MUMBAI: In its zest to become a leading mobile VAS company, Chennai-based Techzone is exploring opportunities of offering content on the emerging mobile and digital platforms to reach and engage new audience. Currently, the aggregator aims to establish its foothold in the music and entertainment business and has partnered with leading music channels, labels, radio stations and media houses.
Speaking with Radioandmusic.com, Techzone MD Naveen Bhandari says, “Growth in terms of media houses for VAS players is in a very nascent stage but we have taken the lead. The partnerships have started between media houses and mobile content aggregators. We see convergence and integration as the future.”
Last week, Techzone inked a two-year deal with MTunes HD. “The association has happened as a part of our plan of partnering with old media houses. There is lot to be gained with the connectivity between media houses and mobile platforms. We have taken the lead by streaming up with media houses. They share with us a relation where the content comes in and we give them our mobile connectivity power to monetize on the large market that is out open for both of us,” he informs. Techzone and MTunes HD had been in talks for more than four months for the same.
Bhandari highlights that the association will help MTunes HD to have multi-directional interaction through consumers’ reply which will in term increase the engagement with the channel. “MTunes has lot of properties which will be available through our mobile technology.”
Techzone is currently in talks with 4-5 media houses for potential partnerships. Bhandari reveals, “This year Techzone plans to cover most of the media houses with a major focus on the regional ones. We are in talks with markets in south, west and also east and are trying to work with media houses in all parts of the country. We are planning to engage consumers across India.”
Techzone has inked deals with Times Music, Saregama, Venus, Sony Music, 9XO, Radio City, MTV, Vh1, Colors, NDTV, IndiaTV, PTC, MTunes HD and is in talks with Matrubhumi Group’s news channel and music channel Kappa.
Speaking about their radio partnership, Bhandari says, “RJ programming is a piece of brilliant creativity done by talented RJs of India. We provide the audience with the needed content on the move and I believe radio content has a really huge space to grow.”