Evolution of Media and Entertainment in India – Print vs. Other Media

The following are the panelists:

	Sanjay Gupta Editor and CEO, Dainik Jagran Jagran Prakashan Ltd (JPL), with its flagship brand Dainik Jagran, has created a unique mark in the history of Indian media by becoming the No. 1 read daily in the country over eleven consecutive rounds as per the Indian Readership Survey. It has a phenomenal readership of 56.1 mn as per the IRS Round II, 2008. Its readership is higher than the readership of all the English Newspapers put together. Not only that the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) has revalidated Dainik Jagran as the largest read daily in the world. Dainik Jagran now has a footprint that runs across 11 states which accounts for 50% of India’s population and potential. It is also the only Hindi Newspaper to have a double Superbrand Status. Not only that, BBC also rated Dainik Jagran to be the most creditable source of news. The newspaper Dainik Jagran was founded by Late Puranchand Gupta, an eminent freedom fighter and an upright man with determination and grit. The first edition of Dainik Jagran was launched in 1942 and since then there has been no looking back for the Jagran Family. After his demise the reins were taken over by his son Late Narendra Mohan who believed that his newspaper should represent the “free voice of the people” for India to be a truly democratic country. His ideas were further taken forward by the rest of the Jagran family members and till today they abide by the principles set by their forefathers unflinchingly. Sanjay Gupta, the eldest son of Late Narendra Mohan is currently the Editor of Daink Jagran & CEO of the company. He is a fine blend of tradition and modernity. A science graduate from a renowned institution he has been a part of the print industry for the last 23 yrs. He further strengthened Jagran’s editorial stance, embarked upon modernizing the company and built an interface between the newspaper and it’s readers,which essentially has been his success mantra. He has immense faith in his family and blends his decision making with modern management concepts as well as enabling his family members to be part of the business processes. Mr. Sanjay Gupta was appointed the CEO of the organization in 2002 and since then JPL has become a powerhouse of intellectuals who have made a mark of their proficiency globally. His key to success is simple- “Hard work and dedication.” He possesses excellent managerial skills which are reflected through 300 top managers and senior editorial members which form the core block of the company and oversee a huge team of 6000 odd employees. His caliber as a leader who strongly believes in team spirit is proved beyond doubt as he does not allow different departments to create silos in the organization. It was under his benign leadership that 15 more editions were launched by Dainik Jagran and today it has a huge footprint area with 33 editions and unbelievable circulation figures, making it the largest read newspaper in the world. It has established a strong presence in urban as well as rural areas of India and hence is in an exclusive position to shape and influence public opinion in the country. During his tenure, the company went through a successful listing at the Bombay Stock Exchange in the year 2006, forayed into new businesses like-Short Code Service, Outdoors, Below the Line Activities and Radio thereby making it a complete media house. The group has seen a sizeable growth in revenue accompanied by technical upgradation through investment in the technology of the future. He is convinced that employees should be appreciated as per their performances and would urge the departmental heads to give them a wider canvas to show their true capabilities. He places faith in his team and is confident that they will rise to all occasions and will remain focused in the prevailing challenging period. He is a man of little words but his works speak volumes about him. Dainik Jagran’s excellence in editorial content is reflected in ever increasing readership of the newspaper. He ensures that the editorial team has one ear always to the ground so that news published enriches the life of the common man on the street. Voted amongst the 50 most powerful people in the country by India Today thrice in a row, Mr. Sanjay Gupta is one of the most respected and prominent media leaders of his times. In addition to being an executive member of the World Association of Newspapers and a member of the Editors’ Guild, Mr. Sanjay Gupta has been a source of inspiration for a host of prestigious national organization. He is a member on the Board of Governors for Indian Institute of Management Lucknow, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad. According to Mr. Sanjay Gupta it is was challenging to be the No. 1 read daily in the world but it is even more challenging to retain this position. Mr. Gupta continues to strive in his never ending endeavors to retain the status of Dainik Jagran as the most widely read daily in the world and also to further evolve and improve upon the media offerings of the company. In the highly dynamic media landscape that we inhabit today Mr. Sanjay Gupta, the Editor and CEO of Jagran Prakashan Ltd, has steered the group with exemplary courage and conviction and posted spectacular milestones along the way. With his positive work attitude and progressive thinking process, which is open to changes & adaptability, he promises to set many more milestones in the years to come. He very confidently says that changing oneself along with the changing times is what sets one apart from others. Though he will keep looking after the JPL and will leave no stone unturned for the continuous growth of the same, but ten year down the line he would like to take a plunge in politics with the aim of helping change the face of present day India so as to shape its future where equality and justice are not mere dreams but reality for the underprivileged. In his leisure time he prefers to read books or watch movies. He follows cricket very keenly. He has interest in technology too and remains updated with the changes taking place in the same. He bestows to bring in reforms in the society of his Motherland that would help the deprived. Top
	Vikram Sakhuja CEO, Group M Vikram Sakhuja has a passion for Marketing being in the field for over 20 years. He graduated from IIT Delhi, and following a 2 year stint as a DCM Management Trainee, did his MBA at IIM Calcutta. He graduated to join Procter & Gamble where over his 8 years there, he held positions in Marketing Research and Media. He then joined Coca-Cola where over the 5 years there he went on to look after the brand marketing portfolio. After that Vikram spent a year with Newscorp as the Executive VP Marketing for the Star TV Network in India. From 2002 onwards he has been with the WPP group. He started there as the Managing Director of MindShare Fulcrum, went on to become the Managing Director of MindShare South Asia; and is now the CEO of groupm South Asia. Highlights of his career include • Leading the transformation of a Media Planning & Buying Agency practice into a Communication Agency business. In the process launching practices in Activation, Entertainment, Sports Sponsorship and Digital Media to help grow the MindShare/ groupm business 5 times across 7 years. • Consolidating MindShare’s undisputed #1 position amongst Media Agencies in terms of awards, ranking and of course market share. • The launch of several successful brands like Ariel, Whisper, Sprite, Diet Coke and Kinley; and building of others like Coca-Cola and Thums Up. • Setting up the country’s first Media Agency of Record (AOR), the country’s first purchase based retail audit, and a consumption panel to track habit change. Vikram is currently focussed on figuring out how to leverage scale to provide competitive advantage to clients. He believes in the power of a matrix and feels that efficient systems, adherence to some core values, non-inflated egos and simple structures are the key to unlocking killer value. His industry/ awards experience includes currently being Chairman of the Technical Committee of India’s Joint Industry body on TV measurement, Vice Chairman of Goafest, on the board of governors of ASCI. He has been a judge at Cannes (2007), been voted as one the influential people in Indian Media (2006 onwards) and was awarded Media Person of the Year by the India Brand summit (2006). Vikram’s family includes his wife Simmi, a professional fitness trainer, writer and radio personality, his two daughters Tara and Diya and three cocker spaniels Sasha, Sheba and Zoey. Top
	Rajat Sethi Executive Director, Reader’s Digest A Marketing Communications specialist, Rajat has extensive experience in the fields of General Management, Communication & Publishing. Rajat has successfully built new country operations and new competencies from inception to implementation. His strength has been his leadership and people skills, which were duly acknowledged when he received the ‘Agency Head of the Year’ Award for Asia-Pacific by Media magazine in Hong Kong in 2005. Rajat presently heads the Country operations in India for Reader’s Digest International. As a subscription led publication, he has utilised best Direct Marketing practices to make it India’s largest selling monthly magazine. Since the past 13 years, Rajat has been a practicing DM professional, helping to build operations in the Indian sub-continent for large global Direct Marketing Companies such as Wunderman and McCann Relationship Marketing. In recognition of his contribution in the field of Direct Marketing, Rajat was nominated as a Lions Direct Jury member at the 50th Cannes Advertising Festival. In 2007, he was also nominated as a jury member for the International Echo Awards for excellence in Direct Marketing. In Advertising, Rajat has had over 12 years experience mainly with Lintas:Lowe (Unilever Brands) and McCann-Erickson in India. His last ‘Advertising’ assignment was as Vice-President at McCann Erickson, New Delhi where he was conferred the HK McCann Leadership Award. Rajat is a graduate in Economics and a Post Graduate in Management studies. He also completed his Advanced Management Program from HBS in 2005. Rajat’s interests revolve around his wife and two daughters, the eldest being with McKinsey in India. He is also an avid golfer, photographer and painter. Top
	Peter Olson (Moderator) Senior Lecturer, Business Administration in the Strategy Unit, HBS Peter Olson is Senior Lecturer of Business Administration in the Strategy Unit at Harvard Business School. He graduated from Harvard College in 1972 (magna cum laude in History), Harvard Law School in 1976 (cum laude), and Harvard Business School in 1976. He worked as an attorney for three years, in commercial and investment banking for nine years, and for the international media group Bertelsmann for twenty years; from 2001 to 2008 he was a member of the Executive Board of Bertelsmann; from 1998 to 2008 he was the Chairman and CEO of Random House, the world's largest trade book publisher. From 2000 to 2001 he was a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Vienna. Top