Why did Times of India buy Virgin Radio? Because of the internet, A.P. Parigi, CEO of its TIML unit, suggested to FT. “‘Now is the time, Parigi,’ (group CEO Vineet Jain) told me. ‘Pick an asset and an appropriate price.’ He sees this market as one of untapped potential because…

The Telecom Secretary Siddhartha Behura has said that that they’re not going to vet the Virgin Mobile=Tata Teleservices deal - they’ve only asked for information because some objections had been raised. So the deal appears to be through. In fact, the entire controversy may result in the Indian government doing…

Well, it’s official, and the website says - “It’s time to think hatke” (differently): The Virgin Group has announced a ‘brand franchise’ agreement with Tata Teleservices in India for Virgin Mobile (NYSE: VM). The Virgin-TTSL joint venture is called Virgin Mobile India, but Virgin’s investment or share were not disclosed.…

While we’re still waiting for Richard Branson’s proposed return to India for the formal announcement of their mobile venture in the country, the GSM operators association COAI is making an issue of the legality of Virgin’s entry: the COAI has asked clarification from the Department of Communications about whether Virgin…

The Virgin Group’s entry into the Indian Telecom market is expected to be announced next month, reportedly a joint venture with Tata Teleservices. Now the Economic Times reports that Virgin is in talks with an Indian media house which has presence in Film Production, TV, Music and Animation. The deal…

After signing up cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, Virgin Comics has now signed up Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra for a new superhero character, for comics, live-action films, animation and games. Concept images here and here. A story is being developed, wherein an adopted girl discovers that she is the the latest in…

I’ve lost track of the number of franchises that Virgin Comics is creating…too many too fast? This time, they’ve tied up with AIM listed UTV Motion Pictures to create four original superhero franchises; these stories will be leveraged across publishing, film, animation and gaming. The franchises will be co-owned by…

Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) has acquired rights for a videogame based on “Ramayan 3392 AD” from Virgin Comics, a company started by Deepak Chopra, Shekhar Kapur and Richard Branson, reports Variety. SOE is setting up a development team in India, and has planned for a 2010 release for the game.…