What: A mobile value-added service, tentatively called SMS Interactive TV, which will allow subscribers to interact with their television sets by way of playing games, quizzes, and chatting-in real time-over their cellphones

How: The cellular operator, the interactive technology provider and the broadcaster are all linked. For instance, to participate in a real-time quiz, the subscriber sends a text message to 6677 that is routed through the mobile operator to the solution provider's network operation centre, which compiles and formats the data before sending it to the broadcaster, who displays it on TV

Who: The mobile value-added service is the handiwork of Cellnext Solutions, a fully-owned subsidiary of Faridabad-based Escorts Group

When: Cellxnext, says its CEO A.D. Mehta, could launch the service by the end of January. Pricing of the service is yet to be announced

-Shaleen Agrawal

Nike On A Sprint

What: The $14-billion (Rs 63,000-crore) global athletic footwear and apparel brand Nike wants to better connect with Indian consumers.

Why: "Nike has so far been seen as an aspirational brand in India, but now we want to promote it as an accessible brand," says the company's General Manager for South Asia, Sanjay Mehra.

How: It has already forked out Rs 196.99 crore to win the rights to be the apparel sponsor for the Indian cricket team. Also, it is planning to launch its first-ever TV commercial in the Indian market. It might use cricket players, some of whom happen to be endorsing competing brands such as Adidas and Reebok (the latter was recently acquired by the former). The commercial is expected "sometime soon".

Positioning: A better connect with India consumers, however, doesn't mean Nike is about to drop prices. On January 21, it launched in India its latest offering-Nike Air Platform. Its price: Rs 9,000 a pair. "It's the first time that the Indian market was part of a global launch," says Sanjay Gangopadhyay, Marketing Director. "Henceforth, we will be bringing our global products to India in real time."

-Archna Shukla

India's Dying Travel Agencies

Flying blues: Facing rough weather

For the 2,000-odd active air travel agents in the country, survival has become an issue. At first glance, that doesn't make any sense. The number of air travellers has doubled to 22 million from 11 million four years ago. So why are the travel agents feeling threatened? For one, the number of tickets booked online has soared. The figure was negligible four years ago, but more and more passengers are buying tickets online. Why is online purchase of tickets growing? Partly because of better technology, but more because of the arrival of low-cost airlines, which are keen on cutting costs every possible way. That has meant lower and lower commission on tickets booked. "Just three years ago, the airlines used to pay a 9 per cent commission on a ticket. Today, it is down to 5 per cent and is likely to go down further," says Sunirmal Ghosh, Managing Director, Indo-Asia Tours.

The hardest hit are the middle-rung agents, who are getting squeezed from both sides-the big players are able to provide more services and, therefore, corner the bigger clients, while the economy travellers prefer the low-cost carriers. Where might the growing competition drive mid-level agents to? As a travel desk embedded inside corporates. That means, one way or another, the beleaguered travel agent will have to do more than just book tickets.

-Ashish Gupta

P-WATCH
A bird's eye view of what's hot and what's not on the government's policy radar.

SEBI ANNOUNCES NEW NORMS TO CHECK MONEY LAUNDERING

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is not taking any chances this time. Close on the heels of the IPO scam, the stock market watchdog has announced measures to check money laundering on the country's bourses. SEBI has directed stockbrokers, merchant bankers, portfolio managers and all other market intermediaries to keep record of all cash transactions of more than Rs 10 lakh. Market intermediaries have also been advised to designate an officer as "Principal Officer" who will be responsible for ensuring compliance. But experts say the only way to prevent money laundering is to strictly enforce know-your-customer norms.

-Anand Adhikari

POVERTY MAY BE REDEFINED

Ever since economists V.M. Dandekar and N. Rath came out with their path-breaking study "Poverty in India" in 1971, the calculation of poverty has remained unchanged: those who can afford 2,400 calories of food per day in rural areas and 2,100 calories in urban areas are considered above the poverty line. Nearly 26.2 per cent of India's population lived below the poverty line in 1999-2000 and around 20 per cent does so today. Now, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia wants the definition of poverty to take into account other key parameters such as access to healthcare, clean drinking water and sanitation. Theoretically, this can change the dynamics of poverty alleviation programmes in the country, but the new parameters are difficult to measure and, therefore, can lend themselves to abuse.

-Ashish Gupta

NOW, A CEPA WITH KOREA

Bilateralism remains the flavour of the season in Delhi's corridors of power. The government is now planning to ink a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with South Korea. The decision was taken after an Indo-Korean Joint Study Group, comprising government officials, economists and representatives of business communities from the two countries, recommended that an India-Korea CEPA will boost economic partnership between the two countries. "The CEPA will also form a bridge between South Asia and North East Asia and, possibly, lay the foundation for even larger regional economic integration across Asia," says the report. So much for multilateralism.

-Ashish Gupta

NEW STAMP ACT

The government is planning to amend the century-old, and thoroughly outdated, Stamp Act of 1899 to recognise the demat form and allow for e-filing of documents. Despite being a central Act, various state governments have made conflicting amendments which has made its implementation across the country a virtual nightmare. So, the amendment is hopefully another step towards creating a common Indian market.

-Ashish Gupta

DRUG PARKS

Beleaguered domestic pharmaceutical companies, hit hard by pricing pressures and increasing litigations, can now look forward to some good news. The government has invited expression of interest (EoI) from private players for setting up 25 integrated pharma parks over the next five years. There will be separate parks for bulk drugs and formulations. The government is willing to bear 40 per cent of the cost of each park, subject to a maximum of Rs 40 crore each. Drug companies can at last look forward to world-class infrastructure soon.

-Ashish Gupta