Post-production niche

Film and TV industry veteran Naresh Malhotra has come a long way to this point where his ‘Prime Focus’...

Film and TV industry veteran Naresh Malhotra has come a long way to this point where his ‘Prime Focus’, already one of India’s largest end-to-end post-production and visual effects services house, has bought a significant 55% stake in London-based media company VTR Plc. The deal has been made for a whopping 4.7 million pounds, where 4.2 million pounds has been given in cash. The deal helps Malhotra set foot in a mature media market where they can take advantage of the backend visual effects and animation facilities giving the company a global edge. But more than just a formal entry into the UK media production market, the tycoon hopes to ensure a continuous flow of offshore production work. According to the tycoon, this new company has a potential of about 20 million pounds revenue and speculates this is an indicator of a growth of 4 to 5 fold-increase for the coming future. The grapevine has it that the tycoon will soon be looking at similar buyout targets in Los Angeles and Dubai. With talks of setting up of a Dubai Studio city by the UAE government and several incentives, PFL predicts enormous potential to be harvested from outsourcing and having a presence in these markets. Malhotra’s moves in the media production market have clearly risen ever since Anil Ambani picked up 19.5% stake in his company last year.

Wheels on fire

Auto mogul Rahul Bajaj today sits solid in the Chair of the Rajya Sabha. His recent appointment to the House has been almost as controversial as the seat he is actually filling in. With Pramod Mahajan’s sudden demise creating the vacancy in the upper house and Bajaj’s beating his opponent by almost 105 votes with the help from the ‘opposite side’, the spotlight is likely to remain on the tycoon for some time. Many are furious at how smoothly the baron has in fact gained the ‘Pawar-ful’ support and abandoned his family mother ship, the Congress. However the tycoon is not the least bit perturbed by the recent storm. The tycoon has made it very clear that his empire and political aspirations are not interlinked. Today as the world contracts and boundaries fade, the tycoon sees time to foray abroad with a vengeance. Bajaj Auto’s journey that has begun with a set up in Indonesia is now contemplating going to Brazil as well. Market watchers speculate that the tycoon may have to inject an initial investment of at least Rs 300 crore to set foot in Brazil. Brazil, however, is not exactly an exotic location for the Bajajs as Shishir Bajaj headed for it earlier this month. Seems like as almost the entire world swoons over Brazil this season, the Bajajs’ glee at it for reasons that are all of their own. Insiders tell us that Rahul Bajaj may also set sail for Argentina, Thailand and Malaysia.

H-1B $100,000 entry fee explained: Who pays, who’s exempt, and what’s still unclear?

Explained2 hr ago

The White House's decision to impose a $100,000 entry fee on H-1B visa holders has sparked worry among Indian tech workers and students. While uncertainties remain about its implementation and exemptions, major tech companies have cautioned employees against traveling. The policy could lead to a shift towards other visa categories and potentially change the STEM immigration pipeline.

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