MxMIndia

Tag: DB Corp

  • The Promoter Director of the Dainik Bhaskar Group in a candid conversation with Pradyuman Maheshwari, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, MxMIndia

    MxM Leadership Series with Girish Agarwaal

     

    By Pradyuman Maheshwari

     

    Those who know him would appreciate what a candid conversation with him means. For Girish Agarwaal, Promoter Director of the Dainik Bhaskar Group doesn’t mince words. And is perhaps the Indian newspaper business’s biggest evangelist.

     

    Over the last few months, Agarwaal and his team of over 10,000 people across the country have been working overtime to undo the damage that the Covid-19-led pandemic caused to the newspaper business. And the proof of the pudding is in the eating: Dainik Bhaskar and Divya Bhaskar has had some blockbuster, jumbo editions in the last few weeks.

     

    As part of the MxM India Leadership Series interviews, I had a 23-odd-minute chat with Girish Agarwaal, clearly one of the most influential newspaper owners in the country. When you watch the interview – especially his clarion call to advertisers and media agency folk, you know why he’s like few others.

     

    Watch. Enjoy. Like

     

  • After the Hindi dailies, it’s now the turn of Divya Bhaskar with an 80-page edition in Ahmedabad

    Dainik Bhaskar Group binges on mega-editions

    By A Correspondent

     

    After an 128-page edition in Indore, a 72-page one in Bhopal, 60 pages in Hoshangabad and 54 pages in Bilaspur, the Bhaskar group’s offensive against the impact of the Corona continues with Divya Bhaskar’s 80-page edition in Ahmedabad.

     

    Said Devendra Bhatnagar – State Editorial Head: “This is indeed a special milestone for the group because the very discerning readers of Gujarat expect only the best and we have hopefully been able to deliver on our promise of editorial excellence.” Added Harish Bhatia, President, DB Corp: “The 80-page edition in Ahmedabad that follows mega-editions in Indore, Bhopal, Hoshangabad and Bilaspur clearly indicates that Dainik Bhaskar has been able to capture advertising spends across all the markets it operates in. It also validates the recent EY report that spoke of Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities leading the economic revival in the country.”

     

    Said Sanjeev Chouhan, Gujarat Head of the group: “The overwhelming response of the advertisers for our special Divya Bhaskar – edition, is very encouraging. Participation has been across the board with advertisers from multiple sectors such as Real Estate, Jewellery, Automobile, FMCG, Electronics and Social sectors coming on board.”

     

     

  • Collaboration is key to expanding financial literacy and equity culture in 'Unmetro' regions Mumbai

    Dainik Bhaskar hosts financial seminar in Mumbai

    By A Correspondent

     

    DB Corp Limited (DBCL) announced the successful conclusion of its event last week that saw a representation of over 70 professionals from the financial services industry including top merchant bankers, analysts from reputed broking houses as well as leading media and advertising agencies.

     

    The event with theme “India’s growing equity culture” Joint Secretary – DIPAM, Ministry of Finance Dr Dheeraj Bhatnagar as Chief Guest who also delivered the keynote address. Bhatnagar reiterated the government’s efforts and commitment to reforms that have paved the way for stronger economic growth. Dr Bhaskar Das, Executive President, DB Corp presented the current capital market environment and how equity has been delivering breakthrough performance as an asset class triggering more allocation towards financial savings, primarily driven post demonetisation. Dr Das also discussed the key IPO markets in India, Dainik Bhaskar Group’s presence in these regions and how leading publications as Dainik Bhaskar and Divya Bhaskar are supporting the industry to expand the nascent equity culture across India’s tier 2 and 3 cities which have emerged as the country’s new growth engines.

     

    Said Girish Agarwaal, Promoter-Director, DB Corp: “These are exciting times that the country is witnessing. With key reforms paving the way for stronger economic and industrial progress, India is moving on to the next phase of productive growth. India’s macroeconomic fundamentals demonstrate that the economy is now poised to take off. As India’s largest media conglomerate, Dainik Bhakar Group through its publications in four languages, 66 print editions across 12 states; has been playing an active role in supporting the expanding equity culture in India. We are even more committed to extend our strengths to the financial services industry in particular; to expand financial and capital market literacy to reach out to retail investors across India. While significant potential across industries is being gradually unlocked, a key aspect of this future progress also includes the simultaneous growth of India’s retail investor community. Discussing the way forward based on a collaborative approach, was the primary objective of the successful event. We thank Dr. Bhatnagar for gracing the event and all our guests who made the discussions so engaging.”

     

     

  • DBCL is the only Indian company to feature in the Top 25 Winners Gallery

    Dainik Bhaskar bags 2 platinums for ‘Zidd Karo, Duniya Badlo’

    By A Correspondent

     

    DB Corp has bagged two platinum awards from the League of American Communications Professionals (LACP) for its campaign ‘ZiddKaro, DuniyaBadlo’.

     

    The awards were conferred for Dainik Bhaskar Group’s Annual Report FY 16 and for the Corporate Calendar 2017 at LACP Spotlight Awards 2016/17 organised by LACP. The Annual Report and calendar themed ‘Zidd’ were ranked at 4th and 5th positions respectively in the overall top 25 global list. The DainikBhaskar Group is the only Indian company to feature in the Top 25 Winners Gallery.

     

    Commenting on the win, Kaacon Sethi, Chief Corporate Marketing Officer, Dainik Bhaskar Group said: “We are honoured to receive the LACP recognition. We have imbibed the ‘ZiddKaroDuniyaBadlo’ philosophy that drives us to go that extra mile to transform intent and determination into action. We sincerely appreciate this recognition as it provides us with further impetus to do more.”

     

     

  • Sengupta was until Associate Vice President with The Times of India group in Gurgaon

    DB Corp appoints Satyajit Sengupta to head corporate sales & marketing, restructures top deck in S&M

    By A Correspondent

     

    DB Corp Limited (DBCL) publishers of Dainik Bhaskar, Divya Bhaskar, Divya Marathi and Saurashtra Samachar has announced the appointment of SatyajitSengupta as Chief Corporate Sales and Marketing Officer. Sengupta will be responsible for spearheading the Corporate Sales & Marketing Vertical for DainikBhaskar, a position left vacant after Pradeep Dwivedi moved on to join the Sakal Media Group a few months back.

     

    Sengupta brings with him over 18 years of experience in print media. He was until Associate Vice President with The Times of India group in Gurgaon where he was responsible for leading the Metro Response team and generating revenue for all Times Group publications from corporate clients. Commenting on the appointment, Girish Agarwaal, Non-Executive Director, DB Corp said “We welcome Satyajit on board. The expertise, experience and knowledge that Satyajit brings to DBCL further strengthens our marketing and corporate Sales function and reinforces our position as one of India’s largest and dynamic media conglomerates. Dainik Bhaskar is at an exciting stage of growth with several milestones to be achieved. We are confident that his proven ability to drive strategic growth, explore exciting avenues, and his leadership skills will contribute to the Group’s ambition of further strengthening the Bhaskar brand as we move forward.” Added Sengupta: “I am excited to lead an immensely passionate and talented group pf prefessionals at Dainik Bhaskar. Dainik Bhaskar is extremely well positioned to expand and tap significant opportunities within the Indian media landscape. I look forward to working with the entire Bhaskar team as we embark on this exciting journey.”

     

    Meanwhile, DB Group has also restructured the sales and marketing departments. It has  promoted Dharmendra Atri to lead special initiatives and Reema Datta As Head Of Corporate Sales Branch – North.

     

    Atri, who was earlier Head of Corporate Sales Branch – North, will closely work with Sudhir Agarwal, Managing Director, DB Group. Dutta, who was earlier an integral member of Atri’s team, has been promoted as Head of Corporate Sales Branch – North.

     

  • DBCL's Consolidated Total Revenues have increased by 8.6% to Rs. 1,2064 million from Rs. 11,113 million in last fiscal

    DB Corp posts robust revenue in Q3

    By A Correspondent

     

    DB Corp Limited (DBCL), print media company and home to flagship newspapers Dainik Bhaskar, Divya Bhaskar, Dainik Divya Marathi and Saurashtra Samachar, has announced its financial results for the third quarter and nine months ended December 31, 2012.

     

    • Consolidated Advertising Revenues grew by 5.2 percent to Rs. 9,100 million from Rs. 8,651 million in the period under review
    • DBCL achieved Consolidated EBIDTA Margins of 24.4 percent in 9M FY2013 at Rs. 2,943 million, as against Rs. 2,768 million in the last fiscal, demonstrating a growth of 6.3 percent
    • Consolidated PAT has expanded to Rs. 1,629 million (13.5 percent margin) , from Rs. 1,567 million (14.1 percent), up by 4 percent on a YOY basis

     

    In the radio business, it has been reported that advertising revenues have shown a robust growth of 22% to Rs. 191 million in Q3 of current period, against Rs. 157 million in Q3 of last fiscal. The EBIDTA stands at Rs. 73 million (38.3 percent margin), 68 percent YOY Growth. The PAT stood at Rs. 47 million (24.5 percent margin) in Q3 FY 2013, with 113 percent YOY growth.

     

    DB Corp’s digital business continued to register impressive growth with ad revenue touching almost 100% growth in Q3 YOY, on the strength of continuous impressive high volumes of unique visitors (UV) and page views per month while revenues from advertising reported a growth of 12 percent YOY to Rs. 3,412 million in current period from Rs. 3,059 million in Q3 of previous year.

     

    Commenting on the company’s financial performance, Sudhir Agarwal, Managing Director, DB Corp Ltd, said, “We are pleased to have once again delivered a satisfactory performance this quarter driven by several key factors. Following the past few quarters of sluggish economic growth and subdued sentiments, I believe this quarter heralds better tidings on the back of an improved economic environment that has also spurred the momentum of media ad spend over the last few months – a trend that may continue. We continue to strengthen our internal capacities and resources and remain optimistic about our progress in every region. Our efforts in consolidating pan-India readership growth especially in the recently launched areas of Jharkhand and Maharashtra that are emerging strongly, and persistent cost rationalisation – is reflected in this quarter’s performance. We are greatly encouraged by the positive feedback and the strong renewal of subscriptions of copies in Jalgaon. We are expending considerable time to conduct more focused consumer feedback, bringing in more innovation in content and further localizing it, connecting with the consumer in our emerging centres, to create differentiated products.

     

    “On an overall basis, the economic environment – on the back of positive measures such as policy changes, mega project clearances, a continuation of reform momentum and anticipated interest rate reduction, is poised to reflect healthier growth. We will continue in our endeavours to utilise our competitive strengths most productively, to strengthen our infrastructure, monetize our centres and thereby translate this growth to deliver greater value to all stakeholders,” he said.

     

  • Excerpts from an Ernst & Young report based on a survey of 34 global M&E titled 'How CEOs are Embracing Digital Growth'

    How M&E CEOs are embracing digital growth

     

    After years of uncertainty and caution in the digital world, CEOs are now more optimistic than ever about the digital future, notes leading consulting firm Ernst & Young. “This was the primary theme that emerged from our 2012 CEO study, in which 34 CEOs from leading global media and entertainment companies shared their views on how the industry will benefit from the digital future.The CEOs we interviewed represent leading global companies with combined annual revenues exceeding US $300 billion.”

     

    Five industry captains from India were among the 34 interviewed. These being: Messrs Ravi Dhariwal, CEO-Publishing, Bennett Coleman & Co Ltd; Sudhir Agarwal, MD, DB Corp; Sanjay Gupta, CEO and Wholetime Director, Jagran;  Tony D’Silva,  Group CEO, Sun Network (now with the Hindujas) and Punit Goenka, MD and CEO, Zee.

     

    Excerpts from the report:

     

    Four key actions from CEOs
     

    1. Focus on the customer.

    “The world’s greatest company will have the customer at the center.” “Having a direct relationship with the consumer will translate into new revenue stability and growth.” “Companies understanding and concentrating on the consumer’s need will do better than those that concentrate inwards.”

     

    2. Create differentiated content.

    “First, second and third things will be the creative success of our brands and studios.” “Being able to navigate the waters with compelling, cost-efficient movies that people have to see.” “Strong content delivered in exciting ways.”

     

    3. Deliver a seamless experience to the customer across all devices, platforms and geographies.

    “We are looking to be with the customer all day with tablet, iPhone(R), online and IPTV.” “Providing seamless delivery of all content on a global basis.”

     

    4. Recruit and retain the right people. They will be the ones who will drive success.

    “Digital reduces the number of levels of hierarchy, allowing the CEO to interfere in debates that are not necessarily his.”

    “Our company needs to become more horizontal and less vertical.” “I want my people and teams to (1) be well-grounded, (2) be competitive with a desire to win, and (3) take responsibility and be decisive.”

     

    Courtesy: Ernst & Young Media and Entertainment practice (http://www.ey.com/IN/en/Industries/Media-Entertainment)

     

    The 34 media and entertainment CEOs interviewed for Ernst & Young’s 2012 CEO study are optimistic about the opportunities in today’s digital world. They see digital as key to their revenue and margin growth. It is their present and their future. This contrasts with E&Y’s 2008 study, which showed that CEOs were more tentative about digital’s potential.

     

    However, every path has its risks. In addition to sharing their insights into the opportunities digital offers, CEOs also admit they face challenges.

     

    Getting the consumer to pay fair value and developing their “digital muscles” across the front, middle and backoffice continue to be key focus areas for media and entertainment companies.

     

    And yet, CEOs are meeting these challenges head-on and are regaining control of the reins of their future long-term growth. In today’s rapidly changing digital marketplace, CEOs remain undeterred about the role digital will play in their companies’ future

     

    Summary of key points

    CEOs are optimistic about digital. They are no longer tentative about digital. They see opportunities for growth in both revenues and margins.

     

    Connected technologies drive growth and create transformative digital ecosystems. This growth is being driven by connected technologies that are, in turn, creating transformative ecosystems.

     

    CEOs are thoughtful about where to invest. CEOs currently see new distribution methods and new types of content as the most attractive investments. CEOs see these investments as central to setting them apart from their competition.

     

    Exploiting digital opportunities comes with challenges. CEOs are working to make sure customers pay a fair price for content, and they are building the competencies in their back, middle and front office to maximize their advantage in a digital world.

     

    Digital drives double-digit growth

    Today, CEOs see digital as a core part of their business, as well as a key driver of growth. As one respondent commented: “everything we do is digital.”

     

    Definitions of what constitutes digital can vary by subsector and even by companies within a sub-sector. With this caveat, CEOs were asked what impact digital would have on their own company’s revenues and margins over the next three years. Sixty-four percent of study participants expect digital to drive revenue growth of 10% or more. Forty-eight percent of CEOs also expect margins to increase by 10% or more in the same time frame.

     

    This compares to the 2008 study, where CEOs were more focused on protecting their traditional business than pursuing digital opportunities. One respondent worried that “digital media may not be as economically attractive as old media.” Another suggested that “media is trading analog dollars for digital dimes.” For many, digital media was still viewed as a new frontier – a place only for gamblers willing to take a chance on the unknown.

     

    Intuitively, there is a prevailing belief that digital margins should be higher because media and entertainment companies no longer have the cost of physical distribution. In the short-term, investments required in infrastructure to enable digital will tend to drive margins lower. However, that is only in the short-term. Once companies have the required digital infrastructure in place, we expect their margins will rise.

     

    Tablets and smartphones are driving growth

    So what is driving this double-digit growth in digital revenue and this foundational shift in consumption? When CEOs were asked which technologies they see having the greatest impact on their individual sectors, 79% suggest tablets, 62% say smartphones. The impact these devices have on the consumer experience is obvious to each of us in our daily lives.

     

    These devices are supported by the technology that respondents see as having the third biggest impact on the media and entertainment industry in the next three years: cloud hosting services and digital lockers.

     

    When CEOs were last surveyed in 2008, consumer tablets were not even on the market, cloud computing was a niche product and smartphones were focused on email and texting as opposed to video and apps. Today, more digital content across more platforms and available on more devices has created new and significant monetization opportunities for media and entertainment companies.

     

    Conclusion

    CEOs have a clear vision of a digital world

    When CEOs survey the future, they see the opportunities that digital media presents. Whether it is B2C or B2B, the direct relationship that applications, ecosystems and technologies enable is fundamental to their vision. It is about the ability to drive an outstanding consumer experience by offering differentiated content on an array of platforms and devices, anytime, anywhere.

     

    Their success will depend on how quickly they can optimize their back, middle and front offices to overcome challenges they face – getting consumers to pay fair value, managing content and optimizing their supply chains.

     

    It will also depend on their people. It will depend on having the right people with the right skills to win in a fast-paced, ever-evolving digital landscape.

     

    Once a gambler’s enterprise, CEOs today see digital as necessary for future long-term growth. Undeterred by their challenges, CEOs are optimistic and they have greater confidence their companies can take full advantage of the opportunities that exist in today’s digital world.