Tag: Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das

It’s Q&A #250 day today. Wish us well. Meanwhile, read Dr Bhaskar Das in the September 16 edition of Das ka Dum. Enjoy.

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar.

Q. This is the time when the media associations get all-new officebearers or some see renewal of their terms. Given the status of our ecosystem, any ask that you have from them for the next 12 months?

A. The heads of every media association are sagacious enough to address all relevant issues facing their association. Hence my ask doesn’t matter. However, from a macro angle, it would make enormous sense to spread cheer, positivism and constructive routes to combat the current challenges of the fraternity/ industry.

A fun question, but Dr Bhaskar Das put his wisdom in it. So here’s the September 15 edition of Das ka Dum. Enjoy.

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar.

Q. One more on the Das ka Dum anniversary, and because it’s Das ka Dum #250 tomorrow, does it speak well that even after 249 questions, there are still more waiting to be answered?

A. In any business, the moment questions are over, you may surmise that something is amiss. Progress happens when curiosity dominates every discourse in Institutions and society. Questions are indicative of a curious mind. Hence even after 250 questions, I am sure that your erudite mind would continue to be curious.

So this wasn’t an attempt to earn compliments, but that’s Dr Bhaskar Das for you. Always understated. What inspired me to do this was an interview I did with him last year, where he answered every provocative (and sensitive) question I asked him. Also there was a Q&A with maverick actor I S Johar that I would enjoy reading in Filmfare magazine in the 1980s (or perhaps 1970s). But this had to be different. It was going to ask A&M industry-related questions. I suggested the idea to Dr Das, and he took a few seconds to say ‘Yes’. We started it the very next day. – Pradyuman Maheshwari

So without further ado, let’s read the Q&A with Dr Bhaskar Das in the September 14 edition of Das ka Dum. Enjoy.

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar.

Q. We celebrated a year of Das ka Dum on September 12. It’s been great fun doing this Q&A. I try to provoke you, and you hit them back, right out of the park. Honestly, when you started doing it on a year back, did you think it would last this long?

A. Wow! Didn’t realise how time flew. But I must admit I have enjoyed the journey. The credit goes to you as you kept the questions interesting, contextually relevant and generally provokes one to think. Our jugalbandi worked, it seems. Kudos to you.

We were to ask this question yesterday, but since we digressed to take tips for our own future, we are back with it. So let’s hear Dr Bhaskar Das’s view on the HT assertion in this September 10 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar.

Q. Continuing with the HT note which we quoted on Tuesday, it also notes:  It (the redesign) did recognise that ultimately, many readers would do their newspaper-reading online. The redesigned print paper was always going to be a tasting menu of sorts for the website www.hindustantimes.com. Wow! The newspaper as a tasting menu for the website. Comments?

A. When consumption of content is increasingly becoming  platform-agnostic, why not then symbiotically promote every format of delivery.  The collective stickiness might be bigger than individual formats. That expands both provenance of the brand and improves monetisation potential of the assets. It makes sense.

It’s our ninth anniversary, and we thought it appropriate to ask Dr Bhaskar Das for advice. And serious advice, no masti. So let’s hear it from him in this September 9 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on… (Btw, the second question on HT will be asked tomorrow.)

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar.

Q. It’s our ninth anniversary today. Any thoughts on how we’ve done so far  and what we should be doing until our tenth?

A. At the outset, Congratulations on the occasion of your ninth Anniversary. You must always celebrate every milestone of your organisation.

But this is not to get complacent but to take a fresh guard to start anew. Since the past has no future, it’s the time to revisit all your business assumptions and your business vision.

A shock like the Covid-19 pandemic can produce significant changes in consumer behaviour, B2C or B2B. So, survive and thrive in such a crisis, begin by examining how your customers are spending their time and money. Question all conventional ideas and use data to dynamically search for anomalies and surprises. Then adjust your business model to reflect demographic and psychographic behavioural changes, look for the impact of new trends on your business and how would you create and deliver value, with whom you should collaborate to serve your customer.

Being a print veteran, we thought it would be appropriate to ask this question and another tomorrow. So let’s hear it from Dr Bhaskar Das in the September 8 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar.

Q. While unveiling its new look last Monday, HT wrote on the impact of the Covid-led lockdown: Some readers whose newspaper-reading moved online in this period may not return to the print paper. Now that’s a solid admission of a change in habit by one of India’s largest and influential newspaper groups. What say?

A.What’s wrong in it? Business can’t be run with emotion or ego. It’s pragmatism to internalise that a future backwards strategy is the only way to move forward to navigate challenges (technology-led, consumer culture change-led and regulatory ambiguity-led)  of any sector. I really appreciate the initiative.

The attempt was to get him to give a direct answer – giving a name, but then we knew he wouldn’t do that. Without further ado, read Dr Bhaskar Das in the September 7 edition of Das ka Dum. Enjoy and enrich yourself…

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar.

Q. It was Teacher’s Day on Saturday, September 5. Who from amongst the various people you worked with would you say was your best teacher? Or you learnt from the most?

A. I have been blessed to receive continuous lessons from everyone in my life, including you. When one is not bothered about the source of knowledge and one is perpetually curious, learning flows incessantly.

The two best lessons have  come to me from a chariot driver in Mahabharata: 1. Do your duty, leave the result to God and 2. Remain lovingly detached, as opposed to morbidly attached to your task.

Another issue that a lot of people have been raising with us, so we asked the question to Dr Bhaskar Das. Let’s hear it from him in the September 2 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar.

Q. Since many media organisations are reporting the return of happy days in terms of revenues, do you think they should reverse the job and salary cuts?

A. I can’t sermonise on what an organisation would (or should) do. But it’s natural for companies to restore both jobs and salary cuts when business sentiments improve both for attracting/ retaining talents and to remain competitive in the market by more intense market coverage and customer service. At the same time, one can’t predict which organisation would behave in what manner.

This was an issue that a lot of people have been raising with us, so we asked the question to Dr Bhaskar Das. Let’s hear it from him in the September 1 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar.

Q. Given the number of sexual harassment/me-too complaints coming from the media in India, do you think our media is a safe place of work for women?

A. Do you have sectoral database of the type of complaints you have referred to? Why did you pick up media for the same. I am not denying the existence but we can’t paint everyone/ every organisation with the same brush. Besides, there are regulatory redressal mechanisms available to combat any adversarial incidents. Corporations are conscious of  safety in the workplace. Hence, it’s too sweeping to comment that media isn’t safe place to work. The rising number of women in workplace contradicts your observation, empirically.

So we weren’t really asking for a positive feedback, but we thought he would add his ‘vishesh tippani’ (special comments). But then just on the day we want him to do that, he gives a straightforward reply. Presenting the August 31 edition of Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das. Read on…

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar.

Q. So one is not fishing for compliments or brickbats, but your view on the Q&A we had with Arnab Goswami on Friday?

A. Interesting and candid conversation. Both sides have confidence in their convictions. Q&A was direct. Answers were too. Overall my rating for the interview is very high.