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Tag: Hitesh Oberoi

  • The truth is that internet is a great medium for consumers, and it is a great medium for small and medium enterprises to build their business, feels Mr Oberoi

    Internet as a media has arrived: Hitesh Oberoi

    Hitesh Oberoi is  Chairman- IAMAI and CEO and Managing Director, Info Edge. In conversation with MxMIndia’s Robin Thomas on the sidelines of the IAMAI’s marketing conclave recently, Mr Oberoi spoke about the changing dynamics of internet and mobile in India, the trends to watch out for and much more.

     

    For long we have been referring to internet as a new medium. Would you still regard the internet as a ‘new’ medium?

    I don’t think internet is a new media any more, but a media which has arrived. There are already more than 120 million online users and this number will grow to 400 million in the next three to five years. Therefore, I don’t think internet is a new medium any more nor a medium that can be ignored.

     

    Has there been a shift in perception over the years among advertisers about the internet and mobile as media vehicles?

    Advertisers are definitely taking the internet a lot more seriously today simply because of the growing number of online and mobile users. With the kind of targeting options and the kind of measurement options, the internet offers have brought more and more advertisers on board. In addition to this, the internet is not only one of the cheapest medium to advertise but, also provides better ROIs to advertisers. So certainly these are some of the factors leading more advertisers to the internet.

     

    What about a credible measurement system? Why do we lack still one today?

    There are some challenges, there are different methods used by different measurement providers but, I think they realize that internet is getting big in India and are, perhaps, working towards a better measurement system. So very soon we should have a credible measurement system in India.

     

    What according to you are the opportunities and possible threats or challenges that 3G and 4G services could have for mobile advertising in India?

    As the internet grows faster, people will spend more and more time on the internet. Penetration and the speed of access are the two things needed for bringing in more people to mobile internet. What 3G and 4G will do is, improve the speed of access and when the speed of access increases, a user will be able to download content faster. So, a combination of faster internet on mobile, quick downloads, and good quality content and so on will lead mobile internet to a different level altogether.

     

    And the lessons that India can learn from their international counterparts on internet and mobile advertising?

    One thing we should be investing in is the internet economy. The truth is that internet is a great medium for consumers, and it is a great medium for small and medium enterprises to build their business. Internet is a great leveler of the two India’s (urban and rural). Just as the telecom revolution which has led to people being empowered, the same could happen on the internet. So, I think the lesson we can learn from the United States and China is that we need to invest more and more in broadband and we need to make it cheap for people, so that many more can get onto the internet.

     

    Any specific trends to watch out for in the digital media space?

    There will be many more people on the internet five years from now, Indians will spend more time on the internet and probably they will spend most of their time online, therefore, marketers cannot afford to not be online. In fact, a lot more access to internet will take place through mobile phones. So while in this phase, more people are accessing internet through their PC or desktop, the next phase of internet growth will come from mobile. Therefore, marketers need to adapt to these changes accordingly. These changes may take a while but, undoubtedly digital is the way forward.

     

  • On an overall level, the index had peaked during the mid-months of 2011 but most months saw the index about 20 per cent lower than the July 2008 levels.

    Media hiring 9% higher in Jan than Dec

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Indian entertainment and media sector is one of the fastest growing sectors in the economy, and has witnessed tremendous growth in last couple of years.

     

    In January 2012, hiring activity in the media sector saw a growth of 9 per cent above December 2011 levels and 3 per cent above the January 2011 levels.

     

    The May 2011 index at 1025 was the highest point on the job index in three years. The last three months of 2011, however has seen some dipping hiring numbers.

     

    Hitesh Oberoi, CEO and MD, Info EdgeIndiasaid “With the beginning of the new year, the recruitment scenario seems to be moving in a positive direction. However, this year, firms will be more particular about recruiting the right talent and employees who can make meaningful contributions to the firm.”

     

    Thus, on an overall level, the index had peaked during the mid-months of 2011 but most months saw the index about 20 per cent lower than the July 2008 levels.

     

    Naukri.com, India’s No. 1 job site, is the flagship brand of Info Edge. It revolutionized the concept of recruitment inIndia. Since its inception in 1997, Naukri.com has seen continued growth while outperforming its competitors in every sphere. Info Edge is the first internet Company to be listed inIndia.