Indians’ are not called movie buffs just like that. Movies are the most preferred source of entertainment. With advancing technology, Indians’ have learnt new ways of consuming this form of entertainment. Movies are no more enjoyed within the four walls of a home or a theatre only. Movies are now available on-the-go! The iPad has managed to takeover by storm and has become one of the most preferred and aspired gadget today by the Net Savvy generation.
Shreyash Sigtia, Business Head, BIGFLIX Pvt. Ltd. is a marketing and branding expert in the field of FMCG and new media, which includes Internet, gaming and social media and has an experience of 8years in the industry. In the last one year at BIGFLIX, Shreyash has been actively involved in the launch plan of BIGFLIX, the subscription service of Big Flicks. He believes in building relationships and is a team player.
Animation Xpress’ Ishpreet Chandock recently caught up with Shreyash Sigtia, Business Head, Big Flicks Pvt. Ltd. after BIGFLIX became the the No.1 Grossing Entertainment App on iPad talking about his views on the Indian technology industry , the next milestones for BIGFLIX and more….
Congratulations on BIGFLIX being now the No.1 Grossing Entertainment App on iPad. We’d like to know your thoughts about it?
BIGFLIX was re-launched earlier this year to provide a seamless video-on-demand experience across multiple platforms. Our iPad app has been built for users to be able to view movies in DVD like quality. Being ranked as the No. 1 Grossing Entertainment App is a validation of the quality of experience we are providing to both our Indian and international consumers. It feels great to be on top of the charts but at the same time it increases our responsibility several notches higher in terms of delivery and quality.
How important is this success for you from a business aspect?
Worldwide, iOS is an important entertainment platform since users on this platform are more likely to purchase apps or make in-app purchases.
From a business perspective this means two things for us –
1. We have been able to address an important need gap in the market for online video-on-demand.
2. The quality of our service ensures that we are able to retain our subscribers.
Who are the key people behind this success?
It’s a cumulative effort by the entire BIGFLIX team but the technical team for sure deserves a special mention here for providing and maintaining such seamless streaming quality on iPad.
What makes BIGFLIX stand out from the rest? What features does BIGFLIX provide to its viewers?
BIGFLIX.com is India’s largest movie on demand service. It stands out because it offers its audiences not just the best assortment and extensive catalogue of multi-lingual Indian movies, but also hand-picked latest releases within 15 days of its theatrical release. Another prominent feature is users can watch movies sans advertising even while on the move.
What’s the team strength? Who is the core team at the company? What’s the culture like?
We are a digital company headed by Mr. Manish Agarwal CEO, Reliance Entertainment Digital. Our work culture is pretty flexible and dynamic for the simple reason that most of the people working with us share the common belief and passion in digitization. We, at Reliance Entertainment Digital do believe that with the upcoming internet explosion and with a person spending as much as 8 hours a day on their mobile phones and gadgets digitization is the way forward for entertainment.
What’s exciting about Indian technology business and what’s depressing?
There is huge consumer interest in various technology products today, especially those delivered online via PCs and mobiles. Consumers today are turning to their PCs, mobiles and tablets for all their information and entertainment needs, which is an encouraging sign for a player like BIGFLIX. However, for this segment to grow we need the broadband infrastructure and internet penetration in the country to improve.
BIGFLIX is in liaison with major service providers like Airtel, Reliance, etc.? How important is it? Can you tell us more about it?
Right now our main focus at BIGFLIX is REACH, being the pioneers of Video and Movie on Demand services in India, it becomes very important for us to educate and inform the consumers about our service and what better way to reach the masses other than big telecom providers like Airtel and Reliance. We want to be present at all consumer touch points and thus justify our claim of providing entertainment On-the-Go.
BIGFLIX recently launched its application on the Windows Phone. Tell us more about this development?
Windows Phone is fast growing OS for phone and we believe that we need to be on the platform and service the needs of the consumers who are using Windows Phone. With BIGFLIX app a window phone user can watch about 1000+ movies simply by installing the app. Also, the OS of Windows phone has been built to let users enjoy rich and seamless multimedia experience on mobile devices, which is leveraged by apps like BIGFLIX.
How do you see this development from a business point of view?
Windows Phone as a platform has received rave reviews globally and there is high consumer interest in mobiles based on this platform. We have studied the profile of the average buyer opting for a Windows phone, based on the price points of the models and realized that it is an important platform for BIGFLIX. We also wanted to extend our first-mover advantage on the Windows phone platform as we have done on other platforms in the past.
The mobile platform is becoming popular with high-end Smartphone’s users globally. What is your take on it?
In the fast changing world of mobile technology consumers look for three things – innovation, pricing and user-friendliness. If a platform is able to provide these there is no reason why consumers will not opt for it.