MxMIndia

Tag: girish agarwaal

  • 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

     

  • Dainik Bhaskar unveils a Hansa Research study which pegs it as the #2 Hindi daily in Bihar

    It’s Bihar Calling for Bhaskar!

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    The print media has had strong patrons over the years. But in more recent times, where digital has taken rapid strides globally and in India too, while the number of people propagating the benefits of the media hasn’t diminished, if there’s one person who not only aggressively champions the cause of print but also asks the trade media to promote it, it’s Girish Agarwaal, promoter and director of the Dainik Bhaskar group.

     

    Agarwaal spoke of the rapid growth of print despite naysayers, quoting his own newspaper’s example which he says is indeed a “very big deal”.

     

    The rise in newsprint prices which saw at least one newspaper group declaring that it’s going to cut its print run to cut costs is not something that Agarwaal too bothered about. “It’s cyclical, and will come down in a few quarters,” he told mediapersons.

     

    On Tuesday, Agarwaal and team had convened a presser to announce the rapid strides his paper had seen in Bihar in just a year of launch. It commissioned Hansa Research, the agency which would undertake the IRS research until it was upstaged by Nielsen a few years back, to map the length and breadth of Bihar to conduct the study.

     

    A sample of over 2000 people conducted the study, and the results show that Dainik Bhaskar is a close #2 in the state, ahead of Dainik Jagran and Prabhat Khabar. As per the study, DB is at #2 with an AIR of 9.11 lakh and Hindustan continues to lead at 9.98 lakh. But in Patna city, DB is #1 with AIR of 5.07 lakh

     

    Interestingly, DB has attracted the highest number of women readers amongst its peers. Its number is 47 per cent, as against 44 per cent being the next best.

     

    Readership Survey Report Bihar 2018

  • For talented emerging entrepreneurs in Tier 2 & 3 regions

    Dainik Bhaskar partners The Mumbai Angels Network to launch startup funding competition

    By A Correspondent

     

    Dainik Bhaskar Group announced that the group’s non-profit arm, Ramesh and Sharda Agarwal Foundation is launching India’s first startup funding competition for startups from Tier 2 and 3 Tier cities which are India’s new growth engines. The initiative is powered by Mumbai Angels, an angel investing network.

     

    The programme will shortlist startups that can pitch for funding to more than 300 members of The MA Network across the country. Dainik Bhaskar Group will invest in the winning startups, mentor them to help them grow to their full potential and support them to compete on an equal platform in India and internationally.

     

    Said Girish Agarwaal, Promoter-Director, Dainik Bhaskar Group: “We believe India’s prosperity depends strongly on its natural talent for entrepreneurship. Our primary purpose behind launching this initiative is to ensure that start-ups from fast-growing cities across India get an equal opportunity for growth and access to funding as start-ups in any other part of the country. As the largest media house in India, we consider it to be our responsibility to contribute to the growth of the startup ecosystem in India and help create several more home-grown success stories”.

     

    Added Nandini Mansinghka, CEO and MD, Mumbai Angels Network: “The MA Network is continuously scouting for innovative start-ups and we are very excited to partner with the Daink Bhaskar Group to identify the some of the best startups from across India’s smaller towns and cities. The selected start-ups will be invited to pitch to over 300 members of our network across 6 cities.”

     

     

  • 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.”

     

     

  • Veteran mediaperson Dr Bhaskar Das has joined the Dainik Bhaskar group as Executive President today

    BD joins DB today, as Exec President

    Bhaskar Das

    By A Correspondent

    Pardon the licence we’ve taken to play with the initials of two institutions in India’s media and entertainment and sector. An all-new journey in the lives of the two Bhaskars of medialand begins today. Veteran mediaperson Dr Bhaskar Das has joined the Dainik Bhaskar group today (Nov 2) as Executive President. Das has spent over three decades with The Times of India group and the last five-odd years with the Zee group.

    As reported by MxMIndia on September 11, Das’ contract expired with the Zee group in late October.

    This is a group-level position, and we are told by sources that Das will report to Bhaskar group director Girish Agarwaal and will work along with Satyajit Sengupta, chief of corporate sales and marketing, who incidentally also worked with The Times of India group before he joined DB.

  • With this launch, DB Corp Ltd now publishes seven newspapers with 63 editions across 14 states across India

    Dainik Bhaskar launches Surat edition

    By A Correspondent

     

    DB Corp Limited (DBCL) announced the launch of Dainik Bhaskar’s new edition from Surat in Gujarat. With this launch, DB Corp Ltd now publishes seven newspapers with 63 editions across 14 states across India.

     

    Commenting on DainikBhaskar’s successful Surat foray, Girish Agarwaal, Promoter Director, DB Corp Limited: “With the launch of Dainik Bhaskar in Surat, we have consolidated our presence and stronghold in Gujarat. Surat is a vast and unique market, with a developed industrial belt which is home to some of India’s leading corporates across textile, Information Technology and diamond polishing sectors. The region is taking progressive strides in expanding its infrastructure, transport, communications facilities and also has a strong cultural heritage.”

     

    Added Satyajit Sengupta, Chief Corporate Sales & Marketing Officer, DB Corp: “Our single-minded aim has always been to offer a world class, news-led product for consumers seeking not only news but analysis with insightful perspectives, issues that create a progressive impact on daily life, global developments and a segment of engaging content offering readership delight. At Bhaskar, brand building begins from the first day of our surveys when our research team first interacts with potential customers to introduce the product, the company and solicits views and feedback on their requirements, which in turn forms the basis of new product creation. All our activities have been focused on the single objective of creating a strong product with high value proposition. We look forward to fortifying our presence further in Surat and emerge as the choicest medium for advertisers.”

     

  • 'Unmetros' signify the non-metro urban Indian markets (Tier 2 & 3 markets) which are fast emerging as India's key growth centres

    Dainik Bhaskar unveils ‘Unmetro – The Action is Elsewhere’ campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    DB Corp Limited (DBCL) announced the launch of ‘Unmetro- Action Is Elsewhere’, a new campaign aimed at marketers, advertisers and the media planner/buyer audiences. Designed as a digital / social media campaign, it will also be supported by Print, OOH and also supported by the company’s Unmetro Conclave events, which have over a period of time developed into one of the most noteworthy pan-India marketing events focused on exploring and analyzing the untapped economic potential of India’s non-metro towns and cities.

     

    ‘Unmetros’ signify the non-metro urban Indian markets (Tier 2 & 3 markets) which are fast emerging as India’s key growth centres. These markets are at the core of dynamic progress, being under served and hence presenting an opportunity of rapidly growing consumer demand, with significant purchasing power and greater media reach. This potential of Unmetros, together with the rise of digital media, the fragmentation of mass media, the growing power of young consumers, creates a very compelling proposition for the Indian retail industry. Also significant is the leveling out of purchasing power across India that brings into focus the markets beyond the metros.

     

    Kishore Biyani
    Girish Agarwaal

    Kishor Biyani, Group CEO, Future Group has flagged off the launch of the campaign, as a 60 second film, which will be amplified with the help of print ads, web banners and across the Unmetro web page. The campaign idea revolves around the fact that, generally people have been enamoured by life in the metros, while the real action is brewing in the Unmetro heartland of India, to say that the ‘Action is elsewhere’.

     

    Commenting on the launch of the digital campaign, Girish Agarwaal, Director, Dainik Bhaskar, said, “We see a whole new opportunity in Unmetros where the rising affluence levels and changing consumption patterns are opening doors for marketers to service these new regions. Consumerism is on the rise, as also the desire to experience better lifestyles and enjoy global brands. This has created numerous opportunities for both national and international brands in India. Through the Unmetro initiative, we champion the cause of Tier II and III markets, helping marketers and advertisers to serve these markets better and play a role in transforming them into stronger growth centers.”

     

  • The successful launch of Divya Marathi, the Dainik Bhaskar group's Marathi newspaper, has attracted IIM Bangalore to study and create a classroom case on group's success through the years

    Divya Marathi now a case study at IIM Bangalore

    By A Correspondent

     

    The fast paced growth and unique new market launch strategy of Dainik Bhaskar Group, an Orbit-shifting innovative process featured as a case in IIM Ahmedabad, and the successful launch of Divya Marathi, the group’s Marathi newspaper, this time has attracted IIM Bangalore to study and create a classroom case on group’s success through the years.

     

    Seema Gupta

    Prof. Seema Gupta of IIM Bangalore did a detailed analysis of Dainik Bhaskar group processes in her attempt to understand what makes this group succeed. She met with the senior management across verticals; Editorial, Production, circulation and marketing to deep dive into their independent and cross-functional working. Result; ‘Dainik Bhaskar group: Aspiring Growth’ a case study by IIM Bangalore.

     

    The case delves into the history of the group, the aggressive launch strategy, accelerated business growth and robust marketing plan. It strongly points out that launching of a newspaper and venturing into a monopolistic market space is definitely a decision that is governed by the faith in the brand. Considering the nature of the category, where reading habits are relatively strong and the market leaders create high entry barriers including the competition-intensive cut-throat ground zero strategies, it makes for an interesting study in management strategies, processes and execution. Success in such situations cannot just be attributed to the business acumen, understanding of market dynamics and identification of the need-gap within the market. There are other elements like agility, empowerment, passion and high ambition across the employee set that is a real differentiator and helps convert strategies into reality.

     

    Elaborating on selecting Dainik Bhaskar Group for the case, Prof. Seema Gupta said, ‘Dainik Bhaskar with its ambitious growth plans exemplifies gutsy business strategy and marketing. It changed the contours of the marketplace by entering into markets with strong and entrenched incumbents. This task was even more arduous considering the nature of the category as it is difficult to change the habit of readers. Newspapers touch the life of every consumer and hence the case would drive strong emotional connect and animated discussion in the classroom. The focus of the company on tier II towns makes it an apt material for case study as small towns would be the drivers of future growth of Indian economy.’

     

    The case in detail traces the sustained leadership strategy adapted by Dainik Bhaskar Group over the years. It places importance on the way the group evaluates and  identifies the gap between supply and demand. And the process of creation of a product that truly answers the overt and latent needs in the ever evolving market. It identifies that the core business philosophy of the group remains a singular focus on close in-depth understanding of the consumers’ pulse and being consumer-centric in its product creation.

     

    Girish Agarwaal

    Speaking about this development, Girish Agarwaal, Director, Dainik Bhaskar Group said, “It is always a moment of pride when an institute of repute like ‘Indian institute of Management Bangalore’ seeks to study the organisation and creates a case study. We do believe that in the process of the case creation and discussion, the group also benefits in getting some raw, unbiased and unfiltered views. We attended the first classroom sessions held on July 20 at IIM-B, where second year students discussed the case. It has been a healthy experience and we respect the level of analysis that the students presented in their understanding of the challenges faced by the group.”