot Select – Home to the Most Engaging Thrillers of 2020, Reveals its Sixth Original – Crackdown

India’s one-stop destination for the best thrillers that digital entertainment has seen this year, Voot Select is all set to reveal their latest Original – Crackdown.  Home to critically acclaimed shows like Asur, Raikar Case, The Gone Game, Voot Select will now have ace Bollywood Director Apoorva Lakhia making his directorial web debut with this action-packed espionage thriller. Crackdown boasts of a fantastic ensemble cast including Saqib Saleem, Iqbal Khan, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Waluscha De Sousa, Rajesh Tailang, and Ankur Bhatia amongst others. The 8 part series goes LIVE  on Voot Select on 23rd September 2020. A slick, high-octane thriller, Crackdown, revolves around a covert operations wing that tries to crack through multiple smaller decoys, to uncover a larger conspiracy that threatens national security. In the process, they find an able ally in a girl whose identity remains a mystery. As seen in the trailer, B-town was buzzing with excitement as the first look of the show that was announced by none other than Superstar and the ‘Shehenshah’ of Bollywood, Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. Brimming with high octane action sequences, powerful visuals, and a spectacular cast,  Crackdown boasts of the grandeur and scale that Apoorva Lakhia’s directorial web debut one would expect will offer.

On the launch of the sixth original Ferzad Palia, Head – Voot Select, Youth, Music, and English Entertainment, Viacom18 said,  “Voot Select has in a very short span of time, become synonymous with great quality Originals & curated content. Now we are all set and extremely excited to launch our sixth Original – Crackdown. Apoorva is known to make the most stylish and slick thrillers and has created magic with what he has done in the show Crackdown. It’s an edge of the seat thriller with lots of action which is sure to be nothing short of a big Bollywood blockbuster experience brought to the OTT world.”

Commenting on the release of his digital directorial debut, Apoorva Lakhia said, "I have always loved making action thrillers. It gives me an adrenaline rush just being a part of those sequences and locations. Needless to say, when I read the script written by Chintan Gandhi & Suresh Nair, I was extremely excited. The storyline is great, its action-packed, with great locations and a stellar cast and it is going to stream on one of the biggest digital platforms in the country, Voot Select. What more can one need? Although this is my directorial debut for an OTT platform, the treatment of Crackdown is exactly like a Bollywood blockbuster and I am sure the audience is going to love it as much as we enjoyed making it.”

“Crackdown is like a tribute to the unsung heroes of the nation and I am so proud that I have been given an opportunity to headline a show like this. Apoorva is a fantastic director and he made sure that our preparation for this show was top-notch, whether it was our physical fitness, costumes, or even the locations that we shot in. I am really enjoying being a part of the digital entertainment world as I get a chance to prove my versatility as an actor. I really hope that the audience likes the show and my performance in it.” Saqib Saleem said.

Iqbal Khan said, “After doing a variety of roles on television, working on an action thriller like Crackdown was a different but fantastic experience for me. Apoorva sir is a genius to work with. His working style forces you to become a perfectionist yourself, which was extremely important for this role. This is also my first experience with Voot Select and I have enjoyed working with the entire team. The show looks great, we have all worked very hard in making it look the way it does, so I am really hoping the audience enjoys it as much as we did making it.”

Expressing her joy over her second stint with VOOT Select Shriya Pilgaonkar commented," "This is my second show with Voot Select and I am really happy to be working with the team again. The Gone Game was a fantastic experience and I am thrilled with the response we got for it. And now I'm looking forward to Crackdown which is my first time doing action and a completely different character. Working with a director like Apoorva Lakhia has been an absolute pleasure as well as a huge learning experience. For The Gone Game I was shooting remotely from my house, doing everything by myself and with Crackdown it was exactly the opposite. Real locations, huge sets, a lovely ensemble cast, and of course performing action scenes. I can't wait for the audience to watch the show that was so much fun to shoot and work on. I hope the audience enjoys watching it."

Commenting on her digital debut Waluscha De Sousa said, “I am making my digital debut as an actor with Crackdown, so this experience will always be extremely special to me. I am very thankful to Apoorva and Voot Select for giving me this opportunity. It has been an amazing learning experience for me and I will forever be grateful for that. This show ticks all the boxes from an entertainment quotient and I am sure that the audience will love watching it.”

Commenting on his role, Ankur Bhatia said, “I play the role of one of the antagonists in Crackdown and it has been one of the most challenging roles in my life, because the character trait is completely the opposite of what I am in real life. In the past few years, digital entertainment platforms have been setting huge benchmarks in terms of the content that they are putting up and with Crackdown, Voot Select has pushed those boundaries to a great extent. Apoorva has done such a fab job with not only the show and how it looks but has also got out the best performances from all of us. Needless to say that working with the entire crew was a fantastic experience. Crackdown is an out and out entertainer and I cannot wait for the audience reaction after seeing this one.”

“The role I portray in Crackdown has been a great opportunity for me to explore and showcase my versatility as an actor. Shot on a huge scale at multiple locations with a big cast and crew, definitely made it challenging but a lot of fun as well. Overall a great experience for me. Having worked with Apoorva before, I know firsthand how he pushes everyone to give their 100 percent and brings out their best. But Crackdown has gone a few notches higher and I am really looking forward to the audience reaction to the show.”, said Rajesh Tailang.

Gunshots, chase sequences, blasts, and the constant hand combat, Crackdown is packed with all the right elements that should put it on the top of your binge-watch list.

“Voot Select’s action-packed espionage thriller, Crackdown – Streaming Now.

Tech-Enabled Influencer Marketplace – ClanConnect. ai’s Raises 5 Crores in Seed Round

ClanConnect.ai, a self-serve influencer marketing startup for brands, has successfully closed its seed round of Rs. 5 crores. The funding round was led by Venture Catalysts along with several marquee entrepreneurs including Samrath Bedi, Managing Director of Forest Essentials, Sandeep Aggarwal of Droom.in, Aakrit Vaish, Co-Founder of Haptik, and Haresh Hingorani Chief Creative Officer of Redchillies VFX.

The AI-driven influencer marketing platform is founded by Kunal Kishore Sinha (Co-Founder of Value 360 Communications - one of the fastest-growing integrated PR & communications firms in South Asia), Sagar Pushp (Former Head of Digital Media at Cheil India), and a notable filmmaker Anshai Lal. ClanConnect.ai aims to provide an AI-driven Influencer Marketing platform that helps brands in making their influencer marketing campaigns more data and result oriented. 

ClanConnect.ai is an AI-enabled platform that allows brands to scale their influencer marketing efforts by bringing discovery, management, and performance analytics all in one system. Through targeted searches and customizable analytics, marketers are able to identify and partner with more relevant influencers. ClanConnect.ai offers 30 different parameters to quantify the suitability and reach of each influencer. ClanConnect.ai has introduced a structured process of selecting influencers for brands. It simplifies the interaction between all stakeholders through instant analytics, progress reports, campaign ROIs, and so forth to help everyone derive the necessary learnings.  

The platform further empowers smaller influencers to engage with larger brands, thereby democratizing the process for everyone. Setting the competitive aspects aside, ClanConnect.ai - the influencer marketplace- seeks to collaborate with all stakeholders, including individual influencers, talent hubs, agencies, and brands by bringing them onto a single platform.  

Speaking on the investment, Dr. Apoorva Ranjan Sharma, Co-Founder and President, Venture Catalysts, said “The Global Influencer Market is valued at 9 billion USD and expected to touch 24 Billion USD by 2025. With pandemic giving boost to digital adoption, we are confident that people-to-people marketing will become a mainstream marketing tool. We are excited to become a part of the ClanConnect.ai’s journey into a fiscally disciplined SaaS business that will solve fundamental problems of this growing industry.”

Adding further Sagar Pushp, Co-Founder & CEO, ClanConnect.ai said, “India has a thriving community of influencers, wherein digital natives are joining from all parts of the country. I strongly believe that this community has an enormous potential that is still untapped. It will do considerably well if provided the right push and proper industry support. A dedicated AI-driven Influencer Marketing and Collaboration Platform is our take to offer the same.”

ClanConnect.ai extends tailor-made solutions for different sectors including Automobile, Fashion, Travel, Fitness, Food, Technology, Lifestyle, and Entertainment, alongside others. It adds tangible value with an automated system that eliminates manual follow-ups and creates detailed reports, measurable goals, and automated matches. Check out the ClanConnect.ai platform now!

About ClanConnect.ai:

ClanConnect.ai is India’s first and only AI-driven smart platform for influencer marketing. It is a one-stop platform for influencer marketing campaign management for both influencers and brands. ClanConnect.aI facilitates seamless collaboration between content creators and marketers to optimize the value of their branded content. The platform is backed by industry veterans and co-founded by Kunal Kishore Sinha, Sagar Pushp, and Anshai Lal.