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Tag: Sudhir Agarwal

  • All state COOs of DB group will report to Bhatia, in the move which will be effective November 2

    Harrish Bhatia to move as President – Print at Dainik Bhaskar

    By A Correspondent

     

    Harrish M Bhatia

    Harrish M Bhatia, CEO  of M​y​ FM,  is being elevated and brought back to DB group core business of print media  as President. In the new role, all state COOs of DB group, will report to him. This move will be effective starting November​ 2, ​2017.

     

    Bhatia joined M​y​ FM in Oct​ ’2001 and spent 16 years of his career with ​the group. Prior to moving to the ​r​adio division of the group​,​ he spent around ​six​ years in print  where he was head of the Rajasthan Unit. Subsequently, he laid the foundation of Divya Bhaskar in Gujarat and also led the Corp​orate​ Sales & Marketing vertical of the ​p​rint ​b​usiness.  Then in the year 2007, he took charge of ​the ​radio ​b​usiness and established M​y​ FM.

     

    ​Speaking​ on the ​development, Sudhir Agarwal, Managing Director, DB Corp Ltd​ said:, “Harrish is an old hand in the system, with his vast exposure across brands and categories and deep understanding of the various functions in the Print business, he will be able to take the business to new heights. I wish him all the very best in the new role.”

     

    Rahul Namjoshi, who was earlier the Corporate Sales Head, has been elevated as Business Head, MY FM keeping in view Bhatia’s movement into print business. In his new role​,​ ​Namjoshi will report to Pawan Agarwal, Deputy Managing Director. ​Namjoshi joined the organi​s​ation in March​ 20​07 and held the role of Regional Head Gujarat and Cluster Head – NCR till 2012. In 2012 he moved into the role of National Corporate Sales Head and has been also handling the client solutions team and the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat.

     

    ​Added Pawan Agarwal​: “Rahul has been with us since 2007, his strong understanding of the radio business both at the retail and corporate level made him the obvious choice for us, I am sure M​y​ FM will achieve new heights under his leadership.”

     

     

  • The coffee table book features the best print campaigns of around 70 brands created by 23 leading creative agencies in India

    Bhaskar announces second edition of Mosaic

    By A Correspondent

     

    Encouraged by the success of Mosaic 2011, Dainik Bhaskar Group is now gearing up for an even bigger second edition of ‘Mosaic – India’s Best in Print’. The coffee table book features the best print campaigns of around 70 brands created by 23 leading creative agencies in India.

     

    Mosaic 2011 not only compiled excellent print creatives but had comments by leading media experts on what made them stand out and which were their five favourite ads from the 123 ads printed. With an added feature of the National Creative Directors commenting on what made them choose the creatives as their best, Mosaic is a collector’s publication.

     

    Commenting on Mosaic 2012, Sudhir Agarwal, MD, D B Corp Ltd. said “As a leading national media organization, we are proud to have co-created the first edition of Mosaic in 2012 as the compilation of Best in Print advertising and marketing in India. It illustrates the way the print medium has been used with a significant impact to deliver on brand promise and is a ready reference for professionals practicing the art for the possibilities in print category. The response has been tremendous and I believe, more than 9,500 copies were downloaded in addition to the 4,500 physical copies of the book circulated within the agencies and marketing organizations. A few copies have, in fact, been forwarded by some of the agencies to their counterparts globally as a reflection of Indian work. The teams at the Dainik Bhaskar Group have been working to further improve on Mosaic in its second edition and we are excited to make it more salient and inclusive.”

     

  • 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.

     

  • The Dainik Bhaskar School has tied up with Dale Carnegie Training Consultants, a renowned US-based Training company conducting training programs worldwide for over 100 years, to adapt and create the training programs in identified areas

    Dainik Bhaskar Group launches Bhaskar School of Media Education

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Dainik Bhaskar Group has identified a gap in quality media training and education and with an aim to provide a solution- training media professionals and matching the global standards- have launched the Bhaskar School of Media Education.

     

    Shiv Khera, the eminent motivational guru and author of self transformation, inaugurated the school on April 17. The Bhaskar School of Media Education will be run under the able leadership of Mrs. Jyoti Agarwal. The curriculum has been designed keeping the demands of the media industry.

     

    The Dainik Bhaskar School has tied up with Dale Carnegie Training Consultants, a renowned US-based Training company conducting training programs worldwide for over 100 years, to adapt and create the training programs in identified areas.

     

    The modular curriculum is designed to strengthen students’ skills across areas that will give them personal and professional advantage. The participants will be updated on latest global trends and technological advancements that will open new vistas for development through refresher programs across different verticals in media.

     

    Commenting on this new initiative and launch, Mr. Sudhir Agarwal, Managing Director, Dainik Bhaskar Group, said: “This is a first of a kind initiative by a media group to partner with Dale Carnegie – a world leader in enabling businesses to enhance performance and increase knowledge by imparting highly resourceful training and consulting services. We are delighted to join hands with the best in the training industry. This endeavour is an extension of Bhaskar’s vision to drive socio-economic change as the largest print media group and to help develop professionals attuned to the latest trends in media systems, processes and values. We aim to offer challenging careers and training modules in media to aspiring youngsters.”

     

    Every participant will have to undergo a rigorous training program to earn the ‘Dainik Bhaskar – Dale Carnegie Training Certificate’.

     

  • With 5 editions of Divya Marathi, it now covers complete centralMaharashtra. Divya Marathi, Solapur is also the 65th Edition of the Group

    Divya Marathi launches fifth edition from Solapur

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Dainik Bhaskar group announced the launch of the fifth edition of its Marathi newspaper, Divya Marathi, from Solapur.

     

    Solapur with an urban population of more than14.7 lac and a high per-capita income of Rs61,700 is one of the major cities of South-western Maharashtra. The first edition of Divya Marathi from Aurangabad started in May 2011 and soon other editions from Nashik, Jalgaon and Ahmednagar were launched. With 5 editions of Divya Marathi, it now covers complete central Maharashtra. Divya Marathi, Solapur is also the 65th Edition of the Group.

     

    “Through the Solapur launch of Divya Marathi, we continue to steadily enhance our footprint in Maharashtra and we now have 5 strong Marathi editions along withAurangabad, Nashik, Jalgaon and Ahmednagar, said Sudhir Agarwal, Managing Director, DB Corp Limited, commenting on the successful launch.

     

    The key proposition of Divya Marathi  Solapur launch campaign continued to be based on presenting an unbiased and fearless newspaper – “Na Ravanchi, Na Sahebanchi, Aata Chalel Tumchi Marji” (Neither influential class, nor Politicians, now public opinions will matter! ) – a theme that was central to the launches of the other 4 editions of Divya Marathi.

     

    Commenting on the success Nishit Jain, State Head; Maharashtra said: “The success is a reflection of the critical role brand building can play for a new entrant. It reflects across our processes. Our planning has been meticulous, including our strategically classifying city to understand its demographic nuances. This sharp focus on planning, management, marketing and branding has resulted in a successful launch of Solapur edition.”