Netflix, Amazon and other video streamers are betting big on India, tantalized by the huge growth potential offered by its more than 1.3 billion people. Netflix slashed prices by up to 60%. Its popular mobile-only plan now costs 149 rupees ($2) per month, down from 199 rupees On December 14. A basic subscription that allows a user to watch content on any device has been cut to 199 rupees from 499 rupees. Its veryexpensive plan, which allows for simultaneous viewing on up to four devices, has been reduced to 649 rupees from 799 rupees.   But the reductions might not have gone far enough. The Los Gatos, California-based entertainment giant does not offer annual subscriptions, unlike cheaper rivals Amazon Prime Video and Walt Disney's Disney+Hotstar, which sell yearly plans for 1,499 rupees to access top services in these platforms that offer access to all content. Amazon subscribers also enjoy faster and free deliveries through the conglomerate's e-commerce platform, among other benefits.   SonyLIV dangles an even cheaper annual plan in front of India's highly price-conscious consumers, 999 rupees, while ZEE5 currently sells 12-month packages for 499 rupees. Analysts say Netflix is trying to reach a wider audience with its price cuts as the premium service's pace of subscriber growth has been unimpressive.   "Netflix has to up the ante! It was more expensive than Amazon and Disney and is falling behind in the subscription numbers," Vineeta Dwivedi, head of digital communications at the Mumbai-based S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research, told Nikkei Asia. "Everyone is acing the content game, but the prices have to be comparable. Ultimately, it's about the numbers, and India remains a price-sensitive market which offers a huge and growing user base."   Tapobrati Das Samaddar -- founder of Wordloom Creative Ventures, a company that deals with media, education and performing arts -- concurs. "No matter how much they loved [the content on Netflix], the general public might have thought twice or thrice before investing into its [basic 499-rupee monthly plan] because other platforms were providing far more affordable options," she told Nikkei. "Netfllix's premium pricing was not helping it grow its viewership." Source: NIKKEL ASIS

Travels can be arranged with 20 percent discount in return tickets of six routes including Dhaka-Bangkok. Passengers can avail the facilities from March 22 to 24 to fly with Biman Bangladesh Airlines. The information came through the Biman booth from the ongoing Dhaka Travel Mart at Hotel Sonargaon in the capital. The fair started on Thursday and will continue till Saturday. According to Biman booth sources, Biman Bangladesh Airlines will provide 20 percent discount on return tickets of Economy class in the route from Dhaka to Bangkok, Singapore, Yangon, Kuala Lumpur, Kolkata and Kathmandu. The discounts are being provided to encourage local and foreign tourists. The 20 percent discount will also be offered in one way route from Dhaka. Besides, on the occasion of travel mart Biman Bangladesh Airlines has fixed the fare of tickets including all taxes in the following routes: Dhaka-Kolkata-Dhaka 10 thousand 226 taka, Dhaka-Kathmandu-Dhaka 15 thousand 189 taka, Dhaka-Yangon-Dhaka 24 thousand 296 taka, Dhaka-Bangkok-Dhaka 17 thousand 603 taka, Dhaka-Singapore-Dhaka 22 thousand 502 taka and in Dhaka-Kuala Lumpur-Dhaka route 20 thousand 438 taka. Meanwhile, Biman also has fixed the one way ticket fare (including all taxes) for the following destinations: Dhaka-Kolkata 5 thousand 581 taka, Dhaka-Kathmandu 11 thousand 202 taka, Dhaka-Yangon 17 thousand 85 taka, Dhaka-Bangkok 13 thousand 973 taka, Dhaka-Singapore 18 thousand 799 taka and in Dhaka-Kuala Lumpur route 16 thousand 155 taka. The passengers also can buy tickets for other international routes with 7 percent discount from the fair. AH