PROF. KIRAN WALIA,WOMEN DEVELOPMENT MINISTER,…

by staff reporter

Vuclip launches Mira! – India’s first mobile video portal – catering to a woman’s needs such as health, beauty, parenting, cookery, career and entertainment all within the comfort of her handset, anywhere, anytime
Vuclip survey shows that out of nearly 13000 Indian women respondents, 60% use handsets as a primary source of entertainment, while 80% reported steady increase in their time spent on mobile-viewing
Vuclip, the world’s largest independent mobile video destination, has launched India’s first mobile portal, Mira!, designed to appeal to the new age women who are independent, tech savvy and full of life. Mira! draws quality content from almost 30 leading content providers in India and globally to offer free access to the best videos that cater to a woman’s needs, all within the comfort of her own mobile handset, anywhere, anytime. It features video content relating to health, beauty, fashion and style tips, parenting, cooking recipes, career, entertainment, celeb-speak, astrology and more. This women’s mobile video channel can be accessed from virtually any internet-enabled mobile phone from a range of over 5500 different handsets including the most basic feature phones to sophisticated smart phones.

Launching the first mobile video channel for women, Mira!, Chief Guest Prof. Kiran Walia, Women Development Minister for India’s national capital territory of Delhi, said, “Mobile phones are emerging as an economical tool for accelerating mass-scale development of women. These days, mobile offers a very affordable and easy to use means to even access internet as compared to computer and other devices, and can be used by a much larger section of women in the society. Studies show that the mobile phone has helped women feel safer, more independent and connected, and has opened new professional avenues and income sources for women. As India’s first mobile video channel for women, I hope that this initiative will help boost mobile adoption among women, and will encourage the creation of more women-oriented mobile content.” A report by the Cherie Blair Foundation and GSMA Development Fund on the mobile phone gender gap in low and middle-income countries had found that mobile penetration among women in India is only about 28% as compared to 40% among men.

Vuclip also unveiled the findings of its global survey in which almost 40,000 women users participated from 176 countries, including nearly 13,000 women from India. Conducted over just five days, the survey found that besides voice and text, 60% of Indian women respondents use their handsets as a primary source of entertainment. As many as 80% of the respondents reported steady increase in their time spent on mobile-viewing. Besides movies and music, Indian women also loved watching TV soaps, cute/funny videos, sports, home and lifestyle, news, celeb gossip and amazing/whacky videos on their mobile. Women aged 18-35 years comprised 65% of the Indian respondents, while 24% were under 18 years and another 11% were over 36 years.
Commenting on the survey findings, Meera Chopra, Vuclip’s Vice President Advertising in India, said, “Even as the adoption of mobile among women grows in India, it is encouraging to note that mobile is already becoming a woman’s preferred source for content. While 37% women from India reported that they spend more than one hour daily on TV, print or radio media, a close 32% women reported that they spend over an hour to access mobile content every day.” Added Meera, “Currently, women constitute only 14% of the total 11 million users on Vuclip in India. We hope that by the end of this year, Mira! will help Vuclip double its existing 1.54 million women users in India. Already, Mira!provides you access to thousands of videos on yoga, aerobics and fitness, fashion and style, hobbies and pets, food and cookery, Bollywood, popular TV shows, animated stories, cartoons and rhymes for children, as well as devotional and astrology related content all on your personal mobile screen.”

Vuclip’s Global Vice President for Marketing, Judith Coley, said, “In contrast to the developed countries, internet in the developing world is arriving on phones before even traditional computers. About 59% of internet users in India get online only via mobile phones. We hope that Mira! will help spark a revolution in the way women’s mobile content is perceived – by content providers, brands, and women themselves. Cisco predicts that mobile video will increase 25-fold to account for over 70 percent of total mobile data traffic between 2011 and 2016. As the world’s leading independent mobile video destination, Vuclip is uniquely positioned to help usher in mobile adoption among women through enriching mobile content. Vuclip thinks women are wonderful and is honored to be able to bring them the best of web video for their entertainment snack.”

Elaborating on the name and the philosophy of Mira!, Judith said, “‘Mira!’ in Latin is the root word for ‘wonderful’, while in Spanish, ‘Mira!’ means ‘look’. Mira! is also the name of a bright star. The Mira! Woman is busy, engaged, radiant and full of life. She wants to make the most of every moment, and when she takes a break, she turns to her mobile phone for entertainment, news and tips. Meaning prosperity in Sanskrit, ‘Mira!’ defines the woman who yearns for the vast expanse of global knowledge and information to enhance her life and livelihood. Mira! reminds us that like a mirror, it’s important to take time out to reflect, relax and enjoy.”

The launch was attended by well-known women leaders from different walks of life who exemplified the everyday extraordinary Mira! woman:

Anisha Subandh, Certified Yoga Instructor from Chennai (Onkar yoga), said, “I access mobile videos often, and can imagine why it has grown into such a rage globally. When Vuclip team invited me for this launch, I was delighted to learn that over 1.1 Crore users in India are already accessing mobile videos on Vuclip actively. Earlier, I had been using it for self learning and reference, but now thanks to Mira!, I think I will be able to take my yoga classes to mobile phones to reach a wider global audience where my students can practice it even in the comfort of their home or while traveling.”

Rupal Sancheti, noted event planner from Gurgaon, says, “Work pressures often tend to bog you down. It is at times like this when one really needs to take a quick break, some kind of an entertainment snack which can pep you up and help you de-stress. Watching a short fun video clip or health/ parenting tips or gossip about my favorite celeb should do the trick. Thanks Vuclip for giving me Mira!”