Get ready for Languages Week, an afaqs! e-conference about the power of local languages in mass media

The beauty of India’s diversity is best expressed in its languages. Just look at the back of the Indian (Rupee) note, and you will come across 15 local languages. But there are so many more.

And when it comes to the amazing works of communication, some of the best examples stem from local languages.

Presented by ABP News and powered by Colors Bangla, Languages Week 2021 looks to explore the power of local languages in mass media and celebrate the beauty of India's diversity in this context.

The afaqs! e-conference will be packed with six crisp discussions with the senior-most names in the media space - print, television, OTT, media buying, etc. It will be held daily from August 23-27, 2021, 4 p.m. onwards.

Languages Week is part of our 'All Week' umbrella - essentially, a series of themed e-conversations held at the same time daily for an entire week. Other events under this format include Television Week, Digipub Week, CMO Week, vdonxt Week, Gaming Week and Audionxt Week.

Languages Week will see representation from brands like ABP News, Viacom18, Colors, dentsu India, Havells India, ZEE5 Global, Anandabazar Patrika, ALTBalaji, McCann Worldgroup, Dainik Bhaskar Group, Pepperfry, ZEEL, Tata Consumer Products, and Star and Disney India.

To see the full list of confirmed speakers, please click here.

A quick look at the sessions:

Day 1, August 23

News continues to go hyperlocal

Media networks continue to launch news channels in Indian languages. Who is watching, what is the business proposition, and how has the game changed?

Day 2, August 24

Will the regional language boom on TV come at the cost of Hindi content?

Languages like Bhojpuri, Gujarati and Marathi are becoming popular among TV viewers in the heartland. While that's good, will this popularity pose a threat to Hindi content?

Day 3, August 25

What's holding back regional OTT programming - subscribers, advertising or quality content?

For players in the regional OTT segment, what's the bigger challenge - getting paid subscribers, or creating quality content? Or, is it about wooing advertisers?

The head of sports at Star and Disney shares a unique perspective on the role of local languages in sports, and the rationale behind foraying into sports broadcasting in multiple languages.

Day 4, August 26

How are marketers keeping up with the explosion of regional language content?

Dubbed advertising no longer works and local nuances are key to geography-specific marketing. The growth in regional content across media has changed the way marketers communicate with their consumers.

Day 5, August 27

What are the big pressure points for Indian language newspapers?

If local language newspapers have to grow, what is getting in the way - explosion of online, growth of TV, or some of its own battles that it (print) has to fight?

Please click here to register for the conference.